Missouri Builds a Halftime Lead, Then Leans on a Field Goal
Troy had 323 yards to Missouri's 231. Troy threw for 230 and Missouri for 91. Missouri won by ten anyway, and went 3-0 doing it.
The Trojans started the way underdogs dream. Will Crowder hit TK Keyes for a 76-yard touchdown on the first scoring play, and an Ethan Head field goal late in the first quarter made it 10-0. Then Missouri ran off 24 straight points. A 35-yard Blake Craig field goal started it, DaMarion Fowlkes took a punt back 68 yards for a touchdown to tie it at 10, and with 2:03 left in the half Austin Simmons hit Donovan Olugbode from 12 yards. Jamal Roberts ran 13 yards for another score 19 seconds later, and it was 24-10.
Take away the punt return and that is a 17-10 game at that point, which says something about where the Missouri offense was. Troy did not roll over, though. Crowder found Howard Kinchen for 55 yards with six seconds left in the half and it was 24-17 at the break.
The second half belonged to the defenses. The only points came on a 36-yard Craig field goal with 7:18 to play, which made it 27-17. Troy threw one interception and lost one fumble, Missouri turned it over zero times, and Missouri had three sacks to Troy's none.
Roberts carried 22 times for 128 yards and a touchdown and led the fantasy scoring at 22.1. Not a huge number, but nobody else in the game topped it. Missouri's 27 points came from a punt return, a 12-yard pass, a 13-yard run and two field goals. A 3-0 team can win like that, and this one did, though it will want more than 91 passing yards on a better day.