3 takeaways from Mizzou’s lopsided win at Mississippi State

Now that the pressure is off the Tigers — no more dark-horse Playoff talk, no more SEC title hopes — Mizzou finally seemed to put it all together on Saturday afternoon in Starkville against the worst team in the SEC.

In typical Mizzou fashion, there were some nervous moments in the second half, but the Tigers eventually pulled away for a big 39-20 victory.

QB Brady Cook looked healthier than he has in weeks. Luther Burden III made an impact. And the defense made enough plays to lead Mizzou to a win. Now the Tigers are 8-3 overall and 4-3 in SEC play. Mississippi State is 2-9 overall with an abysmal 0-7 mark in SEC action.

Here are our 3 biggest takeaways from the Tigers’ lopsided road victory in Starkville:

1. Mizzou is better with both its running backs

Nate Noel has missed time this year with injury. Marcus Carroll has done a good job in his work as the RB1, but both guys are better when the other is healthy.

On Saturday afternoon in Starkville, Noel led the way with 95 yards on the ground, while Carroll posted 61 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Tigers ran the ball a whopping 56 times for 204 yards. Of those carries, 39 went to Carroll and Noel. This is the 2-headed rushing attack Mizzou was hoping for this season.

2. Mississippi State is going to be dangerous in 2025

This team does not go away. It looked like Mizzou was going to run away with the game after the first half. But then the Bulldogs’ defense tightened up and the offense got going.

Sure, it helped that Mizzou’s defense forgot how to tackle there for a bit, but credit to Jeff Lebby’s squad for continuing to fight. That’s been the story of this season.

Michael Van Buren Jr. to Kevin Coleman Jr. is a legitimate QB-to-WR combo. The offensive and defensive lines battle. The Bulldogs might not win an SEC game this year, but they’ll be dangerous in 2025.

3. Do the refs have it out for Mizzou?

I usually don’t like to blame the refs. I think it’s an excuse and usually isn’t the only reason a team loses. But this season has me rethinking that stance.

Last week, South Carolina got a first down from the refs on a play that was nowhere close to a first down. This week, same thing:

First down Bulldogs! pic.twitter.com/D4VUtwJbdk

— Kris (@mizkris18) November 23, 2024

Mizzou also had a TD called back on a questionable (at best) block-in-the-back penalty. SEC officials clearly still don’t think the Tigers belong in the SEC, no matter how many wins they rack up.

It didn’t hurt Mizzou in this game, but we’ll surely see it happen in a big moment next week against Arkansas. That’s been the pattern this year.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.