The Sooners got some great news this week when Jalil Farooq – who has been out since the season opener – and Deion Burks – who has missed the last five games – both returned for the highly anticipated matchup with No. 25 Missouri. Unfortunately, the injury bug struck again, as leading rusher Jovantae Barnes – fresh off a career day – was ruled out for this game.

With Farooq and Burks back, you’d think Oklahoma’s first-quarter offense would come from a true offensive player, but no: it came from punter Luke Elzinga. Yes, you heard that right. Elzinga connected with Bauer Sharp on a fake punt for a 43-yard gain, putting OU in the red zone.

It’s been a rough year for Oklahoma’s offensive line, which started a new combination today due to the absence of Michael Taquin. This time it was Logan Howland, Heath Ozaeta, Troy Everett, Febechi Nwaiwu and Spencer Brown. That new mix struggled quickly, giving up two straight sacks after the fake punt and putting the Sooners in a 3rd-and-25 hole where they couldn’t convert.

Zach Schmit came in and scored a 40-yard field goal to give OU a 3-0 lead. On the next possession, Missouri faced a 4th-and-1 and handed the ball to their star receiver Luther Burden – but he was met by Billy Bowman, who delivered a huge hit and forced a turnover on downs.

After the turnover, the Sooners nailed another 35-yard field goal from Schmit, extending their lead to 6-0. Oklahoma then forced a punt, but Peyton Bowen muffed it, giving Missouri possession at the OU 22. The Tigers capitalized with a 25-yard field goal to cut the lead to 6–3.

Discover a pattern? Oklahoma’s score came solely from punter Elzinga and kicker Schmit. Schmit continued his stellar day, making a career-high 56-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, giving the Sooners a 9-3 lead at halftime.

The Sooners’ defense opened the second half by forcing a quick three-and-out, but a risky call by Brent Venables to go for it on 4th-and-1 ended in a bust when Taylor Tatum was stopped short, allowing Missouri was given a short field. . That decision haunted Oklahoma again, as former Sooner Theo Wease caught a 13-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers up 10-9. The momentum had shifted and Oklahoma’s offense, which had been stagnant, needed a spark.

Faced with yet another fourth down, the Sooners turned to true freshman power back Xavier Robinson, who blasted his way to a first down. On the next third down, Jackson Arnold targeted Jacob Jordan, but the pass dropped, leading to a punt. The defense came through again, forcing Missouri to punt.

As time wound down in the third quarter, the Sooners had a crucial third-and-three. After burning a timeout to regroup, Arnold connected with Burks for a 14-yard gain, but Burks fumbled, giving Missouri another short field. The Tigers quickly capitalized and scored on a 5-yard touchdown reception. A missed PAT kept the score at 16-9. The Sooners were still within one score, but they needed a touchdown – something they had struggled with all game.

Oklahoma’s answer came courtesy of Robinson, who carried the load with seven rushes for 48 yards on the ensuing drive. It concluded with a trick play, with Taylor Tatum throwing an 18-yard touchdown pass to Arnold, tying the game at 16.

On Missouri’s next possession, Sammy Omosigho forced a fumble, which was picked up by Bowman and returned 43 yards for a touchdown, giving Oklahoma a 23–16 lead. Now the Sooners needed just one more stop to qualify for bowling, but Missouri had other plans.

On 3rd and 16, with just over a minute left, Pyne connected with Burden for a 33-yard gain, putting Missouri in the red zone. Moments later, Pyne found Wease for a 10-yard touchdown – his second of the game – tying the score at 23. Oklahoma had one last chance and got the ball with 1:03 to play.

The question: Did Arnold have a game-winning drive in him? The answer was a resounding no. Instead, he fumbled, and Missouri returned it 17 yards for a touchdown, sealing a 30-23 victory. It was a crushing finish and Arnold’s second fumble of the night.

The Sooners fell to 5-5 (1-5) and now need a win against No. 11 Alabama or No. 15 LSU to secure bowl eligibility. To add to their misery, Burks took a hard hit late on and was helped off the field.

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