NASHVILLE — Mizzou fans flocked to Tennessee to witness the showdown between their Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

In the first quarter, Mizzou suffered an early sack and struggled to even sniff midfield, resulting in a punt for their first drive. Hawkeyes flew down the field for a quick 7 to 0 lead with a Brendan Sullivan pass to Terrell Washington Junior. Mizzou took to the air in their second drive with Mizzou senior quarterback Brady Cook finding sophomore wideout Marquis Johnson twice for a combined 33 yards and capping off the drive with an eight-yard pass to senior wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. for the touchdown. 

The tie game would only last seconds. To the Missouri faithful’s dismay, the Hawkeyes return man, Kaden Wetjen, took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Hawkeyes regained the lead 14-7. 

In the second quarter, it wouldn’t take Cook and Wease long to connect again for big chunks on their next drive. Tigers evened it up again as Cook and Marquis Johnson connected for a seven-yard touchdown strike.

Missouri’s defense earned its stripes, forcing the Hawkeyes to punt shortly after Iowa crossed midfield. Missouri running backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll and Cook gained midfield via seven running plays and one pass to Johnson. Three pass attempts later, Mizzou’s punter would take the field. 

Iowa’s quarterback Sullivan would nickel and dime his way down the field using his scrambling ability and arm talent on the Hawkeyes way to a long drive. Iowa running back Kamari Moulton pushed the birds a lot closer with an impressive 38-yard run down to the three-yard line. A bad snap would bump the Hawkeyes back as quarterback Sullivan was tackled while picking up the ball. After a couple of plays, Moulton would get the ball again and give the Hawkeyes the lead again, 21 to 14. 

The lead would hold into half time. Wease Jr, who was among the most productive receivers for Missouri on the season, wasn’t able to return in the second half after sustaining an upper-body injury from a powerful hit by an Iowa safety.

The third quarter would start sluggish for both teams. A well-timed sack by Missouri’s Johnny Walker slowed the bleeding of the Hawkeyes' second drive, forcing them to a 38-yard field goal successfully kicked by Drew Stevens. Hawkeyes had their first two-score lead of the day, 24 to 14.

Despite being down Wease and Luther Burden III not playing with his NFL draft stock on his mind, Marquis Johnson stepped up in a big way late in the third quarter with back-to-back catches of 44 and 12 yards. A jet sweep to Joshua Manning would cap off the drive, bringing the game to a small three-point difference. Tigers trailed 21 to 24.

Iowa would move the ball on the ground by a combined 23 rushing yards from Jazuin Patterson to round out the quarter as they pushed near midfield.

Fourth quarter, a Sullivan pass near the sideline was intercepted by Missouri’s Toriano Pride Jr. Missouri wouldn’t move the ball much but a 51-yard field goal by freshman Blake Craig would tie it up for the first time since the second quarter. Iowa hoping to answer would immediately see a three and out as Sullivan was stuffed behind the line of scrimmage on third and two by the Missouri defense.  

Cook would deal to Tavorus Jones to start the following drive for 20 yards. A few moments later, he found sophomore Marquis Johnson for a pick up of 15 yards. Johnson had less than 300 yards through the season according to ESPN but ended the game as the Tigers receiving leader with 122 yards. Three failed pass attempts would again bring the young Craig out to kick for Mizzou, this time from 56 yards out. Craig’s career-long tying kick gave the Tigers their first lead of the bowl game 27 to 24. 

Mizzou’s defense was up for the challenge, forcing another fast three and out for Iowa. Hawkeyes defense also didn’t flinch, causing a three-and-out for the Tigers as well. On the first play inside the two-minute warning, Hawkeyes quarterback Sullivan was sacked 13 yards behind the line of scrimmage by Walter Jr. It was his second sack of the game and couldn’t have come at a better time for Tiger fans. With just over one minute left in the game on a fourth and one for Iowa, Missouri’s linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. pounced over the line at the moment the ball was snapped, shocking Sullivan. The Hawkeye quarterback couldn’t move as another Tiger’s claws wrapped around his ankle while fellow Tigers feasted on him.