Brady Cook shares Missouri's mindset through offensive struggles in Cotton Bowl

It was an exciting 2023 season for the Missouri Tigers under head coach Eli Drinkwitz. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Tigers enjoyed a 10-plus win season, which included a 14-3 Cotton Bowl victory over the then No. 7 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Most Valuable Player of the Game awards was given to defensive lineman Johnny Walker Jr. and offensive quarterback Brady Cook. So when it came to answering the question of what Missouri’s mindset was during their Cotton Bowl matchup against Ohio State, with the offense struggling much of the game, there was no one more suited for the task than their star quarterback.

“I mean, as he [Drinkwitz] said, we showed grit; the offense showed grit,” said Cook. “We just kept chopping, you know. We looked up, [and] it’s the fourth quarter, and we have zero points. But what are you gonna do? We were driving, we were confident, [and] we still believed in the game plan, still believed in the calls that were being sent in, and we believed in each other. So, when we put up 14 in the fourth, it [was] no surprise to us.”

Through the first three quarters of the game, it was a battle of defensive wills with just three points total scored, and that came off of a field goal from Ohio State. However, the Missouri offense sprung to life in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 unanswered points on drives 91 and 95 yards, respectively.

Missouri adds Georgia transfer Darris Smith

Missouri has landed a commitment out of the transfer portal from an SEC rival. Former Georgia linebacker Darris Smith has committed to the Tigers on Wednesday via his Instagram.

Smith announced in November that he was entering the transfer portal, and he now has his new home.

He should be a solid addition for a Missouri program that exceeded expectations in 2023. Darris Smith is ranked as the No. 7 linebacker in the portal, according to the On3 Industry transfer portal rankings.

This past season he appeared in five games for the Bulldogs, finishing with three tackles and one tackle for loss. He helped the Bulldogs to a 12-1 record.

Smith signed with Georgia as a four-star recruit and the No. 117 overall player in the country in the class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry rankings. He was ranked as the No. 12 EDGE in the nation.

Smith attended Appling County High and is from Baxley, Ga. As a senior in high school, he recorded 28 tackles and five tackles for loss.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.