Missouri had this game and let go of it, and the coach said so himself.
Down 24-17 entering the fourth quarter, Missouri didn't score again. Four possessions, zero points. On the last one, a drive that reached the 11-yard line died when a fourth-down pass got batted down, then a throw to the end zone on the final play got broken up too. Eli Drinkwitz was asked about the sequence and didn't dress it up: "We can give them better calls right there. Obviously they didn't work. So, that's on us." That's a head coach admitting his own staff cost his team a chance to win a road SEC game. When the losing coach hands you the verdict, you don't need to go looking for a softer one.
Add eight penalties for 91 yards, the second straight week Missouri has bled at least that much on flags, and it's hard to argue with the idea that this team beat itself. You don't blow a seven-point fourth-quarter lead, drop 90-plus penalty yards, and still get to call the loss a coin flip that didn't bounce your way. Missouri handed a winnable road game to a team that was sitting there waiting for it.
Mississippi State still had to make the plays, and it did. Kamario Taylor threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns while playing through a right ankle injury in the second half. His final touchdown, a 23-yard strike to Magee threaded between two defenders with under four minutes left, was a freshman making a college-caliber throw with the game on the line. Mississippi State also out-gained Missouri 499-414, controlled the ball longer, and turned it over just once all night. Mississippi State won time of possession, won total yardage, and won the turnover battle.
Missouri's defense couldn't slow down a banged-up quarterback when it mattered most. Missed opportunities are Missouri's problem, and they don't take anything away from what Mississippi State did. A defense that lets a banged-up quarterback pick it apart for 360 yards deserves the blame for that, not credit for coming close.
Both things are true at once. Mississippi State's quarterback and offense were good enough to deserve this win. Missouri's fourth quarter and penalty count were bad enough to guarantee it. The Bulldogs earned this one. Missouri's coaching staff made sure they didn't have to work nearly as hard for it as they should have.
