What we learned from Missouri Tigers football’s SEC victory at Arkansas: MU takeaways
Arkansas caught some hands.
Not just Missouri right tackle Armand Membou’s hands during a first-half brawl that saw the MU lineman and two Razorbacks defensive linemen ejected.
No — the Hogs caught a 48-14 knockout from the Tigers.
A first 10-win season since 2014, and the glitz and glamor that seem certain to accompany that mark, was on the line as No. 9 Mizzou football traveled south for the Battle Line Rivalry.
Well, Missouri (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) gave the Hogs hell, hounding the home team’s offense with a relentless defensive showing, a pair of touchdowns from true freshman Brett Norfleet and another quality night from ol’ faithful Cody Schrader to win 48-14 on Friday at Razorback Stadium.
Here are three takeaways from the Tiger mauling:
Second-half hammering
In three minutes, 28 seconds of second-half game time, Missouri scored 14 points.
Even more jarring — the Tigers did not start with the ball.
On the third play of the second half, MU safety JC Carlies forced the ball out of backup Arkansas quarterback Jacolby Criswell’s hands. Llinebacker Triston Newson recovered.
It took Missouri six plays to capitalize. Brady Cook — who finished the day 12-of-20 for 112 yards and two touchdowns before backup Sam Horn came in with MU out of sight in the fourth quarter — dropped into the pocket and found Norfleet on a slant for a 16-yard, easy-as-they-come touchdown. Arkansas’ coverage was busted, and the freshman tight end waltzed into the end zone.
He did that again 11 seconds of clock later.
After the Harrison Mevis kickoff, Williams hammered Arkansas kick returner Isaiah Sategna and the ball spilled out at the 11. Freshman Marvin Burks Jr. jumped on it. Missouri ball.
Well, Cook immediately went back to Norfleet, and he ran home untouched toward the right pylon marking two touchdowns, not a lot of bruises for the freshman.
And still it got worse for Arkansas (4-8, 1-7).
Later in the third quarter, Carlies again forced the ball out of Criswell’s hands. This time defensive tackle Jayden Jernigan recovered, and the 279-pound lineman ran it back to the house.
Same old sensational Cody Schrader
There are no prizes for guessing who the star of the day was.
Cody Schrader got his accolades started early. On MU’s second offensive drive, he scampered 39 yards between his first two carries. Those moved him into fourth all-time on MU’s single-season rushing record, above Brad Smith in 2005 and Joe Moore in 1969.
By the end of the first half, he was No. 3 all-time, passing Smith’s 2003 mark. He had 192 rushing yards by the break.
And the D-II transfer knows how to finish what he started. He closed that drive with the game’s opening touchdown, punching in a 2-yard score with a dive at the goal line.
By the end of the game, he had 217 yards on 27 carries for his second 200-yard game and his eighth 100-yard contest of the campaign. He has rushed for at least a century in each of his past five games.
Shutting down the Hogs
The play on which KJ Jefferson fumbled and subsequently left the game, strangely, was Arkansas’ most promising offensive look of the competitive portion of the day.
MU star safety Daylan Carnell forced the ball out of Jefferson’s hands on his fourth snap of the day. Darius Robinson fell on it.
Before that, Jefferson ran 22 yards to the Arkansas 47.
The Razorbacks did not make it that far until there were two minutes to go in the third quarter, when they crossed midfield for the first time.
Jefferson hobbled off and didn’t return to the game. With Jacolby Criswell in the game at QB, Mizzou shut the Hogs down.
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker continuously brought five and six in pressure, and Arkansas couldn’t deal with it, and didn’t cross midfield until there were two minutes remaining in the first half. Four of the Hogs’ first five drives ended in four plays or fewer.
Arkansas had 50 yards of total offense in the first half, running just 21 plays. The Hogs also had 38 yards of penalties in that span.
By day’s end, Missouri had produced three sacks among 11 tackles for loss. The Tigers forced and recovered five fumbles, including the special teams play.
The Star has partnered with the Columbia Daily Tribune for coverage of Missouri Tigers athletics.
