Oklahoma-Missouri: All You Need to Know

The Sooners renewed their rivalry with Missouri, this time in the Southeastern Conference, with another good defensive performance that needed some more late heroics but still wasn't enough.

Jackson Arnold / John E. Hoover / Sooners On S

COLUMBIA, MO — The Oklahoma football team is so broken that not even a strong dose of Sooner Magic can fix it.

OU rallied from another fourth-quarter deficit on Saturday, first with a throwback pass from Taylor Tatum to quarterback Jackson Arnold, and then with a 43-yard fumble return for a touchdown by safety Billy Bowman.

But the Tigers reversed OU's good fortune by driving the length of the field for a tying touchdown, then returned a fumble for a touchdown in the final minutes to take the lead and send the Sooners to 5-5 on the season, still one short of qualifying for a bowl game.

It was a former Sooner, Theo Wease Jr., who caught that game-tying touchdown for Missouri, and that final scoop-and-score secured the 30-23 win for the Tigers.

After opening 1-4 in SEC play and then drubbing Maine last week 59-14 in Norman, Oklahoma opened the week as a 4-point underdog — but by midday Tuesday had flipped to a 3-point favorite. The game closed with OU favored by as much as 3 1/2.

Oklahoma’s defense was on point in the first half as Missouri managed only a field goal — and that after Peyton Bowen fumbled a punt. The Tigers had just 88 yards at halftime and averaged just 2.7 yards per play.

The Sooners have earned their next reward: an idle Saturday next week and another week of practice to both go back to work and rest up. After that, OU hosts Alabama on Nov. 23 and then closes the regular season at LSU on Nov. 30.

Tonight’s Star

Kicker Zach Schmit nailed all three of his field goal attempts in the first half, including a walk-off 56-yarder — tied for the third-longest kick in school history. He accounted for all nine of OU points as the Sooners led 9-3 at the break.

Play of the Game

First, as the Sooners trailed 16-9 at the end of a 12-play, 75-yard drive, Arnold threw a lateral to Taylor Tatum, who had motioned across. Tatum stopped, turned and threw to Arnold on the left sideline. Arnold was sprung by one block from Logan Howland, then followed another into the end zone before flexing for the Mizzou fans.

That tied the score at 16-16 with 3:18 to play.

Missouri then tried to run the ball down the field and was having success when Jamal Roberts took a handoff off left tackle and was hit by Sammy Omosigho. The ball hit the turf, and Bowman scooped it up and raced untouched for the go-ahead touchdown, setting off a raucous celebration in the end zone.

The Tigers were the only team with any magic after that, though.

Stock Report

PK Zach Schmit — UP: As the OU offense struggled to execute, Schmit gave the Sooners all of their points in the first half with three field goals. It was OU’s longest made field goal since the 2021 season (Gabe Brkic converted from 56 twice that season, most recently vs. Western Carolina on Sept. 11).

P Luke Elzinga — UP: In addition to averaging 44.5 yards per punt on his first two punts, Elzinga executed a deft fake punt, running forward like he would keep it, then flipping a jump pass to Bauer Sharp over the middle for 43 yards to set up one of Schmit’s kicks. 

TE Bauer Sharp — UP: The throw from Elzinga was a bit short, but Sharp made an adjustment to come back and get it, then sprinted untouched upfield before hurdling two defenders at the end of a 43-yard reception. His other four catches produced almost zero yards, however.

Eli Bowen — UP: Bowen made two tackles at the line of scrimmage and also defended two passes for which he wasn’t credited with a pass breakup.

Peyton Bowen — DOWN, then UP: Bowen fumbled a punt returned that led directly to Missouri’s first score, a 25-yard field goal. But Bowen redeemed that one with a 13-yard runback late in the first half that set up Schmit’s 57-yard field goal.

Billy Bowman — UP: Set the tone immediately when he crushed Luther Burden for a loss on a fourth-and-1 jet sweep into the OU sideline. 

Danny Stutsman — UP: Stutsman had 10 tackles — at HALFTIME. Stutsman moved into 10th place on OU’s career tackles list with 354, passing DE Kevin Murphy (353 tackles from 1981-85).

Ethan Downs — UP: Back this week from back spasms, Downs had five tackles in the first half alone, including one TFL for a 6-yard loss on the opening drive and one for no gain on third-and-9.

Dasan McCullough — UP: McCullough had two huge tackles in the first half, including one for a 4-yard loss on third down.

Injury Report

WR Deion Burks was back on the field for the first time since Sept. 21, when he suffered a “soft tissue” injury against Tennessee. Burks was injured again, though, late in the game after getting hit in the head on a collision.

WR Jalil Farooq was back on the field for the first time since Aug. 30, when he suffered a broken foot against Temple.

RB Gavin Sawchuk was back in uniform and warmed up for the first time since before the South Carolina game on Oct. 19, but did not play. 

RB Jovantae Barnes injured an ankle last week and continued to play on it, but didn’t make the trip to Columbia.

Crazy Stat

At halftime, quarterback Jackson Arnold and punter Luke Elzinga each had 43 yards passing.