Response to Crucial Errors Determines Outcome for Mizzou

Plenty went wrong for the Missouri Tigers against Auburn, but just enough went right for them to walk away with a win.

Oct 19, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Pyne (6) throws a pass against Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Keldric Faulk (15) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Missouri Tigers made too many mistakes against Auburn, ones that could have lost them the game. Its inability to convert on field goal attempts had a dramatic impact on the game and could have decided the end result in a variety of ways.

This matchup, full of minimal offensive production and unforced errors, saw Missouri down 17-6 late in the third quarter, with multiple opportunities to close the gap.

Kicker Blake Craig had four chances to add three points to the board, only converting on two. His two makes were the only points on the scoreboard for Missouri until the late-game heroics of quarterback Brady Cook.

Hypothetically, if Craig made all of his attempts, the circumstances surrounding the game and the energy of the fans would have been completely different entering the final quarter. Trailing by five points instead of 11 puts a team within one score and gives them some hope. The number of field goals attempted highlighted Missouri's inability to execute in the red zone, but a one-score game is a one-score game.

Craig's two makes on the day, in a way, pushed Missouri ahead. Without both, the Tigers don't have the shot to take the lead after the two-minute timeout in the fourth quarter. The misses hurt, but without the makes, the Missouri offense has much more work to do to win the game.

Even after Cook's long ball to receiver Mookie Cooper and eventual touchdown run from running back Marcus Carroll, Missouri was still down by a field goal. With four makes from Craig leading up to the final quarter, Cook and the Tigers would have a three-point lead.

The script could be flipped, however, if Auburn kicker Towns McGough would have made his 30-yard attempt. With the make, Auburn would have held a 20-6 lead, requiring Missouri to score two touchdowns to get within reach. The missed field goal positioned Cook to come on the field and lead a touchdown-scoring drive.

Early in the third quarter, star Missouri receiver Luther Burden III was hit on a punt return, resulting in a fumble and Auburn touchdown. This easily could have taken Missouri out of their rhythm and lost them the game.

This was an uncharacteristic mistake from Burden, but regardless, still put Missouri even farther behind.

Auburn's longest score of the day, right before Burden's fumble, was a rare, complete deep ball from quarterback Payton Thorne to receiver Cam Coleman. This pass went for 47 yards and was the first touchdown scored by either team at that point in the game.

The Thorne to Coleman connection was the longest completion of the game from Auburn, the second going for 18 yards on a swing pass to running back Jarquez Hunter in the second quarter. The rest of the passing yardage came from short throws in the middle of the field and most of their overall yards gained came on the ground.

A little bit of luck probably didn't hurt Missouri, given its mistakes and what went against them. The game could have gotten out of hand if they didn't respond how they did to adversity. The toughness of both players at quarterback for Missouri, combined with a string of defensive stops, kept them right within striking distance.

Even if it seemed like everything went wrong for the Missouri Tigers, they made the right plays at the right time to result in a victory.

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