Missouri holds off Central Michigan 34-24 to win season opener
Keep the style points. Missouri will take the victory.
The Tigers didn’t overwhelm their Mid-American Conference opponent, Central Michigan. But Mizzou made enough plays to walk off Faurot Field on Saturday with a 34-24 triumph, the Tigers’ first in an opener in three years.
A pair of Connor Bazelak touchdown passes and an aggressive defense paved the way for a victory that came with some tense moments.
The Chippewas, playing without head coach Jim McElwain, who underwent an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday, closed Mizzou’s lead to 24-21 with an early fourth-quarter touchdown.
The Tigers responded with a statement drive. After a short completion on first down, Mizzou kept it on the ground for seven straight snaps, the first five with Tyler Badie gaining 50 of his 203 yards for the day.
The possession ended with a Bazelak touchdown pass to tight end Niko Hea from 2 yards out to restore a 10-point lead with 7 minutes, 58 seconds remaining.
Bazelak completed 21 of 31 passes for 257 yards and didn’t throw an interception.
Any Central Michigan comeback hopes were dashed when Badie ripped off a 69-yard run on the final possession after a Central Michigan field goal had made it a seven-point game with 1:28 remaining. The play set up Harrison Mevis’ 44-yard field goal with 59 seconds to play to seal the final score.
Missouri’s defense gave up yards in chunks to Central Michigan, but the Tigers also caused plenty of problems. Mizzou recorded nine sacks — 3.5 by linebacker Blaze Alldredge, playing his first game in a Missouri uniform after transferring from Rice. He also was credited with six tackles for loss.
An Alldredge sack ended Central Michigan’s possession after the Tigers had taken the 31-21 lead.
Missouri struck first, and quickly. On the first snap of the season, Bazelak went over the top to Boo Williams for a 63-yard gain. On the next play Badie rumbled 12 yards for the touchdown.
But Central Michigan answered with a quick-strike touchdown drive of their own, and the Chippewas took a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter.
The Tigers scored the final 10 points of the first half. After getting little and punting away their next four possessions, Bazelak found Badie in the flat, and Badie, in space, did the rest. He covered 30 yards to the end zone and the score was tied.
Mevis had plenty of distance on a 53-yarder just before halftime to give the TIgers a 17-14 edge.
Central Michigan piled up 292 total yards in the first half, but three Mizzou sacks, including an 18-yarder by Trajan Jeffcoat, were well timed in stopping drives.
Akayleb Evans, the Tulsa transfer, and Jaylon Carlies came up with interceptions for Mizzou.
