Live Updates: No. 16 Missouri 36, No. 14 Tennessee 7 (Final)

It’s game day at Faurot Field in Columbia and it’s a big one. No. 14 Tennessee is back on the road at No. 16 Missouri with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The game will be televised by CBS.

Follow along for all the live updates before, during and after the game on The General’s Quarters

The Vols (7-2, 3-2 SEC) beat UConn 59-3 last week on Homecoming at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. Mizzou (7-2, 3-2) lost 30-21 to No. 1 Georgia on the road at Sanford Stadium in Athens.

The two teams are tied for second place in the SEC East behind Georgia. Tennessee needs a win at Mizzou paired with an Ole Miss win at Georgia Saturday night to stay alive in the divisional race.

First Quarter

Tennessee 0, Missouri 0 (11:56, 1Q): Missouri drove 49 yards on six plays on the game’s first possession, all the way down to the Tennessee 25-yard line, but Jaylen McCollough picked off Missouri quarterback Brady Cook and returned it to the Mizzou 48-yard line. The Vols went three-and-out before punting back to Missouri.

Second Quarter

Missouri 3, Tennessee 0 (14:16, 2Q): Missouri opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal on its second possession. The marathon drive went 72 yards on 20 plays, taking 10:55 off the clock before stalling inside the red zone. Harrison Mevis kicked a 31-yard field goal to cap the drive.

Tennessee 7, Missouri 3 (12:25, 2Q): The Vols didn’t need much time to respond. Dont’e Thornton made a sliding catch on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Joe Milton to give Tennessee the lead. Thornton appeared to hurt his right leg on the catch. The drive went 75 yards in six plays, taking 1:51 off the clock.

Missouri 10, Tennessee 7 (10:33, 2Q): Mizzou punched right back after Tennessee’s touchdown drive. The Tigers went 75 yards on five plays, capped by a 7-yard Cody Schrader touchdown run. The drive started with a 43-yard pass from Cook to Schrader.

Missouri 13, Tennessee 7 (0:00, 2Q): The Vols were down to the Missouri 23-yard line with 20 seconds left in the first half when Jaylen Wright fumbled after making a catch out of the backfield. Mizzou recovered and Schrader went 35 yards on the first play following the turnover, helping setup a 46-yard field goal from Mevis to close the half.

Stats at the Half 

Tennessee had just four possessions and just eight minutes, 52 seconds in time of possession in the first half while Missouri played keep away.

Milton completed 12 of 13 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown but the Vols rushed for just 35 yards on 10 carries. 

“Offensively,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel told the CBS broadcast going off the field at halftime, “we have to get going here. Get in a rhythm and go finish some drives.

“Structurally, (Missouri’s defense was) a little different early. We adjusted and we have to go play here in the second half.”

Tennessee’s defense couldn’t get enough stops with Schrader running 18 times for 105 yards and catching three passes for 93 yards in the first half.

Cook completed 14 of 17 passes for 183 yards and the interception on the game’s first drive.

“Gotta eliminate some of the quarterback run,” Heupel said. “Some of it is just scramble. Got to have better rush integrity.”

Third Quarter

Missouri 19, Tennessee 7 (10:04, 3Q): Tennessee started the second half with a fumble — Cooper Mays recovered the loose ball, a loss of six yards — and quickly went three-and-out. Missouri went 80 yards the other way, with Cook running for at touchdown to cap the drive and extend the lead to two possessions. Mizzou’s two-point attempt failed after the touchdown.

Missouri 22, Tennessee 7 (2:38, 3Q): After another Tennessee punt, Missouri went 59 yards in nine plays, taking 5:04 off the clock, before having to settle for another field goal. This one was good from 23 yards out to build the lead to 15.

Fourth Quarter

Missouri 29, Tennessee 7 (6:21, 4Q): Mizzou wide receiver Luther Burden put Tennessee away for good with a 21-yard catch-and-run to make it a three possession game late in the fourth quarter. The drive covered 66 yards over six plays, taking 4:36 off the clock.

Missouri 36, Tennessee 7 (5:50, 4Q): From bad to worse to a nightmare. The Mizzou touchdown was quickly followed by a Pick 6 when Daylan Carnell returned a Milton interception 38 yards for a touchdown.