By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo: Black Heart Gold Pants
No. 19 Missouri Tigers defeated Iowa Hawkeyes 27-24 to win the TransPerfect Music Bowl on Monday.
Hawkeyes Coach Kirk Ferentz entered the game with 10 bowl wins, tied for the most in Big Ten history. The Tigers had other thoughts and made Ferentz wait until next season to earn number eleven.
Hawkeyes quarterback Brendan Sullivan got things started when he threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Terrell Washington Jr to put the Hawkeyes on the board.
Later in the first quarter, Tigers quarterback Brady Cook tossed an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Theo Wease Jr to tie the game.
One of the game’s biggest plays was when Kaden Wetjen scored on a 100-yard return for a touchdown to regain the Hawkeyes’ lead.
The Tigers trailed 24-14 in the third quarter until Joshua Manning rushed for a 4-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 24-21.
Tigers kicker Blake Craig showed up in the fourth quarter like an NFL pro kicker. Craig nailed a 51-yard to tie the game at 24 and then a 56-yard field goal to give the Tigers the lead 27-24.
The Tigers’ defense made a huge stop on 4th and one after Sullivan tried to pick up the first down on a quarterback sneak.
Cook finished the game by completing 18 of 32 for 287 yards with two touchdowns. Johnson caught seven receptions for 122 yards to go with one touchdown.
Sullivan made 14 of 18 completions with 131 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He got sacked twice. Kamari Moulton ran back for 96 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown.
The Tigers finished the season with a 9-3 record, while the Hawkeyes finished with an 8-4 record.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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