Lewis Field - Stillwater, OK
A year ago Missouri beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first overtime game in MU history. This season, the Cowboys and Tigers again took extra time to decide the outcome. Only there was nothing similar about the two contests.
Missouri raced to a 24-7 halftime lead against the nation's No. 12, and previously undefeated, team by making big plays in the passing game, then punishing the Cowboys' "46" defense with its ground attack.
The Tigers seemingly erased any possibility of a second half letdown when they came out and scored first after the break. A 23-yard touchdown run by Corby Jones made it 30-7 and it looked like Mizzou might just run away with this one. But hold everything.
The Cowboys hadn't gotten the No. 12 ranking by being soft. They raced back with 30 unanswered points. Tight end Alonzo Mayes, who had absolutely shredded the Tigers a year before, had two touchdown catches in the run. The second one came after he had separated a shoulder and gave Oklahoma State a 37-30 lead.
This was the time previous Missouri teams could have given up. A 23-point lead gone, the Tigers now trailed by a touchdown with less than two minutes to play. They were staring 4-4 in the face. Then Corby Jones and Ricky Ross took over.
Facing fourth-and-12 from the Tiger 18, the duo made its first big play. Jones hit Ross over the middle for 18 yards and a first down to keep the Tigers alive. But that couldn't possibly compare to what was upcoming.
With under 40 seconds left, Missouri huddled up just on OSU's side of midfield. Jones appeared to look at Ross as if to say, "Get open, I'm going to you."
Ross streaked down the right sideline. Jones arched a bomb toward the corner of the end zone, over the head of OSU defender R.W. McQuarters. Ross leaped. And came down. In bounds, inexplicably. With the ball, unbelievably.
The extra point by Scott Knickman tied the score 37-37 and sent the game to overtime. The two heavyweights traded scores in the first period and Mizzou opened the second with another touchdown. Oklahoma State answered. The score was 51-50 when OSU lined up for a two-point conversion to win the game, break the Tigers' hearts, and maybe end their season.
The Cowboys came out in a "swinging gate," a formation that uses only three offensive linemen and gives the offense a three-on-two advantage to throw a pass to one side of the field. But as quarterback Tony Lindsey dropped to pass, he couldn't get off a throw. Marquis Gibson flushed him from the pocket. And Donnell Jones and Brian Cracraft wrapped him up short of the goal line.
The Tiger players stormed the field immediately after a 51-50 win. Coach Larry Smith cried. Again. Missouri was 5-3, and had a shot at a winning season for the first time in 14 years. The Tigers had just felled their first ranked opponent in five years, and their first on the road in sixteen. The Tigers were flying high, and the best was yet to come.
| MISSOURI | 7 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | - | 51 |
| OKLAHOMA ST. | 7 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 7 | 6 | - | 50 |
| OS - McQuarters 56 run (Sydnes kick) |
| M - Brooks 20 pass from Jones (Knickman kick) |
| M - Coleman 33 pass from Jones (Knickman kick) |
| M - FG Knickman 27 |
| M - Layman 37 pass from Jones (Knickman kick) |
| M - Jones 23 run (kick failed) |
| OS - Simmons 2 run (Lindsay run) |
| OS - Love 34 pass from Lindsay (Sydnes kick) |
| OS - Mayes 8 pass from Lindsay (Grissom pass from Lindsay) |
| OS - Mayes 9 pass from Lindsay (Sydnes kick) |
| M - Ross 38 pass from Jones (Knickman kick) |
| OS - Fobbs 21 pass from Lindsay (Sydnes kick) |
| M - Olivo 1 run (Knickman kick) |
| M - Jones 15 run (Knickman kick) |
| OS - Lindsay 6 run (run failed) |
| ATT - 33,300 |
| Team Statistics | ||
| MU | OSU | |
| First downs | 20 | 26 |
| Rushes-Yards | 41-221 | 51-212 |
| Passing | 13-25-1 | 15-32-3 |
| Passing Yards | 231 | 319 |
| Total Offense | 452 | 531 |
| Return Yards | 17 | 6 |
| Punts-Avg | 6-38.5 | 2-47.5 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 2-1 |
| Penalties-Yards | 8-62 | 5-24 |
| Third Down Conversions | 3-11 | 11-21 |
| Time of Possession | 27:05 | 32:55 |
| Individual Leaders |
| RUSHING - MU: Jones 12-85, Blackwell 5-45, Olivo 11-39, Janes 6-26, West 7-26. OSU: |
| Simmons 22-99, McQuarters 1-56, Fobbs 9-26, Lindsay 16-20, Brown 3-11. |
| PASSING - MU:Jones 13-25-1-231-4. OSU: Lindsay 10-18-1-210-4, Chaloupka 12-4-1-59-0, |
| Simmons 0-1-1-0-0, Phears 1-1-0-50-0. |
| RECEIVING - MU: Coleman 3-65, Ross 3-62, Murchison 2-37, Brooks 2-29, Olivo 2-1, Layman 1- |
| 37. OSU: Mayes 8-126, Love 2-95, Simmons 2-15, Lindsay 1-50, Fobbs 1-21, Grissom 1-12. |