Mizzou Football: Takeaways from the 27-24 Music City Bowl win over Iowa

The football season is over. I can’t believe I’m typing these words. But at least I’m writing them in a good headspace!

Mizzou won its 10th game of the 2024 season on Monday afternoon, defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 27-24 in the Music City Bowl. It was a back-and-forth affair that, as we’ve come to expect from the Tigers, ended with some late-game heroics and a loooong field goal.

Here are the key takeaways.

1. Brady Cook comes out as he should: a winner

Brady Cook’s career at Mizzou is getting the crowning glory it deserves: a second straight bowl victory and two straight 10-win seasons. Do you know what other full-time Mizzou QBs have that on their resume? Chase Daniel… and that’s it. Even the eternal Cook haters now have to come to terms with the fact that Cook’s final game made him one of the elite QBs to ever wear the black and gold.

In a game in which he surpassed Brad Smith on Mizzou’s all-time passing list, Cook totaled 341 yards of offense, two touchdowns and no turnovers. His completion percentage appears to be much lower than it should be due to a variety of declines, but everyone who watched saw the best of Brady Cook. He threw accurate deep, medium and short throws and was a constant threat with his legs.

Brady Cook’s legacy will never be questioned by reasonable Mizzou fans. But even if people try to question his reputation for not being an elite talent, pointing to the 2023 and 2024 seasons is enough to show what Cook has always been during his time as Mizzou’s starter…

A winner.

2. The big change on death row

To think that Mizzou would give up 24 points to Iowa in a complete game was an unlikely thought this afternoon. To think they would score 21 points in one half was almost unthinkable. But that’s how the first half of the game went, as Iowa’s Brandon Sullivan and a number of backup RBs split the Tigers from front to back for the first 30 minutes of play. To be fair to the defense, seven of the points came on a 100-yard kickoff return…but it was an embarrassing first-half performance by the unit.

And then things were back to how they should be. Mizzou’s defense was nearly perfect in the second half. She held Iowa to just three points, threw a massive interception while Iowa was on a roll, and stopped their final drive with a highlight-reel turnover on downs. Seriously, if Corey Flagg, Jr. goes over the top of the defensive line, that will be a top-tier Mizzou image for…I think ever, right?

For 30 minutes, it looked like a month off had caught up with Corey Batoon’s unit, which had been so surprisingly strong all season. Then for another 30 minutes they looked every bit as good as we’ve come to expect this season. It was an impressive turnaround on a big stage.

3. Something old, something new

With Mizzou missing some of its top playmakers due to NFL draft defaults and in-game injuries, the Tigers needed help from some lesser-known names on offense. At the same time, some smart veterans on defense led the offense on the other side of the ball.

After enduring a bit of a lull as a sophomore (due to injury, no doubt), Marquis Johnson had his best game as a Tiger, rushing for 122 yards on seven catches and a touchdown. He also made one of his signature deep-ball catches, perhaps the most athletically impressive of his young career. And in the absence of Luther Burden III, Theo Wease Jr. (who left the game injured after a serious hit) and Mookie Cooper, numerous other young playmakers stepped up. Daniel Blood caught two passes for 38 yards, Josh Manning scored on a Burden-style sweep play in the red zone, Tavorus Jones had an explosive receiving play. Heck, even Logan Muckey got on the scoresheet with a six-yard catch.

In defense, however, the big names were in demand. Johnny Walker Jr. capped his Mizzou career with two big sacks. Toriano Pride, Jr. jumped over a receiver for an athletic pick. Triston Newson led the team in tackles. Daylan Carnell and Corey Flagg, Jr. combined for the game-winning tackle. While the young guys took the lead on offense, the old heads kept things moving on defense. You need both to beat good teams like Iowa, especially at the national level.

4. Craig the Leg cements his spot

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Nov. 23 Missouri at Mississippi State

It was an up-and-down freshman season for Blake Craig. As if replacing Harrison Mevis wasn’t enough, Craig exceeded all expectations after hitting a 56-yarder earlier in the season. He will finish the year with a sub-70 graduation rate, but he finished with a perfect grade.

As the Tigers entered the fourth quarter trailing 24-21, Mizzou’s offense seemed to falter against the weight of Iowa’s strong front. But when Craig was given two opportunities to do what he does best – shoot 50-yard events, he didn’t disappoint. Craig rushed for 51 yards and 56 yards in the fourth quarter to give Mizzou the lead. In typical Craig the Leg fashion, his low shots looked perfect and could have been good for longer.

There have been some questions (at least in this writer’s eyes) as to whether Craig deserves a permanent spot as the top kicker in 2025. His heroics against Iowa should put any doubts to rest.

5. 10 wins mean something

Iowa vs. Missouri – TransPerfect Music City Bowl

“Bowl games mean nothing” has never been more fashionable. Do you know what matters? Be one of a dozen teams with a chance to play for a Natty? You know what that doesn’t do? Travel to a regional destination to receive a free bag of gifts and play a friendly match where neither team has its best players.

But there’s something that kind of counteracts that tried-and-true statement: getting 10 wins. It means a lot to have double-digit wins, especially for a program like Mizzou. We’ve already exhausted the stats at this point, but this is only the third time in program history that Mizzou has posted consecutive double-digit win campaigns. This is important for recruits. It is important for transfers. It matters to donors. And it’s important to us as fans.

Eli Drinkwitz was under pressure to perform this season. He has worked hard to raise expectations in Colombia and even with that win, one could emphatically say that the 2024 season was a “disappointment.”

But man, if you consider a 10-3 season a disappointment, it certainly suggests that Eli Drinkwitz has Mizzou Football on the right path. The standard in Colombia since Gary Pinkel has been: “Win more games than you lose most seasons.” Now? The standard seems to be “win enough to be a CFP contender most seasons.” In his first half-decade as Mizzou head coach, Drinkwitz has taken the Tigers from fellow SEC program to a perennial top-25. Team made. That means something, even if the path to get there wasn’t what we expected.

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