FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Cody Schrader ran for 217 yards and a touchdown and No. 9 Missouri limited Arkansas to 87 yards in the first three quarters to help the Tigers win their regular-season finale, 48-14 on Friday.
Missouri (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) had it best regular-season record since 2014 to likely secure a berth in one of the New Year’s Six bowl games.
Schrader ran for 194 yards and a TD in the first half as the Tigers built a 20-0 lead against the overmatched Razorbacks (4-8, 1-7). Brady Cook had a 6-yard run in the half and threw two TD passes.
Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson went down on the first play of the Razorbacks’ second drive. Jefferson took off up the middle for a gain of 22 yards, but was twisted up when he was tackled and had to be helped off the field, nursing a lower-leg injury.
Missouri took advantage of five Arkansas fumbles, including one on Jefferson’s injury, recovering four and turning them into 24 points. The last turnover came as Jacolby Criswell, who replaced Jefferson upon injury, was hit from his blind side, popping the ball loose. Jay Jernigan picked it up and ran 10 yards to the end zone, giving Missouri a 41-0 lead in the third quarter.
Cook was 12 of 20 for 112 yards. Criswell went 12 of 20 for 96 yards, with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Andrew Armstrong.
DOMINANCE
Missouri has won eight of 10 meetings in the Battle Line Rivalry since the schools began playing each other every season in 2014. The rivalry will continue into 2024, as well, even as the SEC sheds its divisional format as the league announced the two as permanent opponents earlier in the year.
BIG PICTURE
Missouri was locked into a high-quality bowl regardless of the result. But the victory provides a resume-builder as the Tigers will be up against Alabama and Ole Miss for the New Year’s Six bowls.
Arkansas will have a hard reset next year. Coach Sam Pittman was confirmed as returning after the team’s win over Florida International in the penultimate game of the season, but he had said the following Monday the team was due for a roster overhaul.
UP NEXT
Missouri will have to wait until after the SEC Championship to learn its bowl destination and opponent.
Arkansas’ season is over. The Razorbacks won four games or fewer for the fifth time in the last seven years.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
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