Missouri quarterback Brady Cook left Saturday’s game against Auburn on the first drive with an ankle injury before returning late in the third quarter and taking the No. 19 Tigers to a 21-17 comeback victory.
The home Tigers went on a 17-play, 95-yard drive that ended with Jamal Roberts’ game-winning four-yard TD run with 46 seconds left. Roberts’ score came after Mizzou converted a fourth down six plays earlier when Auburn decided to blitz Cook and leave Missouri’s wide receivers in man coverage.
Cook found a potential first-round draft pick, Luther Burden III for a 16-yard catch that took Mizzou to the Auburn 25-yard line. Three plays later, Cook found Theo Wease for a 10-yard catch on third-and-10.
Missouri (6-1) trailed 17-6 with less than a minute left in the third quarter before Cook returned to the court for the first time since he limped off after falling to the ground without any contact. He hit Mookie Cooper on a 78-yard third-down completion on the final play of the quarter before RB Marcus Carroll ran for a two-yard score to open the fourth.
Mizzou closed the game with 18 straight points after Auburn led 17-3 early in the fourth quarter. Auburn’s offense became very predictable in the second half after Payton Thorne opened the third quarter with a 47-yard TD pass to Cam Coleman. Thorne was inaccurate the rest of the game as Auburn tried to lean into its run game with little effect. Auburn had the ball at Mizzou’s 37-yard line after the Tigers punted with less than six minutes left, but Auburn had two negative rushing plays before Thorne’s third-down incompletion led to a punt.
Cook appeared to suffer the ankle injury early in the first stage after being tackled awkwardly around the ankles. He was clearly in pain while playing after the goal and immediately took himself out of the game after falling with no one around him.
Cook was replaced by former Arizona State and Notre Dame QB Drew Pyne and Pyne was ineffective. Pyne was just 10 of 21 passing for 78 yards – or the same number of yards Cook had on his first completion since returning to the game.
Burden’s fourth-down catch also made up for a huge blunder earlier in the second half. Auburn took that 17-3 lead when Burden muffed a punt deep in Missouri territory. The ball rolled into the end zone and was recovered by Auburn for a touchdown.
The win keeps Missouri’s College Football Playoff chances alive ahead of a trip to Alabama in Week 9. The loss is a new chapter in what has been a disappointing season. Auburn is now 0-4 in SEC play and 2-5 overall.
