Missouri rallies past Troy to reach 3-0
DeMarion Fowlkes' punt-return touchdown and two defensive takeaways fueled Missouri's 24-point second quarter.
| Kickoff | 7:00 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Venue | Memorial Stadium |
| Spread | Missouri -27.0 |
| Total | 50 |
| TV | SECN+ |
|---|
Troy at Missouri airs on SECN+. Each school's radio network carries the game, and the live score and every scoring play post here as it happens.
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Follow the full play-by-play and box score →No. 20 Missouri erased a 10-point first-quarter deficit Saturday night with 24 points in the second quarter. The Tigers finished off Troy 27-17 at Memorial Stadium, improving to 3-0 for the fourth straight season while extending their home winning streak against nonconference opponents to 25 games.
Troy struck on the second play from scrimmage when Goose Crowder connected with TK Keyes for a 76-yard touchdown. A 27-yard field goal after a 19-play drive extended the lead. Blake Craig opened Missouri's scoring with a 35-yard field goal, and DeMarion Fowlkes tied the game with a 68-yard punt-return touchdown.
Missouri's defense then created the short fields that changed the game. Sione Laulea returned an interception 28 yards to the Troy 18, setting up Austin Simmons' 12-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Olugbode. Simmons completed 10 of 19 passes for 91 yards.
On Troy's next snap, Langden Kitchen recorded a sack and forced a fumble. Jason Dowell recovered and returned it 12 yards to the Troy 13. With Jamal Roberts scoring on the following play, Missouri had two touchdowns in 19 seconds.
Roberts carried 21 times for 122 yards, his second consecutive 100-yard game and fifth of his career. His rushing touchdown extended his scoring streak to five games.
The offense never found steady footing, however. Troy ran 71 plays to Missouri's 41, held the ball for 37:23 and outgained the Tigers 323-224. Craig's 36-yard fourth-quarter field goal provided the only scoring by either team after halftime.
Missouri's defense shut out Troy in the second half and finished with two takeaways. Santana Banner made 15 tackles, Nicholas Rodriguez added 11, and Daeden Hopkins recorded seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Coach Eli Drinkwitz credited the 24-0 run, special teams and takeaways while describing the overall performance as below the team's standard.
Why it matters
Missouri remained unbeaten despite being outgained and running 30 fewer plays than Troy. Special teams and two takeaways supplied the scoring opportunities when the offense struggled to sustain drives.
What to watch next
The source identified Missouri's Sept. 26 SEC opener at Mississippi State as the Tigers' next game, with kickoff set for 6:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
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