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STARKVILLE, Miss. 鈥� Brady Cook and Luther Burden III have combined for a score of scores.

A score, if you think back to Abraham Lincoln鈥檚 Gettysburg Address, refers to a bunch of 20. It also means a touchdown.

So: 20 times, Brady Cook has thrown a football and Luther Burden III has caught it in the end zone for the Tigers.

Twenty is not an especially large volume when it comes to throwing or catching a football. Cook threw the ball 20 times just in Missouri鈥檚 39-20 victory at Mississippi State on Saturday, for example. Burden has caught nine scores worth of passes in his three-year college career.

Still, it鈥檚 notable that the duo reached the 20-touchdown milestone of connection. Only two other quarterback-receiver pairings have teamed up for 20 or more touchdowns while wearing Mizzou鈥檚 black and gold.

Legendary quarterback Chase Daniel got there with tight end Chase Coffman (25) and wideout Jeremy Maclin (22). Cook and Burden are the only other duo in the 20-score club.

They got there on Saturday when Cook, rolling to his right and away from pressure, heaved the ball toward Burden, who had man coverage in the back of the Mississippi State end zone. Burden, a split second before the pass arrived, separated down and away from his defender to make the catch.

鈥淭hree (Burden) down there somewhere,鈥� Cook posted on X, formerly Twitter, after the game in apparent summation of the thought process behind his throw.

鈥淭he deep ball of Luther鈥檚 was just Luther and Brady having magic,鈥� MU coach Eli Drinkwitz added. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e in a pretty good rhythm right now together.鈥�

They鈥檝e had more spectacular scores, like last week鈥檚 fourth-and-five one-hander against South Carolina. And the duo has had more impactful ones 鈥� like on the first play of overtime against Vanderbilt earlier this season, or last year鈥檚 Cotton Bowl.

But Saturday鈥檚 Cook-finds-Burden score should stand out. There might not be another one.

There could be another, of course, so that assertion might be a tad dramatic. The Tigers host Arkansas for Senior Day next weekend, their regular season finale. Cook and Burden could play a little passing game of blackjack and land right at 21 after that game.

In the twilight of their college careers, though, that鈥檚 not a guarantee. Cook is out of eligibility after this season. Burden could keep playing, but the NFL is calling and likely first-round picks take that call. The operating assumption is 鈥� and has been 鈥� that he鈥檒l declare early for the draft and wind up with three total seasons played at Missouri.

That the days of Cook and Burden are fading away soon seemed to click for Drinkwitz after Saturday鈥檚 win.

鈥淲e tell our guys, this is the best days of their life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting, now, that for me, I鈥檝e only got one week with them 鈥� before the bowl game.鈥�

Modern college football means it would be more surprising if a prospect like Burden played in the Tigers鈥� eventual bowl game than if he sat it out to make sure he enters the draft cycle fully healthy. So yes, Coach, it鈥檚 probably only one more week.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e pretty special young men for what they鈥檝e done for this university and what they鈥檝e done for me,鈥� Drinkwitz said, 鈥渂ut what they鈥檝e also done for the program and lifting the brand of University of Missouri football.鈥�

The count of touchdowns is one way of denoting their combined contributions to MU. It also, in all honesty, might be lower than it could have been.

Preseason hype around Burden 鈥� a fringe Heisman Trophy contender? One of the favorites to win the Biletnikoff as the nation鈥檚 best wideout? 鈥� hasn鈥檛 been realized. With 53 catches for 574 yards and five touchdowns, Burden isn鈥檛 even the Tigers鈥� leading receiver: That鈥檚 Theo Wease Jr.

It鈥檚 true, naturally, of Mizzou itself. No longer a College Football Playoff contender, the focus of these final games is on resolve and putting the finishing touches on the legacy of players like Cook and Burden who have defined the recent turnaround of the Drinkwitz era. The season is not quite what it could have been, but it鈥檚 still something.

Missouri teams don鈥檛 often win eight games. The school鈥檚 quarterbacks and wide receivers don鈥檛 often combine for 20 touchdowns.

It becomes a way to praise Cook鈥檚 endurance, throwing touchdowns 19 and 20 to Burden with an injured right wrist. But it鈥檚 also a way to acknowledge the manner in which Burden chose to enter his home-state program as an immediate star but never wrestle for an undue share of its spotlight.

鈥淚 tell this to (NFL) scouts and GMs,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淭hat league鈥檚 got a lot of players who are always demanding, demanding, demanding. You鈥檙e going to be able to put Luther with a vet or a rookie, and he鈥檚 never going to inhibit their growth because he鈥檚 not going to be a jerk to him. He鈥檚 just gonna consistently say, 鈥業鈥檒l do my job.鈥欌��

The next week, the Senior Day ceremony and the regular season鈥檚 aftermath will deliver more appreciation of Cook and Burden. That got a little bit of a start in Starkville with a 28-yard touchdown and Drinkwitz鈥檚 praise of his Burden鈥檚 consistent demeanor.

鈥淚t hadn鈥檛 gone exactly the way we all dreamed it this season, right? Especially for him,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淏ut for him to be such a great teammate, to do his job consistently, to not complain: Never once heard from him, his parents 鈥� never heard a complaint. He just shows up and does his job every day at practice.

鈥淭he game knows,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭he game rewards you.鈥�

Photos: Mizzou football tops Mississippi State for first SEC road win

Following its first road conference win of the season, Missouri looks to finish strong with a home game against rival Arkansas on Senior Day at Faurot Field.

Mizzou (8-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) won 39-20 at Mississippi State on Saturday.

Arkansas (6-5, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) took a break from SEC play and defeated Louisiana Tech 35-14 on Saturday at home.

The Razorbacks have lost three of four SEC games with only a win vs. lowly Mississippi State in that stretch.

Mizzou is 11-4 all-time vs. Arkansas and has won two straight.

Since Mizzou joined the SEC, this is just the second time their game vs. Arkansas hasn't been played on a Friday. The other time was during the pandemic-impacted 2020 season.

Here's how to watch Mizzou vs. Arkansas football:

Mizzou Tigers聽vs. Arkansas Razorbacks TV, live stream and radio

Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST/3:30 p.m. EST Saturday, Nov. 30

Location: Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri

TV channel: SEC Network

Live stream:

Radio: KTRS (550 AM and 106.1 FM) in 最新杏吧原创, across Missouri and online through the

Storylines

鈥榃e can鈥檛 be devastated鈥�: Mizzou football team to close season with playoff hopes gone

Mizzou and Illinois (or K-State) is matchup non-CFP bowl makers should prioritize, columnist Ben Frederickson writes

Mizzou still has plenty to play for after falling short in CFP quest, columnist Jeff Gordon writes

How Mizzou, Brady Cook plan to handle QB's wrist injury during final 3 games

What bowl game will Mizzou play in? The Tigers鈥� options, explained

Mizzou athletics set to opt fully into revenue sharing, raise ticket prices to support effort

Coach Eli Drinkwitz needs to crush a transfer-portal home run at QB this offseason, columnist Ben Frederickson writes

How Mizzou鈥檚 Brady Cook returned from in-game hospital stop to lead comeback win over Auburn

Save a spot in Mizzou football lore for Brady Cook's epic homecoming heroics, columnist Ben Frederickson writes

An obituary for Mizzou鈥檚 playoff dream after the lopsided loss to Alabama, columnist Benjamin Hochman writes

Is it fair to view Mizzou's loss to Alabama as similar to its smackdown against Texas A&M?

STARKVILLE, Miss. 鈥� Missouri鈥檚 football team was close to proving that its coach was right to worry and that his fears were correct.

And then, halfway through the first quarter of the Tigers鈥� win Saturday at Mississippi State, a scoop and score flipped the whole mood. The kind of start to a game that makes a head coach lose sleep at night yielded to a controlling performance from Mizzou (8-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference), which held the ball for nearly 42 minutes in a 39-20 victory against the struggling Bulldogs.

Much often is made of the disconnect between what鈥檚 said about a college football program outside of it and what the conversations look like inside the locker room. Outside noise. Rat poison. That sort of thing.

For once, and in a key way, the external questions were aligned with MU coach Eli Drinkwitz鈥檚 worries over the past week. After all the chaos of the win over Oklahoma and all the letdown of a last-minute loss to South Carolina, he had the same questions as those outside his team.

鈥淚 was really nervous,鈥� Drinkwitz said, 鈥渂ecause I felt like these two games have been emotionally draining on our team. And I was really nervous about how much resolve and energy we would be able to have on the road. It was kind of exactly what I was thinking, the first quarter, with the offense.鈥�

The Missouri offense started with a couple of fruitless three-and-outs that suggested even the SEC鈥檚 worst defense might be too much for a group of Tigers now playing without College Football Playoff ambitions.

But no, there was the fumble. Defensive tackle Kristian Williams jarred the ball loose from State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., and hybrid safety Daylan Carnell grabbed it off the ground for a 68-yard touchdown return.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know, immediately, who鈥檚 around me,鈥� Carnell said of the play. 鈥淏ut after like 10 yards, I knew it was a touchdown.鈥�

The scoop and score 鈥� a well-rehearsed maneuver that has popped up twice in MU鈥檚 last three games 鈥� gave Mizzou a 7-3 lead. The Tigers led the rest of the way.

鈥淲hen the defense made the play, man, it just kind of lifted everybody and we were rolling again,鈥� Drinkwitz said.

The ground game was especially vital to Missouri鈥檚 control of a Mississippi State team that is one more loss away from a winless season of conference play. The Tigers ran the ball 56 times for 204 yards.

鈥淲e went into it knowing that on offense, we had to control the line of scrimmage, and we did that today,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淔elt very comfortable with us being able to just continually run the football.鈥�

Primary tailback Nate Noel, looking close to fully healthy after missing time because of a foot injury, took 25 carries for 101 yards. He now has posted at least 100 rushing yards in each of the nine games in his career in which he鈥檚 earned 20 or more carries.

And his tandem partner, Marcus Carroll, scored three touchdowns to go with 61 yards. It鈥檚 Carroll鈥檚 second hat trick of the season, coming from punch-in duty close to the end zone.

鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome to be the goal-line back,鈥� Drinkwitz joked. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure Nate鈥檚 pretty ticked off that he does most of the work between the 5s and then we let Marcus finish it off.鈥�

The rushing touchdowns, of course, were instrumental in Mizzou building its lead 鈥� there was a late 2-point conversion that Carroll also scored, for good measure, too. But the terrene attack had a more abstract grasp on the game flow, too.

The Tigers led 28-13 at halftime, a solid advantage that still needed a seal. Starting the second half with the ball, they held onto it for eight minutes and 46 seconds 鈥� more than half of the third quarter 鈥� while picking up 57 yards to kick a field goal.

It was during that sequence that Carroll and Noel, trading carries, came to a shared conclusion.

鈥淲e was juiced up,鈥� Carroll said. 鈥淲e felt ourselves, like, 鈥極K, yeah, let鈥檚 go ahead and get this game.鈥欌��

Mizzou had another scoring drive of nearly nine minutes in the fourth quarter, too, leading to Carroll鈥檚 third touchdown. Those drives were long enough that on the MU sideline, with post-sundown Starkville cooling off, defensive players were getting unique instructions from trainers.

鈥淭hey was telling us, 鈥楳ake sure you go stretch out, stay by the heaters鈥� 鈥� all type of stuff, just so we ready when we get out there,鈥� Carnell said. 鈥淲hen the offense does stuff like that, it definitely takes stuff off our body.鈥�

Missouri benefitted from key moments in the passing game, too. Quarterback Brady Cook, still playing despite the lingering effects of a wrist injury, found wideout Luther Burden III in the back of the end zone for a 28-yard touchdown connection in the second quarter. A better description of the play, though, might be that Burden improvised a way to shed his defender and sag downward for the catch 鈥� one of the more impressive connections between the duo.

Cook also landed a deep post through double coverage to wide receiver Marquis Johnson for a 45-yard gain shortly after Carnell鈥檚 defensive touchdown.

鈥淭he deep throw to Marquis was a huge play to let them know that we would go over the top,鈥� Drinkwitz said.

But overall, the result 鈥� MU鈥檚 first SEC road win this season 鈥� was a testament to what Mizzou can do when running the ball is its priority, especially against a team ill-equipped to stop it.

鈥淲e just felt like with the way we鈥檙e able to run the football, and going into the game that was kind of their weakness, we wanted to be diligent in exploiting that,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淥nce we got a lead, (we were) able to lean into it.鈥�

Mizzou Sports News

鈥榃e can鈥檛 be devastated鈥�: Mizzou football team to close season with playoff hopes gone

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Mizzou prepping for cowbells, set to face poor defense against Mississippi State

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How Mizzou, Brady Cook plan to handle QB's wrist injury during final 3 games

• Eli Hoff

Photos: Mizzou football tops Mississippi State for first SEC road win

Missouri 39, Mississippi St. 20

Missouri 14 14 3 8 鈥� 39

Mississippi St. 10 3 7 0 鈥� 20

First Quarter

惭厂厂罢鈥�FG Ferrie 38, 11:42.

惭滨窜窜鈥�Carnell 68 fumble return (Craig kick), 6:33.

惭滨窜窜鈥�Carroll 2 run (Craig kick), 2:49.

惭厂厂罢鈥�Mosley 11 pass from Van Buren (Ferrie kick), :20.

Second Quarter

惭滨窜窜鈥�Burden 28 pass from Cook (Craig kick), 9:58.

惭滨窜窜鈥�Carroll 19 run (Craig kick), 4:32.

惭厂厂罢鈥�FG Ferrie 26, :30.

Third Quarter

惭滨窜窜鈥�FG Craig 35, 6:14.

惭厂厂罢鈥�Booth 43 run (Ferrie kick), 5:31.

Fourth Quarter

惭滨窜窜鈥�Carroll 1 run (Carroll run), 5:40.

MIZZ MSST

First downs 23 16

Total Net Yards 472 338

Rushes-yards 56-204 22-147

Passing 268 191

Punt Returns 1--10 1-8

Kickoff Returns 2-38 1-27

Interceptions Ret. 0-0 0-0

Comp-Att-Int 15-20-0 16-28-0

Sacked-Yards Lost 1-6 2-5

Punts 2-35.5 3-46.0

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1

Penalties-Yards 4-50 6-40

Time of Possession 41:51 17:53

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

搁鲍厂贬滨狈骋鈥�Missouri, Noel 25-95, Carroll 14-61, Roberts 5-29, Cook 8-16, K.Lacy 1-6, (Team) 3-(minus 3). Mississippi St., Booth 12-124, Daniels 6-21, Van Buren 4-2.

笔础厂厂滨狈骋鈥�Missouri, Cook 15-20-0-268. Mississippi St., Van Buren 16-28-0-191.

搁贰颁贰滨痴滨狈骋鈥�Missouri, Burden 7-91, Wease 4-72, Norfleet 2-24, M.Johnson 1-45, Manning 1-36. Mississippi St., Coleman 6-58, Akharaiyi 3-64, Traore 3-17, Mosley 2-28, J.Ball 2-24.

MISSED FG鈥�Missouri, Craig 44.

Powered by another splendid shooting night from returner Caleb Grill and South Carolina transfer center Josh Gray鈥檚 best performance yet in his new Missouri uniform, Dennis Gates鈥� Tigers dismissed West Coast Conference鈥檚 Pacific 91-56 on Friday night at Mizzou Arena.

Two games after scoring a career-high 33 points in a win against Eastern Washington, Grill scored a game-high 25 points Friday. He entered off the bench and rarely missed, making nine of 12 shots from the field and seven of his nine 3-point attempts. He also crammed four rebounds and an assist into his efficient 27 minutes.

鈥淩iding the hot hand of Mr. Grill,鈥� Gates said in his postgame radio interview. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure there is something about an NIL (deal) he can get about a grill shop or a BBQ grill.鈥�

The 7-foot, 260-pound Gray鈥檚 seven points and seven rebounds came more quietly, but the bulk of them arrived in a critical first-half surge that nudged a close game toward a lopsided romp. He even hit a 3-pointer, then pointed to Gates after it swished.

Grill鈥檚 efforts spearheaded a continued trend of strong bench scoring (57 points to Pacific鈥檚 19) for the Tigers in what became their fourth consecutive nonconference win after a season-opening loss at Memphis.

A 15-2 first-half run sparked by a successful Gray jumper sent Mizzou ahead in what had been a tight game. Pacific scored the game鈥檚 first four field goals 鈥� three of which were layups or dunks 鈥� and led by five within the first five minutes before Mizzou started switching up defenses and seeing results.

Pacific still shot 48% from the field in the first half, but made only three of 10 first-half 3-point attempts and became rattled by Mizzou鈥檚 ability to encourage turnovers.

Mizzou scored 12 points off seven first-half turnovers created and led by 23 at halftime before the lead reached as high as 38 in the second half. Altogether the Tigers scored 24 points of turnovers while limiting their own turnovers to just six.

鈥淭he first five possessions, we didn鈥檛 look like ourselves,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淥nce we got into rhythm defensively, and a zone helped us do that, we were able to get more aggressive, get stops and unite our offense with our defense.鈥�

Elias Ralph (19 points) and Seth Jones (15) paced Pacific. Freshman guard T.O. Barrett made his Mizzou debut late in the second half.

Mizzou鈥檚 nonconference play continues Sunday afternoon at home against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Missouri 91, Pacific 56

PACIFIC

FG FT Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A F Pt

Ralph 35 7-14 5-6 2-6 4 4 19

Gardner 21 2-3 0-0 2-7 0 0 4

Fisher 31 2-6 0-0 3-6 3 4 5

Koulibaly 18 0-4 0-0 0-1 1 2 0

Washington 34 3-11 1-2 0-2 3 3 9

Jones 23 6-12 0-0 0-1 0 1 15

Krivokapic 20 0-5 0-0 0-2 1 0 0

Smith 8 2-3 0-0 1-2 0 1 4

Keinys 6 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 2 0

Ominu 3 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0

McKenna 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0

Totals 200 22-59 6-8 8-29 12 17 56

Percentages: FG .373, FT .750.

3-Point Goals: 6-29, .207 (Jones 3-9, Washington 2-7, Fisher 1-3, Keinys 0-1, Koulibaly 0-2, Ralph 0-2, Krivokapic 0-5).

Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: None.

Blocked Shots: 4 (Ralph 3, Smith).

Turnovers: 14 (Koulibaly 5, Fisher 3, Washington 3, Ralph 2, Gardner).

Steals: 4 (Keinys 2, Jones, Krivokapic).

MISSOURI

FG FT Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A F Pt

Gray 18 3-5 0-0 3-7 1 0 7

Bates 25 3-7 4-4 0-2 1 1 11

Boateng 13 1-3 1-2 0-1 0 2 3

Robinson 16 3-5 2-2 0-2 3 3 9

Mitchell 19 1-6 1-2 1-3 1 1 4

Grill 27 9-12 0-0 0-4 1 1 25

Warrick 22 3-10 2-2 0-0 5 0 9

Allen 15 3-4 1-1 1-4 0 1 8

Pierce 14 2-4 5-6 3-5 1 2 10

Crews 13 0-2 0-0 2-2 2 1 0

Marshall 11 1-2 1-4 2-4 0 0 3

Barrett 7 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2

Totals 200 30-61 17-23 12-34 16 13 91

Percentages: FG .492, FT .739.

3-Point Goals: 14-30, .467 (Grill 7-9, Allen 1-1, Gray 1-1, Robinson 1-1, Bates 1-3, Mitchell 1-3, Pierce 1-3, Warrick 1-5, Boateng 0-2, Crews 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: None.

Blocked Shots: 2 (Mitchell, Pierce).

Turnovers: 6 (Boateng 3, Gray, Mitchell, Pierce).

Steals: 9 (Grill 5, Barrett, Bates, Gray, Robinson).

Pacific 31 25 鈥� 56

Missouri 54 37 鈥� 91

COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� It鈥檚 harder than ever, in college sports, to pinpoint when a team鈥檚 season is over.

The national championship football game will be played on Jan. 20, 2025, wrapping up all campaigns at that point. But the transfer portal will have opened and closed long 鈥� by fast-paced sports standards 鈥� before that point.

Many power conference programs will play their final game of the season around the end of the calendar year, trekking to bowl games that aren鈥檛 what they used to be with rosters that aren鈥檛 what they were just a few weeks prior.

And the fiery orb that is the transfer portal already creeps toward the horizon, ready to dawn dramatically on Dec. 9.

Of course, whatever power the portal has to end a season can鈥檛 be restrained by an arbitrary calendar: A trickle of players around the country decided to redshirt and enter it, thereby ending their seasons.

A part of Missouri鈥檚 season ended last week in Columbia, South Carolina. Gone now is the part of the Tigers鈥� season that made it look so novel, so important. Gone are the chances to appear in the College Football Playoff 鈥� chances that were a core part of the build-up to the campaign.

That doesn鈥檛 mean the scene after Mizzou lost to South Carolina was as melodramatic as that sounds, though. MU鈥檚 playoff bid had been taking on water for some time and merely dipped below the surface because of the defeat.

Mathematically, or really just literally, Missouri鈥檚 season is not over. The Tigers (7-3 overall, 3-3 SEC) have two regular season and a bowl game to go, starting with a Southeastern Conference matchup at 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6) that鈥檚 to be televised on SEC Network.

鈥淲e got two games left,鈥� coach Eli Drinkwitz said, 鈥渢o go finish.鈥�

Still on the table are macro-level moral victories such as getting to 10 wins this season 鈥� something that doesn鈥檛 exactly happen to programs like MU all the time 鈥� retaining a trophy against Arkansas and sending off a class of seniors that include some of Drinkwitz鈥檚 first players.

Is that motivating to the modern college football player? Maybe. If nothing else, those games are a chance to add to the highlight reels and stat logs that NFL scouts will be looking over soon, or to jockey for position on future depth charts.

That鈥檚 the test for Missouri now.

Something like how the Tigers鈥� defense rebounds against an underrated Mississippi State offense is worth watching during the game, but what is the real implication of how that goes? The defense gave up 109 points in the three games that sank the S.S. Playoff, and wasn鈥檛 that the real test?

These games will test Mizzou鈥檚 depth 鈥� not any young players getting called into duty, per se, but how deep a key trait among the Tigers really runs:

鈥淲e鈥檝e got enough competitive character on this team,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got enough upperclassmen that know you can鈥檛 dwell on the past.鈥�

It might not be so bad if some of those upperclassmen seek motivation in the past, though. It鈥檚 those players 鈥� and not the ones who鈥檝e arrived via the portal over the last couple of years 鈥� who remember this stage of the season being a mad dash to bowl eligibility.

They鈥檝e been on MU teams that could count their wins on one hand. That the Tigers could max out the counting potential of both hands ought to be appetizing to those players in particular.

This moment is the flip side of what Drinkwitz and Missouri built off the foundation of last season鈥檚 breakout.

Recruiting players and fans alike to Memorial Stadium on the premise that they just might be part of an historic playoff run carries the risk of what materializes in the absence of that chance.

There will be 鈥� and there are 鈥� emotions. The key, as Drinkwitz put it simply just a few yards and a few minutes removed from defeat last weekend, is in the nuance of Mizzou鈥檚 response:

鈥淵ou can be disappointed, but we can鈥檛 be devastated,鈥� he said.

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One negative of the College Football Playoff field expanding to 12 teams this season 鈥� with even more bracket bloat sure to come 鈥� is the accelerating decline of interest and impact stirred by bowl games not included in the growing playoff picture.

Instead of ignoring or attempting to argue with this reality, the creators of these non-CFP bowl pairings need to react accordingly. They need to up their games.

Just as the rise of name, image and likeness cash making its way to college players should, hopefully, if the contracts are written well, work to slow the stream of players opting out of non-playoff bowl games, the bowl games themselves can modernize to better move the needle.

The best way to do it?

Prioritize opponent pairings that fire up programs, players and fans.

If the non-CFP bowls look at the current state of the college football landscape through an opportunistic lens, they can take advantage of trends instead of letting themselves become victims to them.

Conference realignment has paused historic rivalries fans dearly miss. Conference bloat has made it impossible for certain leagues to create games between all members.

Bowl games with the flexibility of picking who plays in them should rush to scratch those growing itches.

If we have learned anything in college sports lately, it鈥檚 that no rule that exists today is unchangeable tomorrow. One that should absolutely change moving forward is this notion that teams from the same league can鈥檛 square off in a non-playoff bowl game.

How many Mizzou fans would like to see their Tigers get another shot at Texas A&M if the Aggies fall out of the CFP picture? How many Mizzou fans would like to see a game against one of the SEC teams the Tigers didn鈥檛 get a chance to play this season due to the elimination of divisions and the continued swell of the league鈥檚 size? A game between Mizzou and former defensive coordinator Blake Baker鈥檚 LSU comes to mind.

A smart bowl would pitch SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on this idea, and he would be wise to once again lead the industry in adapting first. Would the coaches like another conference game added to their schedule? Probably not. But fans would. And fans, at the end of the day, still pay for the coaches, the players, the facilities and so on.

Unfortunately, it鈥檚 too late for this to happen this season. Bowls have current contractual obligations locked in. So what, realistically, would be the most compelling matchup for Mizzou?

As Post-Dispatch Mizzou beat writer Eli Hoff detailed in his breakdown of where Mizzou could go bowling, an opponent from the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC or Pac-12 (including that league鈥檚 most recent departures) seems most likely. And yes, there still is enough wiggle room that could result in Mizzou getting a bowl game that lacks confined contractual obligations with conferences, meaning a wild-card option could be in play.

In short, it鈥檚 all up in the air. Ultimately, it will be Sankey who decides, with feedback from Mizzou.

The best two options should be obvious.

Mizzou and Illinois. First meeting since 2010. A preview of a relaunched series that begins again in 2026. Two tough quarterbacks. Football Braggin鈥� Rights.

Sign me up. This would be a much more interesting game than Mizzou playing the boring Michigan team that lost to Illinois.

There鈥檚 another I鈥檇 like just as much, if not more: Kansas State. A third meeting between the old Big 12 foes for the third consecutive season would be intense. The Wildcats won the 2022 game by a landslide. The Tigers won the 2023 one by a hair, thanks to Harrison Mevis鈥� record-setting leg.

Mizzou is No. 23 in the CFP rankings. Kansas State is the first team on the outside. This one would feel plenty big. Bigger, even, than Mizzou playing Kansas.

The Jayhawks are unlikely to be bowl eligible at 4-6 with Colorado and Baylor left. Plus, Mizzou and KU restart their football rivalry next season.

Or how about Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz against former Tigers coach Barry Odom, who has his UNLV Rebels at 8-2 with two regular-season games to go? Odom is 17-7 at a place that was supposed to be where football coaching careers go to die. Maybe he wasn鈥檛 as bad as some Mizzou fans prefer to believe?

Add Arizona into the chaos category as well, though it鈥檚 unlikely former Mizzou athletics director Desiree Reed-Francois鈥� Wildcats will go bowling. They would need to win out to punch a ticket, and Arizona State looms.

With UNLV or Arizona, the Mizzou message boards would be melting, which is a lot better than inducing yawns.

There are two components for non-CFP bowl games to matter moving forward:

Players have to play.

Fans have to care.

The best way to accomplish both is to create pairings that get people talking. Failure to do that means these games continue to fade.

Online

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Ben Frederickson

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How to watch Mizzou Tigers football at Mississippi State: TV, live stream, game time

• From staff reports

COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Missouri men鈥檚 basketball is getting cellular.

The Tigers resume play Friday evening after a scheduled week off between nonconference games, kicking off a run of three buy games before facing more high-major teams in the month of December.

MU (3-1) hosts Pacific at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 4 p.m. Sunday and Lindenwood at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The upcoming stretch won鈥檛 quite be the last time coach Dennis Gates can get experimental without putting wins in much jeopardy, but Mizzou is getting closer to the part of the season when getting a sense of its roster will be beneficial.

So Gates, in previewing the next three games, talked of cells.

鈥淲e have a nucleus of guys,鈥� he said, 鈥渨ho鈥檝e been in the program for one, two years, and that鈥檚 a positive.鈥�

And those players 鈥� such as forward Aidan Shaw, guard Tamar Bates, point guard Anthony Robinson II and guard Caleb Grill, to name a handful 鈥� are a factor in Gates鈥� process of finding his rotation for the season.

But don鈥檛 expect the size of that rotation to dip too far below the 12 players who鈥檝e been on the floor for 20 or more total minutes this season.

鈥淚鈥檇 rather have a (deep) rotation and opportunity to play multiple guys than not,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never had a short rotation in my coaching career. ... For me, it鈥檚 what has been successful in my climb, in my career.鈥�

With that as a non-negotiable, it seems the present stakes are more so for spots in Gates鈥� aforementioned nucleus: the players who will play consistent amounts and be relied upon to produce consistently. By nature, only so many players can really land in that core group.

Through four games 鈥� a small sample size, of course 鈥� only four players have been on the floor for more than half of Mizzou鈥檚 game time. Three are options who entered the season expected to be in that category as holdovers from last season or highly regarded out of the transfer portal.

Forward Mark Mitchell has played a team-high 65.3% of minutes and been a positive force, especially when it comes to getting to the free-throw line. Bates, the top returner, is second with 59.4% of minutes played. Then comes Grill, who hasn鈥檛 played consistent minutes night to night after a benching but shot his way onto the floor.

The fourth core player is a bit more of a surprise: Robinson, the second-year point guard. He鈥檚 played 54.6% of Mizzou鈥檚 minutes so far this season.

There looks to have been a developmental leap that occurred for Robinson during the offseason after a rocky freshman year, and some of his opportunity early this season has come from a leg injury to veteran point guard Tony Perkins. Nonetheless, Robinson is performing in a way that could elevate him from merely in the rotation to that nucleus.

鈥淎nt Robinson is solidifying himself as a core guy, just because of how he impacts the game,鈥� Gates said.

In fairness to Perkins, he may wind up in that nucleus too, when healthy. On the floor for 47.4% of minutes, the Iowa transfer is one of five players to be above the 40% range in that metric.

He鈥檚 in line to be one of the beneficiaries of the eight scheduled days between last week鈥檚 record-tying drubbing of Mississippi Valley State and Friday鈥檚 game against Pacific: Perkins, who suffered a preseason leg injury, missed the game against the Delta Devils as a precaution.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just going to play it day by day, game by game,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those things where I didn鈥檛 want to put him in that situation. ... We got another guy (Robinson) that鈥檚 just as capable, that鈥檚 able to play. When you have that, you can make decisions for the big picture, not just the short term.鈥�

There鈥檚 plenty still to be determined in shaking out the minutes around the nucleus. Which of the wings 鈥� including transfers Marques Warrick and Jacob Crews 鈥� will be the most consistent? Can a freshman like Marcus Allen turn defensive tenacity into a real role? Will Josh Gray or Aidan Shaw wind up as the No. 5 with the best stylistic fit?

The next three games could suggest some answers to those questions, with the added benefit of what the Tigers were able to incorporate into the last week鈥檚 practices. Half-court offense could be among the biggest gainers from that time in the gym.

Inserting a de facto bye week into this part of the calendar was an intentional move from the Missouri staff, allowing for a bit of a reset and breather before more prep for December鈥檚 tests and the start of Southeastern Conference play in January.

鈥淥ur scheduling was done to create these opportunities,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 important is that we get back in the rhythm that we left out on.鈥�

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Gordo ranks area hoops: Missouri flexes offensive depth, SIUE earns road wins

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Mizzou Sports News

Mizzou men tie program record for largest margin of victory in 72-point win over Delta Devils

• Eli Hoff

Mizzou Sports News

Mizzou men's basketball signs 2 in-state recruits in 2025 class

• Eli Hoff

On this week's episode of the Eye on the Tigers Podcast, Eli Hoff and Ben Frederickson talk about where Missouri goes from here after a loss to South Carolina that ended any remaining playoff hopes for the Tigers. They discuss what the offense can show down the stretch and where the defense has struggled before debating some of their preferred matchups for Mizzou's eventual bowl game.-

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