Missouri Tigers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Box Score on Dec 29, 2023

No. 9 Missouri rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 7 Ohio State 14-3 in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas, on Friday.

The Buckeyes (11-2) played most of the game with third-string quarterback Lincoln Kienholz, a freshman, and managed only a first-quarter field goal.

Missouri took a 7-3 lead on a 7-yard run by Cody Schrader five seconds into the fourth quarter to complete a 95-yard drive. The big play was a 50-yard pass from Brady Cook to Marquis Johnson to the Ohio State 15. An 8-yard run by Cook on the last play of the third quarter set up the score.

The Tigers (11-2) then used 13 plays to go 91 yards, capped by a 7-yard touchdown pass from Cook to Luther Burden III with 5:12 to play.

Cook was 11 for 18 passing for 128 yards, and Schrader ran for 128 yards on 29 carries.

The Buckeyes were without starting quarterback Kyle McCord, who transferred to Syracuse, and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who opted not to play and is expected to be a high first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Harrison finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting balloting earlier this month. Also, Ohio State linebacker Tommy Eichenberg was injured and did not play.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Devin Brown made his first career start for the Buckeyes but he injured an ankle late in the first quarter and was replaced by Kienholz.

Kienholz was 6 for 17 for 86 yards. Brown was 4 for 6 for 20 yards and was sacked three times.

It was a defensive struggle in the first half. The only points came on a 44-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding with 3:12 left in the first quarter.

Through two quarters, Ohio State had 112 yards (28 passing, 84 running) while Missouri had 76 (20 passing, 56 running). Each team had five first downs and six punts.

Fielding had a 48-yard field goal try in the third quarter hit the left upright and fall back to the field, and the momentum shifted to the Tigers.

--Field Level Media