Mizzou Tigers roll at UMass, but star receiver Luther Burden III hurt in 2nd half

Under the cover of red and orange fall leaves in New England, it was Tigers gold that shined brightest as No. 21 Missouri waltzed to its fifth victory of the season at UMass on Saturday.

As indicated by the 45-3 final score, the first-ever meeting between the two programs was never close.

Missouri took the lead for the first time less than a minute into the game when star wide receiver Luther Burden III carried a jet-sweep 61 yards to the end zone on the Tigers’ second play from scrimmage.

Missouri ran wild from there. Literally.

The Tigers (5-1, 1-1 SEC) totaled 231 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground, led by Georgia State transfer Marcus Carroll. They averaged 6.1 yards per rush, and five different Missouri players had at least 15 rushing yards vs. UMass (1-6).

Burden, who also had five catches for 59 yards, accumulated 68 of those rushing yards. The projected first-round NFL Draft selection moved in to seventh all-time in MU history for career receptions.

But Burden’s afternoon ended early: He was injured early in the third quarter on a pass over the middle of the field.

There was a good sign during the game when MU coach Eli Drinkwitz, interviewed quickly on the TV broadcast, said of the third-year MU receiver, “He’ll be just fine.” After the game, Drinkwitz had no other update about Burden’s status.

Four different Tigers scored touchdowns Saturday. Aside from Burden, Carroll punched in a pair of short-yardage touchdowns in the first half and rattled off a thunderous 35-yard TD run in the second half to cap his best performance in a Missouri uniform.

The Union City, Georgia, native totaled 15 carries for 91 yards and three touchdowns in his first start of the season. The Tigers’ leading rusher this season, Nate Noel, was in line to get the start in Amherst but did not see the field due to what a team spokesperson said was back tightness.

Quarterback Brady Cook had a bounce-back performance after a rough showing in College Station, Texas, completing 14 of 19 passes for 219 yards and a two touchdowns. Cook also rushed 3 times for 16 yards, sparking Missouri to its second-highest point total of the season.

Cook’s performance was good for a blistering 205.2 passer rating on the day, and backup quarterback Drew Pyne stepped in at the start of the fourth quarter with a 42-point lead.

Cook’s first touchdown of the game was a dump-off pass to sophomore wide receiver Joshua Manning, who found a seam and scooted 63 yards to the end zone. The play barely eclipsed Burden’s rush for Missouri’s longest offensive play of the game, and the Tigers’ longest pass completion of the season.

The reception was the Lee’s Summit native’s first touchdown in a Mizzou uniform.

Cook also found tight end Brett Norfleet for an 8-yard touchdown later in the same quarter. Norfleet had three receptions for 48 yards and the touchdown, his first score of the season.

Another Lee’s Summit native, true freshman and five-star recruit Williams Nwaneri, recorded his first sack with MU late in the third quarter. Nwaneri was one of three Tigers to record a sack on the day, alongside Florida transfer Chris McClellan and senior Marcus Clarke.

UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh, a former four-star recruit who had stints at Clemson and Georgia Tech before landing at UMass, had a rough showing against the Tigers. He just 12 of 22 passes with no touchdowns and an interception.

Graduate linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. accounted for the interception, returning it 80 yards to set up a 42-yard field goal from redshirt freshman kicker Blake Craig to end the first half. Phommachanh was removed from the game halfway through the fourth quarter.

Missouri’s 42-point victory was its second-largest of the season, trailing only a season-opening 51-point blowout against FCS foe Murray State.

Saturday’s midseason non-conference game was set up in 2018 by former MU athletic director Jim Sterk. The Minutemen are playing as an independent this season and will rejoin the MAC starting in 2025.

The Tigers are now just one victory shy of bowl eligibility. MU can clinch a bid next Saturday in Columbia against visiting Auburn.

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