Thank you, Mizzou

Last week, I graduated from Mizzou pinch a bachelor’s grade successful publicity and a insignificant successful history.

As my clip successful assemblage coiled down, I tried to put my assemblage acquisition into words. I thought that 4 years of being astatine nan world’s first and finest publicity schoolhouse would make this task a batch easier, but it didn’t.

Here’s my champion shot.

College is simply a fascinating operation of still being a kid while besides getting a sensation of master life. It’s nan past play of clip wherever existent adolescence still exists. Students tin excel successful their desired section of work, but they’re still kids. Getting backmost from covering nan Senior Bowl successful Mobile, Alabama, astatine 4 a.m. and instantly going to Waffle House pinch my friends, for example, was wholly acceptable. Visiting Ellis Library and Harpo’s connected nan aforesaid time is besides acceptable. Running naked done nan columns and jumping successful a fountain were not only acceptable, but person been Mizzou traditions for a agelong time. I deliberation that rocks.

Graduation was tough, but it was location I made a realization. In galore cases, nan group you graduated precocious schoolhouse pinch were nan group you grew up with. You knew that group of kids and nan municipality aliases metropolis you lived successful for astir of your life.

College is overmuch different. Friendships and relationships whitethorn person been stronger. You get to cognize nan assemblage and municipality truthful well. Certain places too your dorm aliases flat consciousness for illustration 2nd homes. I besides recovered that there’s a beardown consciousness of optimism among assemblage students. In this cocoon that shields nan existent world, location ever felt for illustration location was thing to look guardant to. The first time of school. Homecoming weekend. A shot game. A location party. A barroom crawl. A play trip. Plus, each of your closest friends unrecorded adjacent each other. At a definite point, everything astir you seems happily familiar.

But this unsocial measurement of life only lasts a fewer years. The ending feels much abrupt than palatable. Graduation turns that optimism into a whirlwind of emotions (which tin besides see optimism). The cocoon breaks. Just arsenic you find a groove, nan existent world is suddenly, and scarily, upon you. That familiarity is gone. Your friends move to different places. When I walked to a friend’s graduation from downtown Columbia to Mizzou Arena, I sewage a small sad knowing that this locomotion I’d made countless times arsenic a student would beryllium nan past earlier I near Columbia. That optimism I’d had truthful often stepping down Tiger Avenue toward Champions Drive wasn’t location arsenic overmuch this clip around.

Speaking of Mizzou Arena, that’s partially why I wanted to constitute thing successful nan first place. A awesome portion of my clip astatine Mizzou progressive covering MU athletics. My assemblage experience, on pinch galore others my age, changed a batch because plentifulness of Mizzou teams were bully erstwhile we were successful school, which wasn’t nan lawsuit erstwhile we sewage to Mizzou.

The shot squad was nationally applicable for 3 consecutive years. The men’s hoops squad made nan NCAA Tournament successful 3 of 4 seasons, moreover though each of their losses successful nan Big Dance could beryllium considered disappointing. We knowledgeable a section large wind and a tribunal large wind successful nan span of little than 16 months. The volleyball squad went from being treacherous to being successful nan Sweet 16 successful 2 years. The gymnastics squad was consistently great. The softball squad was oh-so adjacent to making nan Women’s College World Series successful 2024.

All of this happening wrong 4 years felt highly uncommon compared to each different four-year agelong of Mizzou history, and for that, I consciousness spoiled. Additionally, I felt compelled to constitute 1 last portion for nan website that’s fixed maine and galore others immoderate astonishing experiences and opportunities.

In nan tone of graduation, I handed retired elder superlatives to definite Mizzou moments and games during my clip astatine nan university. For reference, I was a Mizzou student from Aug. 2022 until past Friday, truthful immoderate MU sporting events that happened extracurricular that timeframe won’t beryllium considered.

Having followed assemblage sports increasing up, I knew that Mizzou and Kansas were rivals, but I didn’t cognize really basking nan hatred was until I sewage to campus. During Summer Welcome, erstwhile nan chorus of “Mr. Brightside” finished, everyone shouting “FUCK KU” complete and complete again caught maine disconnected guard. Thankfully, a fewer years of research, a mates of history classes and simply surviving successful Missouri helped maine study precisely why nan hatred exists.

Unless there’s different Civil War that pits American states against 1 another, I judge nan roots of nan Border War are nan astir unsocial of immoderate collegiate sports rivalry.

Which brings maine to 1 of nan champion sporting events I’ve ever attended. The Jayhawks entered Columbia classed No. 1 successful nan nation, though they’d suffered their first nonaccomplishment of nan play a fewer days anterior to Creighton connected nan road. The Tigers were unranked, but they were 7-1 and little than a week removed from a monolithic comeback triumph complete California astatine home.

Kids rushed to nan student conception for illustration it was Black Friday. My friend Annie, sitting correct supra nan media successful Section 117, yelled down to maine a fewer minutes earlier tip-off, asking if I thought Mizzou would win. I said no.

I didn’t mind being wrong.

Mizzou’s defense flustered Kansas for astir of nan afternoon. Tamar Bates and Anthony Robinson II had 5 steals apiece, and nan Jayhawks committed 22 turnovers. Bates masterfully created his ain shots, dropping a game-high 29 points. The Jayhawks couldn’t do overmuch astir Josh Gray and Mark Mitchell adjacent nan basket. Mizzou led by arsenic galore arsenic 24 points. It was ridiculously nosy to watch.

The Tigers almost blew it, arsenic nan Jayhawks brought nan crippled backmost wrong 1 possession aggregate times precocious successful nan 2nd half. But Mitchell canned a clutch area triple, and Mizzou pulled distant successful nan last 2 minutes.

The lead-up to nan tribunal large wind was beautiful epic. I saw 1 of my friends making their measurement down nan aisle toward me. They told maine they drove “about 100 miles an hour” from activity successful St. Louis to drawback nan extremity of nan game. Fellow Rock M’er Matthew Gustafson besides made a beeline for Mizzou Arena, arsenic he and immoderate friends had driven backmost from MU volleyball’s Sweet 16 nonaccomplishment to Kentucky successful Dallas. Luckily, they made it wrong conscionable successful clip to subordinate nan mosh pit connected nan court.

Mr. Brightside was bellowed a small louder that day. Gray put connected a equine caput and paraded done nan crowd pinch his hands successful nan air. Kansas turned retired to beryllium not-so-great, capturing a No. 7 seed successful nan NCAA Tournament and losing to Arkansas successful nan Round of 64. But connected this day, nary 1 seemed to attraction astir nan future, which is good erstwhile you’re successful college.

I retrieve watching a batch of Mizzou hoops nan summertime earlier I sewage to field arsenic a freshman. One of nan first highlights was Marcus Denmon’s power cheque against Kansas successful 2012. I retrieve saying to myself that I wanted to acquisition that benignant of ambiance arsenic a student.

That December time was a gift. I conjecture that’s why they telephone it nan present.

This was nan crippled that changed nan trajectory of Mizzou football.

Brady Cook, who had a rocky first play and alteration arsenic nan starting quarterback, started nan time getting booed and ended it having put together 1 of nan amended performances by a Tiger signal-caller this decade. Luther Burden III was electric. The defense made a fewer big-time plays.

And astir notably, Harrison Mevis kicked a 61-yard game-winning, buzzer-beating, stadium-shaking, student section-emptying section extremity that marked my favourite Mizzou shot infinitesimal arsenic a student. It’s nan loudest I heard Memorial Stadium get successful my 4 years of school. It’s besides nan first section large wind I ever witnessed.

The triumph blew nan apical disconnected of what galore thought was imaginable for nan Tigers that season. An discourtesy that was stagnant nan twelvemonth anterior looked wholly different pinch a caller violative coordinator. A squad that’d mislaid 4 one-possession games nan twelvemonth anterior recovered a measurement to propulsion disconnected what was considered an upset astatine nan time. And nan way they won couldn’t person been much exciting.

Akin to master athletes having a “welcome to nan league” moment, this was my “welcome to Mizzou” moment. I knew that an unfortunate portion of Mizzou’s instauration was made up of catastrophic defeats, but having 1 hap arsenic a student was an wholly different experience.

This crippled was unbelievably boring. Mizzou and Auburn entered halftime tied astatine 14, but nan 2nd half felt little for illustration an SEC crippled successful September and much for illustration a Big Ten crippled successful November, arsenic Mizzou and Auburn punted connected 12 consecutive drives crossed nan 3rd and 4th quarters.

But MU yet recovered life precocious successful nan 4th quarter. After nan defense forced a turnover connected downs, Cook completed a immense walk to Dominic Lovett to put Mizzou wrong nan Auburn 5-yard line. MU knelt retired nan timepiece for Mevis, who had a spot changeable section extremity effort for nan win.

I retrieve nan infinitesimal vividly. I was sitting successful KCOU, Mizzou’s student-run power station, listening to Ben Greenberger and Jack McGrath, some of whom are excellent, who were connected nan telephone from Jordan-Hare Stadium. Their power broadcast was up of nan studio’s television, truthful we’d perceive what was happening earlier we saw it. Greenberger initially called nan footwear bully because he was looking astatine Mizzou’s sideline, which started celebrating because they thought nan footwear was good. Thus, we thought MU had won.

But then, some broadcasters looked astatine nan referees — nan ones who really had nan authority to make nan telephone — who signaled nan footwear was nary good. It was an honest, yet gutting mishap. We saw Mevis’ miss connected nan TV moments later.

As if nan authorities of affairs couldn’t get immoderate worse, that’s precisely what happened.

I still can’t judge this happened. This was a microcosm of galore years of Mizzou athletics: getting truthful adjacent to success, only to (literally) fumble it away.

The postgame show felt for illustration an eternity. We each sounded paralyzed by abrupt and unexpected defeat. To make matters worse, I was simultaneously watching Miami (Fla.), nan assemblage I grew up rooting for, getting shellacked by Middle Tennessee State astatine home.

Mizzou fans weren’t done getting punched successful nan gut during that schoolhouse year.

One of my first memories of thing Mizzou-related was nan Tigers losing to Norfolk State successful nan 2012 NCAA Tournament.

For immoderate reason, I watched this crippled successful The Shack. I sat among a operation of adults and students, wherever we witnessed Princeton raining 3-pointers and snatching rebounds for overmuch of nan first half.

The game’s vibes were summed up, funnily enough, during an advertisement for Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. A feline walks up to a urinal pinch a battalion of beef jerky (?) and takes a wound (??), which causes nan Sasquatch, nan Jack Link’s mascot, to magically turn retired of nan guy’s backmost (???). The Sasquatch past shoots a occurrence hose of piss astatine nan urinal connected nan different broadside of nan bath while moaning successful relief. My favourite portion of this advertisement is simply a feline astatine different urinal who looks utterly bewildered astatine nan events unfolding successful beforehand of him because that’s conscionable astir nan only normal portion of this ad.

There was a feline successful The Shack who thought this was nan funniest point he’d ever laid his eyes upon. His laughter sounded for illustration he hadn’t laughed successful years. The only rumor was that nary 1 other laughed pinch him. Everyone other was silent because they were watching their favourite squad getting pulverized by a No. 15 seed.

I went backmost to my dorm for nan 2nd half. Nothing astir nan crippled seemed to change.

It wasn’t conscionable that Mizzou became nan 2nd squad to ever suffer to a No. 15 seed successful nan NCAA Tournament doubly (the different was Arizona, which Princeton hit successful nan Round of 64). It was besides nan way up that made nan nonaccomplishment wounded more.

Mizzou would’ve faced No. 6 seed Creighton successful nan Sweet 16, past No. 5 San Diego State successful nan Elite Eight, past No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic successful nan Final Four. The Blue Jays had a fewer early NBA players and were an above-average squad connected nan glass. The Aztecs had a stingy defense and would’ve been caller disconnected a triumph complete Alabama, which hit Mizzou doubly by double-digits that season. The Owls’ apical 4 scorers — Johnell Davis, Alijah Martin, Vladislav Goldin and Nick Boyd — each transferred to (and succeeded at) powerfulness convention schools aft nan season. The way to a nationalist title crippled would’ve been difficult, but much manageable than different paths there.

Mizzou would’ve faced No. 4 seed UConn successful nan nationalist title game, wherever I deliberation nan Tigers would’ve gotten annihilated. The Huskies were a No. 1 seed successful disguise who dominated everyone other they’d played successful nan tournament. Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan might’ve mixed for 40 rebounds.

In May 2024, Laurin Krings, 1 of nan champion pitchers Mizzou softball has ever had, delivered an all-time capacity erstwhile her squad needed 1 nan most. In a 1-0 nine-inning triumph complete Omaha that sent nan Tigers to Super Regionals, Krings sounded a complete-game shutout, allowing conscionable 4 hits and 1 locomotion while tallying 15 freakin’ strikeouts.

Exactly 5 months later, Brady Cook rolled his ankle early successful Mizzou’s Homecoming crippled against Auburn. He went to University Hospital, came backmost to Memorial Stadium and led a double-digit comeback win, which included this game-saving relationship pinch Luther Burden III connected 4th down.

Cook was acold from a cleanable quarterback, but he was incredibly reliable and monumentally clutch. Whenever Mizzou needed him to make a immense throw, he seemed to present each time.

I tried to debar ties arsenic champion arsenic I could, but I judge this is an acceptable one.

Cook and Burden III connected for a fewer big-time completions astatine Mizzou. This might’ve been their finest work.

Fourth-and-five, trailing by 5 points connected nan roadworthy precocious successful nan 4th fourth pinch your team’s College Football Playoff hopes hanging by a thread, and you do this? Unreal.

Unfortunately, South Carolina drove correct down nan section and scored nan eventual game-winning touchdown pinch 15 seconds near successful regulation, relegating Cook and Burden’s heroics to a footnote successful Mizzou shot lore.

A mobility I’d considered aft nan crippled is whether nan Tigers could’ve made nan College Football Playoff if they’d beaten South Carolina and won their last 2 regular-season games (which they did successful existent life). They still astir apt wouldn’t person made it, arsenic they apt would’ve competed pinch 9-3 Alabama for nan past at-large spot. The Crimson Tide’s 34-0 triumph complete Mizzou successful October apt would’ve triumphed.

Mizzou was hanging pinch No. 2 Georgia for astir of this afternoon.

Then, this happened.

Had Mizzou won successful Athens, its play would’ve looked wholly different.

Assuming nan remainder of nan real-life regular play results held dependable successful this hypothetical, Mizzou and Georgia would’ve some vanished nan regular play tied atop nan SEC’s West Division astatine 11-1 wide and 7-1 successful nan SEC. The Tigers would’ve won nan head-to-head tiebreaker and played Alabama successful nan SEC Championship for a spot successful nan College Football Playoff. The truth that this was moreover a thought was suggestive of a monolithic displacement successful expectation.

Speaking of Georgia …

Across nan 2021 and 2022 seasons, location were only 4 teams that were wrong astatine slightest 1 possession of Georgia successful nan 4th quarter: Clemson, Alabama (twice), Ohio State and Mizzou. The erstwhile 3 teams each won double-digit games crossed nan ‘21 and ‘22 seasons, while nan Tigers mixed for conscionable 12 wins.

But for 1 almost-magical nighttime astatine Memorial Stadium successful 2022, Mizzou had nan eventual back-to-back nationalist champions connected nan ropes.

Tyler Stephens made a one-handed drawback for his only collegiate touchdown. One week aft nan Auburn debacle, Mevis made each 5 section goals he attempted, his past 2 being from astatine slightest 50 yards away. This would’ve been 1 of nan top nights successful nan history of Columbia.

The game’s turning constituent came precocious successful nan 2nd 4th erstwhile Cody Schrader ran 63 yards each nan measurement down to Georgia’s 1-yard line. But a mendacious commencement connected MU correct tackle Mitch Walters pushed nan Tigers backmost 5 yards, and they settled for a section extremity to spell up 16-3.

Late successful nan 2nd half, Mizzou’s stagnant discourtesy kept sputtering successful scoring position, and nan defense couldn’t support nan reservoir closed for agelong enough. Georgia did conscionable capable to flight Columbia pinch a 26-22 win.

For each that went incorrect successful 2022, I genuinely deliberation Mizzou could’ve won 8 aliases 9 games that season. The only 2 contests nan Tigers weren’t competitory successful were roadworthy losses to Kansas State and Tennessee by a mixed 70 points. Even so, nan Tigers only trailed nan Vols by 4 points early successful nan 3rd quarter.

The defense, which had early pros astatine each 3 levels, was 1 of nan champion successful nan nation. Mizzou had arguably nan champion moving backmost duo successful nan FBS. The violative line, which had early pros astatine some tackle spots and a four-year starter astatine center, was rock-solid. The wide receiver room had a early pro (Kevin Coleman Jr.) and a burgeoning prima (Donovan Olugbode).

And yet, this squad vanished 8-4. They had electrical wins complete Kansas and Auburn, but they came up agonizingly short against much difficult opponents successful Alabama and Vanderbilt. They trailed Texas A&M by a touchdown pinch 2 minutes near successful nan first half, but nan crippled quickly sewage distant from them by nan early information of nan 3rd quarter. Oklahoma only scored 17 points connected nan Tigers. Mizzou’s defense perpetually kept nan squad wrong striking distance, but nan discourtesy fell short connected galore occasions. Quarterback play and untimely misses by backup kicker Robert Meyer were arguably nan biggest reasons why MU’s grounds wasn’t amended this past season.

After Mizzou hit Oklahoma successful 2024 — a crippled that featured 4 touchdowns successful nan last three-and-a-half minutes and a game-winning scoop-and-score from Zion Young — Theo Wease Jr. said that he was starting to judge that location was magic successful Faurot Field.

Do you cognize really f’ing crazy that is to opportunity considering Mizzou’s history? So galore unspeakable things person happened to nan Tigers successful that stadium, particularly nan northbound extremity zone. But a awesome portion of Mizzou’s emergence to prominence included uncovering each sorts of ways to win, a complete reversal from astir years past.

Other games from that agelong that haven’t been mentioned see …

This benignant of worldly almost ever went against Mizzou. I’m gladsome I was location to witnesser a changing of nan times.

Since 2023, each but 1 SEC schoolhouse has made nan NCAA Baseball Tournament astatine slightest once. Texas and Oklahoma will person each made nan tourney successful their first 2 years arsenic members of nan SEC.

I stake you tin conjecture who that 1 tournament-less SEC squad is.

In a convention that’s defined by brew showers, iconic chants and high-level assemblage baseball, Mizzou did not (and does not) person immoderate of those things.

But not each of nan shot team’s past, coming and early is punishment and gloom. They’re still 1 of only 2 teams astatine Mizzou pinch a nationalist championship. The programme has produced a fistful of value MLB players. Going forward, much resources are apt to beryllium invested into nan program. Plus, nan Tigers won their first SEC Tournament crippled since 2017 connected Tuesday, upsetting Ole Miss 10-8.

I judge that amended days are ahead.

The last people of 36-7 does each nan talking. After Joe Milton deed Dont’e Thornton for an early touchdown connected a star-scraping moonshot of a throw, Mizzou ended this nationally-televised crippled connected a 33-0 scoring run, 1 that was punctuated by a pick-six from Daylan Carnell. Oh, and Schrader had 321 all-purpose yards. That feline ruled.

This was not a loss. This was a humiliation. Mizzou has mislaid by overmuch greater margins than 31 points before, but it felt for illustration nan Tigers mislaid by much that day.

I will ever beryllium a proponent of playing arsenic galore games connected campuses arsenic possible, but 1 advantage that neutral sites person complete campuses is that they tin make games consciousness a small bigger. It’s for illustration seeing your friend astatine a wedding aliases a bar/bat mitzvah: this personification you’ve known for a agelong clip is connected a overmuch bigger shape pinch tons of group watching because they’ve done thing extraordinary, and that’s really neat.

Ohio State fans will often show you that this crippled didn’t count because nan Buckeyes were missing a fewer cardinal starters who opted retired of nan contest. However, Mizzou was besides missing immoderate cardinal players connected defense, truthful this matchup was much moreover connected insubstantial than immoderate mightiness opportunity it was. On nan field, some defenses were dominant, but nan Tigers did conscionable capable precocious successful nan 2nd half to propulsion away, pinch nan cherries connected apical being a slug from Cook to Burden III for a touchdown and a strip-sack from Carnell connected nan ensuing OSU possession.

I’d besides for illustration to outcry retired Mizzou and nan J-School for giving maine nan chance to research nan Midwest and nan South, which I hadn’t done overmuch of earlier getting to MU. Some takeaways: Chicago is simply a awesome city. Busch Stadium is 1 of nan coolest ballparks successful nan MLB. Sunsets successful Oklahoma are awesome. Texas barbecue is life-changing. Arkansas and bluish Alabama are beautiful. Notre Dame is nan prettiest assemblage field I’ve ever visited. There’s a batch going connected successful Nashville, while there’s not overmuch going connected successful Kansas. Country euphony is neat. I’m still an East Coaster astatine heart, but I thoroughly enjoyed my clip successful nan Midwest and could perfectly spot myself surviving location 1 day.

This assemblage was nosy to study astir and beryllium a portion of. Mizzou is acold from perfect, but I’ll ever beryllium thankful to my past aforesaid for choosing MU. I’d emotion to perceive immoderate of your favourite assemblage memories, whether it was astatine Mizzou aliases location else.

Finally, I’d for illustration to opportunity convey you to everyone astatine Rock M Nation, some nan contented creators and consumers, for nan past fewer years. I decidedly made mistakes, and I look backmost astatine immoderate of my activity knowing that I could’ve done a small better. But penning for this website allowed maine to turn rather a bit, and immoderate of my favourite assemblage memories were made imaginable by Rock M Nation.

I’m unsure if I’ll ever screen Mizzou again, but I’d emotion to get backmost to Columbia sometime successful nan adjacent future. If you want to proceed reference my stuff, I’ll beryllium moving for nan Baltimore Ravens until adjacent May, penning and editing contented for their squad website.

Covering Mizzou was a privilege. Thank you each for everything.