Missouri Tigers: By the Numbers

The Sooners will meet the No. 24 Missouri Tigers for the 97th time on Saturday night at Faurot Field.

Missouri Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, MO — Oklahoma’s best shot at bowl eligibility will come on Saturday night. 

The Sooners (5-4, 1-4 SEC) travel to familiar territory to take on the No. 24-ranked Missouri Tigers (6-2, 2-2). 

Faurot Field will host the 97th all-time meeting between the old Big 8 foes, but OU hasn’t visited Columbia, MO, to play football since 2010.

Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers are reportedly going to be without starting quarterback Brady Cook, and leading rusher Nate Noel is questionable, and the Sooners enter Saturday’s 6:45 p.m. battle on SEC Network as road favorites in the eyes of Las Vegas. 

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Missouri boasts the nation’s 10th-ranked pass defense, as the Tigers allow an average of 164.8 yards per game through the air, but Missouri’s shade of yellow is fool’s gold. 

The Tigers have beat up on a soft schedule, handling Murray State, Buffalo, Boston College and Massachusetts in non-conference action. 

Missouri is allowing an average of 211.2 passing yards in its four games against SEC competition, and teams have broken off big plays with ease. 

The Tigers have allowed 24 passing plays of 15 yards or more in conference play, including five plays of 30 yards or more.

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold appears to be getting a pair of key weapons back in receivers Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks, who were both listed as “probable” on Thursday’s SEC Availability Report. 

The Sooners have struggled to create chunk plays in 2024, but there will be plenty of opportunities on Saturday night. 

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Part of Missouri’s troubles defending the pass in conference play has been the inability to generate a consistent pass rush.

The Tigers have just seven sacks in conference play and have only logged 11 combined quarterback pressures against Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. 

Protecting the quarterback has been an adventure for Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line, and one that often has ended with either Arnold or Michael Hawkins Jr. in the grass. 

The Sooners have allowed 29 sacks in their five SEC contests this year, and OU may be without the steady presence of right tackle Michael Tarquin on Saturday, who was listed as questionable for the game. 

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Even with Cook at the helm, Missouri’s offense hasn’t fired on all cylinders this year. 

The Tigers’ passing attack ranks 105th in passing efficiency despite having one of the nation’s premier receivers, Luther Burden, at their disposal. 

Being forced to turn to Drew Pyne without Cook will make things even more difficult. 

In relief of Cook against Alabama, Pyne completed 6-of-12 passes for 42 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. 

The week prior, Pyne went 10-of-21 through the air for 78 yards when Cook exited the game against Auburn. 

Noel, Missouri’s leading rusher, averages 5.9 yards per rush, but he also cold be unavailable to help Pyne out. 

If Noel can’t go, Missouri will be forced to turn to Marcus Carroll to carry the load on the ground, who has 401 yards and six touchdowns on 83 carries so far in 2024.