Oct. 23, 2004
Final Stats |
Notes
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Jason Ricks kicked a 28-yard field goal with 55 seconds
left and No. 22 Oklahoma State rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Missouri
20-17 on Saturday.
The Cowboys (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) drove 78 yards to set up the winning kick. The
drive was kept alive when Donovan Woods connected with his brother, D'Juan
Woods, for a 27-yard gain on third-and-4 from the Oklahoma State 42.
Missouri (4-3, 2-2) appeared headed for an easy win after going ahead 17-0
with 54 seconds left in the first half. But the Tigers allowed Oklahoma State
to drive 80 yards in 50 seconds, scoring on a 12-yard pass from Woods to Woods
with 4 seconds left in the half.
After Ricks' 27-yard third-quarter field goal cut the deficit to seven, the
Cowboys tied it early in the fourth quarter when Donovan Woods faked a handoff
to Vernand Morency and ran untouched 34 yards for the score.
It was no surprise Missouri was keying on Morency. He carried 31 times for
173 yards, bettering the 163.3 yards he averaged entering the game, second-best
in the nation. Donovan Woods carried 10 times for 71 yards - 69 of those coming
on two runs - and was 7-of-13 for 110 yards and one interception.
After controlling the ball for more than 21 minutes in the first half, the
Tigers could muster just four first downs and 87 total yards in the final 30
minutes. The Tigers had the ball less than 12 minutes of the final half.
Missouri's Brad Smith was 18-for-29 for just 96 yards and one interception.
He rushed 17 times for 58 yards, and Damien Nash carried 18 times for 89 yards.
Missouri drove 83 yards on 16 plays to go ahead 7-0 on Smith's 4-yard pass
to Martin Rucker on the final play of the first quarter. Smith dropped straight
back, scrambled to his right, then back to the left sideline before finding
Rucker open in the middle of the end zone.
Joe Tantarelli's 21-yard field goal with 5:34 to play in the half gave
Missouri a 10-0 lead.
On Oklahoma State's next drive, the Cowboys tried a fake punt with the ball
snapped to up-back Chase Holland, who passed to Prentiss Elliott. But just as
Elliott was about to make the catch, Missouri's Jason Simpson jarred the ball
loose, giving the Tigers the ball at the Oklahoma State 42 with 3:21 to go in
the half.
Seven plays later, Smith and Sean Coffey connected on a 3-yard touchdown
pass with 54 seconds to play in the half.
Morency had runs of 21 and 19 yards to help Oklahoma State answer and seize
the momentum with a late score.
