Missouri loses 15-14 heartbreaker to No. 12 Kentucky on untimed down from goal line
For the second time this season, Missouri lost in the final seconds of a game where it looked like the better team for most of it.
A late pass-interference call on cornerback DeMarkus Acy gave No. 12 Kentucky an untimed down, which it scored on to beat Missouri 15-14.
The play capped a second half where Missouri’s offense went three-and-out on every drive and got little out of quarterback Drew Lock.
Lock threw for 165 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions on Saturday. The Tigers offense didn’t get a first own the entire second half. Missouri’s defense had a very impressive showing, as it limited Kentucky star running back Benny Snell to 67 yards rushing. Snell entered the game as the Southeastern Conference’s leading rusher.
Missouri’s defense proved to be a problem for Snell from the beginning. After surrendering a 45-yard catch to Kentucky wideout Lynn Bowden Jr., that got Kentucky into Missouri’s red zone, the defense held Snell to no gain and quarterback Terry Wilson to 2 yards, keeping Kentucky out of the end zone on its opening drive. The Wildcats settled for a field goal and took an early 3-0 lead with 11:12 left in the first quarter.
It took a while for Missouri to counter. Lock led Missouri downfield on its opening drive but came up empty after Tucker McCann’s 43-yard field-goal attempt was blocked. Lock had found Kam Scott for a 51-yard touchdown, but it was called back after an illegal block in the back.
The Tigers’ defense held Kentucky scoreless again, despite the field position inherited by the Wildcats. Starting at their own 41-yard line, the Wildcats got as far as the Tigers’ 28-yard line before Snell got stopped on fourth down, 1 yard shy of the first down.
Tailback Damarea Crockett got Missouri into the end zone shortly into the second quarter on a 2-yard touchdown to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead. The play capped a 73-yard scoring drive that took four minutes off the clock.
Missouri held Snell to 23 yards rushing in the first half. He had come in averaging 65 a half this season. Facing another fourth-and-one from midfield, Snell got stopped by Tyree Gillespie to get Missouri the ball back with four minutes left in the second quarter.
Larry Rountree got into the end zone with 49 seconds left in the second quarter to extend Missouri’s lead to 14-3.
But as has been the case in previous games, the Tigers failed to run away with the game when the opportunity presented itself. Missouri went three and out on its first drive of the second half and struggled to get anywhere near the red zone throughout the third quarter. Missouri had just 22 yards of offense in the third quarter.
Kentucky tried to get Snell going in the third quarter and gave him the ball six straight plays during one of its drives. A 28-yard catch by Snell on third down brought Kentucky into Missouri territory, but Terry Beckner Jr. dropped tailback Asim Rose to stall the Wildcats drive just outside the Tigers’ red zone.
After a fourth-down stop at its own goal line, Missouri’s offense continued to let its defense down. The offense took over at Missouri’s own 3-yard line and promptly went three and out. Kentucky’s Bowden Jr. returned Corey Fatony’s punt 67 yards to the end zone to cut the Tigers’ lead to 14-9. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops went for the two-point conversion and it was no good.
Facing third-and-nine from its own 15 yard line, Acy had the first interception of his career to give Missouri the ball back.
But after getting the ball back, Kentucky got the ball to Missouri’s 10-yard line. Mizzou’s Terez Hall sacked Wilson with nine seconds left. With four seconds left, Acy was called for pass-interference to give Kentucky the ball at the 2-yard line with an untimed down.
Wilson found C.J. Conrad in the end zone for the walk-off win.
Alex Schiffer
Alex Schiffer covers University of Missouri athletics for The Star.
This story was originally published October 27, 2018 at 6:56 PM.