Missouri might have gotten away with these mistakes against others. Not Georgia
A year ago, when the Tigers took Georgia deep into the fourth quarter before falling, they accepted a nice pat on the back and finished off a break-even season and minor bowl game.
No such consolation this year for Mizzou. They came to Georgia ranked in the top 15 and looking to compete as ... if not exactly equals, then close enough that a break or two could tilt a game in their favor. They came looking for a shock-the-world-but-not themselves outcome that would confirm Missouri is ready to hang with the SEC lead pack.
Those feelings were built on a 7-1 record, top 15 rankings in the polls and College Football Playoff list and three convincing league triumphs around the LSU loss.
Missouri is getting closer, but it’s not there yet. Georgia’s 30-21 triumph should continue the Bulldogs’ top ranking in the polls and No. 2 CFP spot — and is another indication they’re a strong contender to earn the first national championship three-peat in nearly a century.
“It’s disappointing to be so close but so far away at the same time,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said.
The Tigers, looking for the program’s first victory over a top-ranked team, were ready and had the Sanford Stadium crowd on edge until the final minutes. Mizzou was not out-athleted by the Bulldogs. Nor were they outcoached. Missouri was on the wrong end of a couple of questionable pass interference calls, and so was Georgia.
The difference? Two mistakes Mizzou probably could afford against most other teams proved too costly. Both occurred in the second half and led to the Tigers chasing a game they had played mostly on even terms.
Kick returner Marquis Johnson, who decided too late to bring the ball out of the end zone, forced Missouri to start a drive inside the 5. That flipped the field and allowed Georgia to ride momentum for a touchdown and two-score lead.
The Tigers battled back from that error behind running back Cody Schrader, who strengthened his all-conference credentials with 112 hard-nosed rushing yards and a touchdown. Stretch plays that let Schrader get to the corner were Missouri’s best weapon.
Brady Cook’s worst moment was the next disaster. With Mizzou trailing 27-21, Cook short-armed a pass that was intercepted by 320-pound tackle Nazir Stackhouse, leading to a field goal and the final margin.
“He’s going to beat himself up,” over the interception Drinkwitz said.
He shouldn’t. Cook has evolved into one of the SEC’s most productive quarterbacks and kept the Tigers close with 212 passing yards and couple of keepers that produced first downs. The 39-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden was one of his finest plays this season, and he was money on a couple of other deep balls.
Expecting more from Cook and the offense against Georgia would be unfair. The defense remains stellar. Missouri’s scoring matched the season high and the 363 total yards were the most against the Bulldogs, who excel in limiting mistakes. They are among the nation’s least penalized team and average one turnover per game. Saturday, they had none, nor any kind of obvious bad decision that caused damage.
This is why Georgia’s ridiculous streaks continue. The Bulldogs have won 26 in a row and 25 straight regular-season SEC games. Missouri needed to play up to its national rankings and then some to pull off the upset as a 15-point underdog. That it didn’t happen changes things when it comes to playing in the SEC Championship Game.
Mizzou came to Georgia needing a victory to keep alive the chance of participating in the title game for the first time since 2014. That can’t happen now. But high profile bowl games are out there with a strong finish.
“We’re going to be motivated,” Schrader said. “Wins are still wins. We focus on wins and want to beat everybody we play. That will be the mission and I promise you that message will get across the locker room this week.”
Home games with Tennessee and Florida and a trip to Arkansas close out the regular season, and also at stake is a second-place division finish. Landing ahead of the Vols and Gators, as the team projected to finish sixth in the division, would make for some fun fan bragging, and continue the unexpectedly strong season.
But it won’t include topping a Georgia team that continues to perform at another level. The gap is narrowing, but the work continues for Missouri.
“They’re champs,” Drinkwitz said. “You’ve got to knock them out. We couldn’t knock them out. They have a championship mindset. We knew we weren’t come in here to sneak one out. We had to go toe-to-toe with them. We did for three quarters but couldn’t finish it.”
