Junior defensive tackle Mike Hall (51) creates pressure on the quarterback during the third quarter of the Cotton Bowl. No. 7 Ohio State lost to No. 9 Missouri 14-3 at At&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
Those tuning into the Cotton Bowl between No. 7 Ohio State and No. 9 Missouri may have expected to see a high-scoring ballgame Friday night.
With both offenses ranked in the top five in their respective conferences, the matchup had all the makings of a riveting offensive performance under the bright lights at AT&T Stadium.
Instead, a mere 14-3 smudged the scoreboard with an old-fashioned defensive throwdown taking place in Jerry World, and the Buckeye defense coming up just a few plays short.
After not allowing a single point through the first three quarters, the Buckeyes gave up 14 in the fourth.
Two touchdowns from graduate running back Cody Schrader and 194 all-purpose yards from junior quarterback Brady Cook helped lead the Tigers in securing their first bowl game in nine years.
However, the victory didn’t come easy. Ohio State allowed only 28 yards in the air and a 13% conversion rate on third downs in the first half. While the offense struggled to find its rhythm, all cylinders seemed to be firing on the defensive end, even with special teams.
Junior punter Jesse Mirco punted the ball six times in the first half, with four being at least 50 yards or more. Mirco also landed one of three punts inside the 20-yard line mid-first quarter, backing the Tigers deep inside their territory at the 10-yard line.
Statistically, these numbers would reel in a Buckeye win, but an offense struggling to find its footing with only 70 total yards had them holding onto only a 3-point lead entering halftime.
The second half consisted of a much different story, beginning with the final drive of the third quarter. After struggling all night to find his receivers, Cook located freshman receiver Marquis Johnson downfield on a 50-yard catch in the third quarter.
Before that catch, the Tiger offense only managed 40 passing yards thanks to a Buckeyes secondary featuring cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun, both of whom finished with five and seven tackles, respectively.
The play came with 1:30 remaining and was the biggest of the night for either team.
With the backfield opened up, the Tigers’ balanced offensive attack manifested with Schrader at the helm. The back rushed for 128 total yards — with 33 coming alone in the final drive of the third, which ended in a Schrader touchdown to open up the fourth.
It was the first time either team entered the red zone, and the Buckeyes’ defense had an opportunity to stop the top team in that category. The Tigers rank No. 1 in red zone offense, having converted 50 consecutive times when getting inside the 20-yard line.
Schrader tacked on one more as he broke free for a 7-yard run, culminating a 95-yard drive that put the Tigers up 7-3 with 14:55.
The defensive line did relatively well limiting run plays from both Schrader and the dual threat of Cook. Junior defensive end Jack Sawyer had his best game of the season, registering three sacks and a quarterback hurry.
Senior defensive tackle Ty Hamilton and junior J.T. Tuimoloau also combined for 10 tackles and two sacks. However, Schrader was able to find holes in between late on, leaving the backfield wide open and the end zone in sight.
With the Buckeye offense coming up empty-handed, the defense was now back on the field with an opportunity to give second-string quarterback Lincoln Keinholz and the Buckeyes one more shot.
Graduate safety Josh Proctor was assessed a flag on the following play after a late hit out of bounds on Schrader, tacking on an additional 15 yards.
The hit was only one of four defensive penalties, but it moved the ball to Ohio State’s 32-yard line. The Tigers capped off the drive with a passing touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Luther Burden III.
The 1000-yard receiver was held to just 15 yards on three pass attempts, but he came up big when it mattered the most. With 5:12 left in the fourth, Burden caught a 7-yard pass up the middle, essentially sealing the victory for Missouri.
Senior linebacker Cody Simon led the Buckeyes with six solo tackles, collecting 12 total. Simon, who announced his return to Ohio State next season, replaced graduate Tommy Eichenberg, who was nursing an arm injury sustained in week nine against Rutgers.
