The reeling Auburn Tigers survived a 17-14 overtime thriller against the Missouri Tigers on Sunday. The word “thriller” in that first sentence is doing a lot because this was one of the most mind-numbingly dumb endings to a football game that you’ll see all year.
The game got sent to overtime after a perplexing late-game decision on the part of Mizzou. The visitors seemingly secured the victory in regulation when quarterback Brady Cook completed a 39-yard pass to Dominic Lovett, getting them down to the Auburn three-yard line with 1:01 left. With two timeouts left and the momentum, head coach Eli Drinkwitz elected to run the clock down and kick the field goal instead of going for the killshot. You can guess what happened next.
OH MY GOD MISSOURI MISSED THE FIELD GOAL... #COLLEGEKICKERS!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/vVe1WSHePF
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthewCFB) September 24, 2022
Auburn got the first possession in overtime and seemingly did everything in its power to throw the game away. A seemingly lethal interception by third-string quarterback Robby Ashford was ruled incomplete and then kicker Anders Carlson missed a 44-yard field goal attempt.
But wait! An offsides penalty on Mizzou gave Auburn new life and Carlson was able to get a re-do, drilling the 39-yarder to put them on top.
And then when Mizzou got the ball, they did this.
Pain. pic.twitter.com/kxNt8IFmr2
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) September 24, 2022
Poor, poor Nathaniel Peat. He was literally inches away from walking it off for Missouri and couldn’t keep hold of the football. An absolutely brutal way to lose.
As for Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin, well I guess he’ll survive for another week unless the boosters decide to drop the hammer regardless of today’s result. They get LSU at home next Saturday.