Brady Cook completed 14-of-19 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score as Missouri held off Middle Tennessee 23-19 on Saturday in Columbia, Mo.
Nathaniel Peat caught a 49-yard touchdown pass and rushed for 51 yards for Missouri (2-0).
Luther Burden caught eight passes for 117 yards for the Tigers and Cody Schrader gained 84 yards on 23 carries.
Nicholas Vattiato completed 22-of-36 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns for Middle Tennessee (0-2).
Missouri broke the scoreless tie on its third possession of the game. Peat rushed for 45 yards on five carries and Harrison Mevis hit a 38-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Middle Tennessee marched 86 yards on 14 plays to move ahead 7-3 in the second quarter. Frank Peasant’s 25-yard run was the key play, and Vattiato’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Kalani Norris capped the drive.
The Tigers responded with a 16-play, 71-yard drive to take a 10-7 lead with 24 seconds left in the half. Cook got the possession rolling with a 9-yard pass to Burden, then he capped it with a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
The Blue Raiders opened the second half by moving 68 yards to set up Zeke Rankin’s game-tying 25-yard field goal.
Cook hit Burden on a 44-yard pass play to propel Missouri to an 80-yard drive. Theo Wease caught a 5-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers up 16-10, but Mevis missed the extra point.
Peat capped an 82-yard drive with a 49-yard touchdown catch and run as the Tigers expanded their lead to 23-10 with 14:53 left to play.
Middle Tennessee cut its deficit to 23-17 with an 84-yard drive, capped by Vattiato’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Justin Olson.
The Blue Raiders got two points closer when Sam Brumfield hit Cook and forced his fumble the through the Missouri end zone for a safety with 6:07 left to play.
Middle Tennessee got the ball with the chance to take the lead, but the Blue Raiders turned the ball over on downs after reaching the Missouri 42.
–Field Level Media