Missouri Wins Cotton Bowl

ARLINGTON, Texas — One second the Oklahoma State Cowboys were moving in for a possible go-ahead score in the Cotton Bowl.

The next, Missouri defensive end Shane Ray was rumbling 73 yards for a touchdown that sealed a 41-31 victory for the Tigers on Friday night at AT&T Stadium.

Cowboys quarterback Clint Chelf had already completed a pass to convert a fourth-and-8 and ran 23 yards for another first down during Oklahoma State’s march in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.

But when Chelf dropped back to pass on third-and-7, Tigers defensive end Michael Sam sacked him and stripped the ball. Ray scooped it and ran for a knockout touchdown as No. 8 Missouri downed the 13th-ranked Cowboys.

“A first-team all-American (Sam) makes an all-American play and then Shane Ray picks it up,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. “It’s fitting. You get in games like that and it’s a battle. When you win them, it’s great. When you lose them, it tears your guts out as a competitor.”

The fumble return decided a back-and-forth affair that looked like it might go Oklahoma State’s way, simply because the Cowboys would have the ball last.

“It’s hard on a team,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “That’s a

very, very disappointed locker room right now. We came up short the last two games of the year on what would basically be the last play of the game. We have to find a way to finish a game.”

The Missouri win made Pinkel the winningest coach in Missouri history as he surpassed Don Faurot with his 102nd win at the helm of the Tigers.

“I’m very honored to be the winningest coach in Missouri history,” Pinkel said. “I thank all those people that were a part of that.”

Before Ray’s fumble return for a touchdown, Tigers running back Henry Josey ran 16 yards for a touchdown to put Missouri (12-2) ahead 34-31 with 3:08 left.

Josey finished with a game-high 92 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Chelf, who passed for 377 yards and ran for 52, heated up in the fourth quarter and seemed to be ready to lead Oklahoma State (10-3) to a come-from-behind win. But his third turnover of the game — he threw two interceptions — sank the Cowboys.

Missouri and Oklahoma State traded rushing touchdowns earlier in the fourth quarter as Josey ran 25 yards for a score and Chelf answered with a 23-yard run.

Oklahoma State took advantage of two fumbles by Missouri quarterback James Franklin to surge into a 17-17 tie early in the fourth quarter.

Franklin botched a handoff late in the third quarter and Cowboys defensive tackle James Castleman recovered at the Missouri 33. That led to Chelf’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Jhajuan Seales.

Gundy said the Cowboys ability to run the ball helped out in the surge as well.

“We made some adjustments at halftime and that helped us as the game went on,” Gundy said. “Missouri has been good up front and defended our running game until we made those adjustments.”

Franklin then made an errant option toss that the Cowboys surrounded and safety Daytawion Lowe recovered at the Missouri 11. Oklahoma State couldn’t turn it into a touchdown, but kicker Ben Grogan knocked through a 25-yard field goal to tie the score at 17 with 13:32 left in the fourth quarter.

Missouri opened a 10-point lead in the first half using an array of playmakers.

The Tigers went ahead 7-0 on Josey’s 3-yard touchdown run with three minutes left in the first quarter. Josey’s touchdown capped a 50-yard drive set up by cornerback E.J. Gaines’ interception.

Oklahoma State answered Missouri’s opening score when Chelf hit wide-open receiver Josh Stewart for a 40-yard touchdown to tie it at 7 just 76 seconds after the Tigers’ opening score.

Though Franklin ran the ball effectively early, he shied away from running as the game continued. In his place for one series in the second quarter, quarterback Maty Mauk burned Oklahoma State with runs of 35 and 34 yards to move Missouri into Oklahoma State territory.

Mauk then scored a touchdown with his arm as he dropped a ball past the outstretched arms of Oklahoma State cornerback Ashton Lampkin into the waiting arms of wide receiver Marcus Lucas for a 24-yard touchdown.

Tigers defensive end Kony Ealy kept Oklahoma State from answering this time as he sacked Chelf twice on the ensuing drive. Ealy’s second sack came on third-and-25 from the Oklahoma State 38, ending a drive that was already going backward.

Following the game, Ealy announced he will forego his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. But Ealy said that wasn’t a motivating factor against Oklahoma State.

“I think about the moment and what was most important just me celebrating a victory with my teammates,” Ealy said. “That’s what we did. The seniors led us here and everyone was on board 110 percent.”

Missouri kicker Andrew Baggett booted a 35-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter to give Missouri a 17-7 halftime edge.