Harrison Mevis' 61-yard field goal lifts Missouri over ranked Kansas State
- Luca Vitale
- Sep 15, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 31, 2024
COLUMBIA — About 245 miles separate Manhattan, Kansas, from Columbia. However, Missouri and No. 15 Kansas State went toe-to-toe until the very end when Harrison Mevis broke the SEC record for the longest field goal to upset the Wildcats 30-27.
Students and fans stormed the field as the Tigers improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2018.
"I just took off running the other way to celebrate with my team," kicker Harrison Mevis said.
Missouri got its revenge on last year's brutal loss against Kansas State. Players like quarterback Brady Cook took last year's loss personally.
"Truly this game was revenge," Cook said. "This game meant a lot to me after what happened last year in Manhattan."
The Tigers were routed 40-12 in that contest, which featured a downpour and an hour-long lightning delay. Cook threw for only 128 passing yards and two interceptions in that game.
However, Cook rewrote the narrative. He shined in the series' 99th game. The junior threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns, nearly tripling last year's passing output. He also had a rushing touchdown.
"Brady is a dog," wide receiver Mookie Cooper said. "Every day we know what we're going to get from (number) 12."
However, Cook has been at the center of criticism throughout the season and over the offseason. He received boos from some fans during introductions. Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz didn't take the boos lightly.
"Redemption is a beautiful thing," Drinkwitz said. "That pissed me off when we booed our starting quarterback to start the game, that pissed me off. And he went out there and played his butt off for the team."
The beginning of the game looked eerily familiar from last year's besides a dreary day. Kansas State drove down the field on its first possession for a touchdown, sucking the oxygen out of Faurot Field quickly.
However, the Missouri offense responded with vengeance. Cook threw a 47-yard dime to a wide-open Luther Burden for the equalizer on Missouri's first possession. Burden caught two touchdowns against the Wildcats, while Cook found eight different receivers in the passing game.
"We got some dogs," Burden said. People (didn't) realize until today we got some dogs in that room and on this team."
Missouri trailed 14-10 late in the second quarter, but the Tigers answered late in the half. Cook took it himself for the go-ahead score on fourth down. It was the first time the Tigers went for it on fourth down this season.
Cook exited the game for two plays the next drive because of a right leg injury. He returned wearing a right knee brace in the second half. Drinkwitz said the injury was a sprain, but there wasn't any doubt he would play.
"It'd have to be a broken leg (or) a broken shoulder," Cook said.
Missouri's offense became stagnant in the second half, especially in the third quarter. The Tigers punted twice, giving the Wildcats life. The Wildcats turned the two Tiger punts into a field goal and a touchdown.
"We just need to play better together, and at the end of the day, we got a win, Drinkwitz said."
Kansas State squandered two chances to put the game away in the fourth quarter, failing twice on short third downs. Missouri made the Wildcats pay.
With less than nine minutes left, Cody Schrader gashed the Kansas State defense for 26 yards and a 26-yard pass to Burden that he translated into a touchdown. The Tigers are no strangers to tight games this season.
"Us playing a tight game versus MTSU last week directly impacted our success in this game, Drinkwitz said."
It came down to the leg of Mevis, who has struggled this year. But he capitalized when it counted most.
"I was locked in. I knew what I had to do," Mevis said.
Missouri looks to remain undefeated when it faces Memphis in St. Louis next Saturday. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
