Back to the Missouri Tigers Newsfeed

Tigers collapse at regular-season finish line

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The season’s starting quarterback had to play defensive back. That’s how dreadful December has been for the Missouri defense.

Things only got worse Saturday at Mississippi State.

In a regular-season finale that was supposed to be more evenly matched than Mizzou’s lopsided loss to Georgia a week earlier, Eli Drinkwitz’s decimated defense was no match for Mike Leach’s Air Raid attack in a 51-32 defeat.

In their first ever visit to Davis Wade Stadium, the Tigers had just 52 scholarship players available but arrived here with a chance to secure a winning record in Drinkwitz’s debut season and, perhaps, solidify his credentials for Southeastern Conference coach of the year.