HOUSTON • Turnovers and field position told the story of Wednesday’s Texas Bowl, where Missouri outgained Texas in total yardage but trailed 21-7 thanks to two fumbles and an offense consistently trapped in its own territory.
Missouri’s vertical passing game was nowhere to be seen at NRG Stadium in the first half as Drew Lock rarely threw the ball downfield, instead nibbling around the edges of the Texas defense with screens and horizontal throws. The Tigers ran the ball 23 times in the first half as Lock attempted only 14 passes, completing 10 for 91 yards. Routinely backed up near its goal line thanks to Michael Dickson punts, Mizzou kept the ball out of Lock’s hands for long stretches, running the ball all six of its plays on its final two series.
Mizzou outgained Texas in yards 183-164 and the Tigers forced punts on UT’s final five possession of the half, but a defensive touchdown gave the Longhorns some breathing room after the rarest of MU turnovers.
The Tigers were in a charitable mood on Texas’ opening drive, committing three penalties for 40 yards to set up the Longhorns’ first score: pass interference on safety Kaleb Prewett, defensive holding on cornerback DeMarkus Acy and a facemask personal foul on linebacker Brandon Lee. From the 23-yard line, running back Daniel Young squirted free from the backfield and snagged a touchdown pass from Shane Buechele as the play-action fake was too much to resist for linebacker Terez Hall on Young’s side of the field.
In tight end coach Joe Jon Finley’s debut as Mizzou’s play-caller, the Tigers failed to get a first down on each of their first three possessions, never crossing their own 20.
The Longhorns struck again on their fourth series, starting, again, with a play-action pass to Young out of the backfield, this time from quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Three snaps later, on third-and-goal from the 4, Ehlinger connected with receiver John Burt behind the front pylon for a second Texas touchdown, good for a 14-0 lead.
Lock and the Tigers finally moved the chains on Mizzou’s fifth series with a 23-yard pass to tight end Kendall Blanton down the seam in the final minute of the first quarter, though the drive later stalled around midfield. It marked the first time since playing at Kentucky on Oct. 7 the Tigers failed to score in the first quarter.
Mizzou finally got something cooking to open the second quarter, starting with a 19-yard leaping, twisting catch by J’Mon Moore to get the Tigers into Texas territory. Another pass to Moore and a Texas penalty put Mizzou in the red zone and Ish Witter finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.
On Texas’ next series, the Horns were marching into Mizzou territory, but after an 11-yard reception, Tigers coach Barry Odom called a timeout so the catch could be reviewed. The strategy paid off when officials overruled the call, saying Lorenzo Joe didn’t secure the catch. Later on the drive, Texas had to settle for a punt.
The Longhorns capitalized one of the rarest plays on Mizzou’s next possession: A Witter fumble. For just the fourth time in the senior’s career, Witter coughed up the ball when defensive back P.J. Locke stripped it loose at the end of a 3-yard run. Texas linebacker Anthony Wheeler scooped up the bouncing ball and dashed into the end zone for the Longhorns’ third touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
It was déjà vu for the Tigers on the next drive as tight end Albert Okwuegbunam fumbled the ball in the flat after a short pass and defensive end Breckyn Hager pounced on it for a second straight takeaway.
Texas was sniffing the red zone late in the second quarter when Young and defensive end Marcell Frazier got tangled up along the sideline, resulting in a 15-yard personal foul against the Horns. The call might have spared the Tigers from falling behind by another score as UT had to punt for a fifth straight time.