Dive into the Heart of Mizzou Athletics

In 2022, Auburn and Mizzou faced off in one of the dumbest games in SEC history. How have the programs changed since then?

As Nathaniel Peat’s outstretched arm reached for the Jordan-Hare Stadium southwest end zone pylon in overtime, Mizzou fans began to celebrate. Auburn was one of only three SEC teams Mizzou had yet to defeat in conference play. It appeared as if, despite the odds, the black and gold Tigers would steal a victory on the road and move to 3-1 early in the 2022 season.

Alas, what came next is a vicious scene forever etched in the memories of many Mizzou fans: Peat loses his grip on the ball as he’s slammed from behind. The ball dribbles into the end zone. An Auburn defender jumps on the ball and the game is over. Just like that. What will be left unmentioned is the missed 26-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have clinched a victory before overtime. What also never will be discussed is the fact that the Mizzou defense only gave up 217 total yards and 17 points on the road and lost. Those facts aren’t going to be brought up. It was, if not the most frustrating Mizzou loss in recent memory, certainly the dumbest.

In the 24 months following this fateful game, the Auburn and Mizzou programs have taken disparate paths only to end up back where they started: Matched up again in a tilt with high stakes and much to lose for both programs.

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Moving on up

As much as the ending of the 2022 game with Auburn was a kick to the groin, the Mizzou program has managed to right the ship in the subsequent two years. After the loss to Auburn, Eli Drinkwitz’s Mizzou record sat at 13-14. The Tigers followed up the Auburn debacle with valiant defeats in their next two games (at home in a brutally close loss to #1 Georgia and on the road at Florida by seven points.) However, since the loss in Gainsville, Mizzou has gone on a 20-6 run, including two bowl appearances and a Cotton Bowl win in 2023.

Not only has the Tigers’ record taken off on a rocket since the Auburn game, but individual performances for many standout Tigers have improved as well. Nathaniel Peat’s game-losing fumble opened the door for Cody Schrader to take the helm at running back. Against Auburn, Peat had 20 carries for 110 yards while Schrader finished with seven carries for 29 yards. The following game against Georgia, Scrhader had 89 yards to Peat’s 37 yards. Peat had one more game (against Florida) where he outrushed Schrader, but starting against Vanderbilt, Schrader took the reins and never gave the job back.

Brady Cook experienced a similar surge his first year as a starter. Through the Auburn game, Cook had thrown a grand total of four touchdown passes and four interceptions. Following that game, Cook closed out the 2022 season throwing 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions. Both offensive players’ remaining 2022 campaigns set the stage for a truly remarkable 2023 run which was thankfully missing any PTSD-inducing losses.

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Treading water

While Mizzou was busy thriving post-Debacle on The Plains, the victorious team of that game took a very different path. Already on the hot seat coming into the game, Auburn head coach Brian Harsin managed to last three more games into the season (all losses) before being unceremoniously fired less than two seasons into his time at Auburn. The blue and orange Tigers went on to finish the 2022 season 5-7 before making a splashy, if controversial, hire of Hugh Freeze in the off-season.

In 2023, Freeze’s first season had very mixed results. Auburn won their first three games before losing four straight. They bounced back with three straight wins against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas, but closed out their 6-7 campaign with an embarrassing loss to Diego Pavia and New Mexico State, a Hail Mary loss to Alabama and a bowl beat down by Maryland. Coming into the game with Mizzou, Auburn sits at 2-4, and is on a similar three-game losing streak.

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The more things change, the more they stay the same

Despite the drastically different paths that Mizzou and Auburn have taken from Sept. 24, 2022 to Oct. 18, 2024, the teams will kick off under conditions remarkably similar in climate, if not location. Like his predecessor, Hugh Freeze enters this game under heavy criticism from Auburn fans, boosters and outside media.

While he began his Auburn tenure with legitimate SEC coaching bona fides, his Tigers program has gone an underwhelming 8-11 so far. Freeze may not be in danger of losing his job with a loss to Mizzou like Harsin was, but he does face a similar threat if the Auburn season continues its current tailspin. Auburn must go at least 2-4 in their remaining six games to make a bowl, with only one “easy” win left on the schedule (against a much improved 5-1 Louisiana-Monroe team.)

Eli Drinkwitz’s squad, on the other hand, is still reeling. Or at least still reeling in the public’s eyes following a blow out road loss to a ranked team in Texas A&M. Like the Mizzou 40-12 loss at Kansas State in 2022 followed by an easy win against an undermanned non-conference foe, the Tigers enter this version of the Auburn game looking to redeem themselves against a conference opponent that remains one of three SEC teams they have never defeated in conference play.

The shoe is on the the other foot in this match up, as the black and gold Tigers host the blue and orange ones this time around. Mizzou fans better hope they don’t see any repeats of two years ago. The 2022 version of this game ended up kicking off something truly great for Mizzou. If a similarly disgusting result happens this time around, there is a legitimate worry that Drinkwitz’s program could begin a spiral the opposite direction. Despite an early loss, every Mizzou goal remains on the table for the Tigers at this point. That will not be the case if they drop this game to a stumbling Auburn team.

Hopefully, at least in this instance, time is not a flat circle.