Recap: No. 5 Missouri loses to No. 3 Auburn in wild SEC title game
ATLANTA (AP) Missouri proved it's SEC worthy in only its second year in the league.
The
Tigers just weren't ready for Auburn's up-tempo running game, and that
was a devastating realization with the Southeastern Conference
championship on the line.
James Franklin passed for 303 yards and
three touchdowns and No. 5 Missouri kept pace with No. 3 Auburn through
three quarters before falling 59-42 in a wild SEC title game on
Saturday.
The quarterback also ran for a touchdown but Missouri
couldn't match the relentless Auburn offense led by Tre Mason's 304
yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Coach Gary Pinkel said
Missouri struggled to contain quarterback Nick Marshall's option reads
and leadership in Auburn's fast-paced, no-huddle attack.
"I think
what happens is they try to really get going fast, get the fastball
rolling, and your defense gets a little frustrated because you're giving
up 10 yards, nine yards," Pinkel said. "And then guess what? You start
making mistakes. You don't get the gaps. You don't get to do things you
need to do. That's just not a very good situation to be in."
Asked
what it takes to stop Auburn, Pinkel said. "Everybody has problems with
it. You know what, I'm the wrong person to ask because I'd have stopped
it if I could have."
Missouri trailed only 45-42 entering the fourth quarter.
The Tigers (11-2) made a big improvement from a 5-7 finish in 2012.
"They're
a great offense and we're a great offense and they put everything
together and we came up a little short," said running back Henry Josey,
who rushed for 123 yards, including a 65-yarder, on only nine carries.
Missouri
is expected to land in a New Year's Day bowl. The Capital One, Cotton
and Outback games are possible destinations. But the promise of a
high-profile bowl didn't lift the somber postgame mood of the Missouri
players.
"They're crushed," said Pinkel of his players. "I mean,
they are absolutely crushed. And that's good. I mean, that's OK. They're
used to winning, and this game was real important to them. Hopefully,
we get in the position again, and we'll play better. Maybe we'll handle
it a little bit better."
The pace of the game was a surprise,
especially for a Missouri defense that ranked second in the SEC with its
average of 19.4 points allowed. Auburn set SEC Championship Game
records with 677 total yards and 545 yards rushing.
"We went out
and played the same way we've been playing all year," said defensive end
Kony Ealy, who had a sack and two forced fumbles in the first half.
"Our
game plan was great. The coaches did a great job of preparing us for
the game. It's on us. When it's all said and done, we didn't go out and
play to the best of our ability."
Auburn (12-1) kept alive its hopes of playing for the national championship.
"We deserve it," said Auburn receiver Sammie Coates. "We won the SEC championship. What else do you want us to do?"
Mason
had scoring runs of 7, 3 and 1 yards before bursting up the middle on a
13-yard TD that clinched the victory with 4:22 remaining.
Mason had 46 carries and was selected the game's MVP.
"You're
looking at one of the top running backs in college football," coach Gus
Malzahn said. "He was a warrior today. Unbelievable."
Missouri's
offense also put up impressive numbers, including 534 total yards.
Dorial Green-Beckham was Franklin's top target with six receptions for
144 yards and two touchdowns.
It wasn't nearly enough against Auburn's hurry-up spread offense.
Before
Saturday, the most yards rushing allowed by Missouri was 184 in last
week's win over 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel and Texas
A&M.
The lead changed hands five times before Auburn eased
ahead 28-20 on a lightning-quick 79-yard drive, needing only four plays
and 53 seconds to set up Mason's 3-yard scoring run.
Auburn had a
chance to seize control, forcing a Missouri punt and hurrying back to
its end of the field. After Mason was stuffed for no gain, Auburn
curiously started throwing the ball. Two screens to Sammie Coates
resulted in a loss of 5 yards total, and Auburn was called for holding
on a deep throw. The Tigers wound up punting, giving Missouri one more
chance to pull closer with a little over a minute remaining before
halftime.
Franklin took advantage. He guided Missouri to the
Auburn 45 before going deep, hitting Green-Beckham in stride for a
55-yard touchdown with 18 seconds remaining. Missouri kicked the extra
point and trailed 28-27 at the break.
