‘Just call Johnny’: Mizzou’s defense made stand that’ll be remembered in Music City Bowl
A game that many assumed would be a slugfest turned into an early shootout Monday, as Missouri sneaked past Iowa 27-24 in the Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium.
While the Tigers’ defense was far from perfect, the unit came up big in the end, making crucial plays late — as it did on multiple occasions throughout the regular season.
A pair of senior defenders sealed the victory on the final possession of the game.
Trailing 27-24, Iowa had the ball at its own 45-yard line with 1:54 remaining. Defensive end Johnny Walker Jr. broke through the Hawkeyes’ offensive line and sacked Hawkeyes quarterback Brendan Sullivan for a loss of 13 yards. It was the 6-foot-3, 250-pounder’s second sack of the game.
Walker finished the season with 9½ sacks and his collegiate career with 18½ sacks.
“Look at a guy like Johnny Walker,” Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “If you’ve gotta get to the quarterback, just call Johnny.”
After the game, Drinkwitz revealed that Walker played through an injury.
“I thought he wouldn’t play,” Drinkwitz said. “I told him if he was my son, I wouldn’t let him play. But he said, ‘No, I want to play; we’ll get it fixed afterwards.’ For him to play four quarters tonight on an injury, when he could have said, ‘I’m going to tap out and go get ready for the draft and the (NFL Scouting) Combine,’ you just don’t have that much anymore. I love you, (Johnny).”
On second-and-23, Sullivan threw a short pass to running back Terrell Washington Jr., who turned it into a 19-yard pickup.
Sullivan found wide receiver Jacob Gill for a 3-yard gain on third down, setting up an all-important fourth-and-1 with 1:08 left.
The Hawkeyes attempted a quarterback sneak. Mizzou linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. jumped over Iowa center Tyler Elsbury and wrapped his arms around Sullivan’s legs, slowing him down enough for defensive end Zion Young, safety Daylan Carnell and several others to drop him for no gain.
“I had no doubt. I had no doubt. That was a team win all the way around,” quarterback Brady Cook told ESPN of the fourth-and-1 stand.
The Tigers’ defense also stepped up with with 8:45 left and the scored tied at 24-24. Iowa faced a third-and-2 on its own 33. Up to that point, the Hawkeyes had run for 176 yards on 34 carries.
Sullivan took the snap and ran up the middle, only to be met by Mizzou linebacker Triston Newson, who dropped Sullivan for a 1-yard loss. The Hawkeyes were forced to punt, and while the Tigers didn’t capitalize with a touchdown, the offense marched far enough for Blake Craig to boot a 56-yard field goal that gave MU a 27-24 lead with 4:36 left.
Iowa led 24-21 entering the fourth quarter and had a chance to extend its lead to two scores early in the period. The Hawkeyes faced third-and-3 with 12:50 remaining, and Flagg got involved again, pressuring Sullivan and forcing him to throw toward the sideline.
Cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. jumped the route and intercepted the pass, the only turnover for either team. It was Pride’s second pick of the season.
Mizzou allowed only three points in the second half but struggled to keep Iowa off the scoreboard in the first half.
Sullivan’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Washington capped a six-play, 70-yard drive that gave the Hawkeyes a 7-0 lead with 7:49 left in the opening quarter. Running back Kamari Moulton capped an 11-play, 90-yard march with a 1-yard TD run that gave Iowa a 21-14 lead with 49 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Tigers allowed 195 yards in the opening half as the Hawkeyes averaged 7.5 yards per play. Mizzou flipped the script after the break, allowing just 102 yards in the final 30 minutes.
On second-and-9 midway through the third quarter, Iowa’s offense was marching and found its way into the red zone, thanks in large part to a roughing the passer penalty by Mizzou defensive end Eddie Kelly Jr.
Sullivan ran right but was forced out of bounds by Newson for a loss of 2. On third-and-11, Walker sacked Sullivan, forcing a 38-yard field goal by Drew Stevens that gave Iowa a 24-14 lead with 5:19 left in the third.
“The sack (Johnny) had there on the goal line, he rushed right through the offense tackle and got up underneath him and just pushed him all the way to the quarterback,” Drinkwitz said. “He used his speed and set him up. He got his hands underneath and just drove him. Hands inside wins.”
Newsom finished with seven tackles (two for loss), and Carnell also had seven stops for the Tigers.
Copyright 2024 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published December 31, 2024 at 8:00 AM with the headline "‘Just call Johnny’: Mizzou’s defense made stand that’ll be remembered in Music City Bowl."