In his final game as a Tiger, the senior quarterback backed up his words about finishing strong.
Welcome to the MV3, a weekly piece where Rock M Nation’s staff votes on the three most impactful players in Mizzou’s previous game.
1. Brady Cook
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It just couldn’t have been anyone else. Brady Cook talked a lot about finishing his career on a high note prior to the bowl game, and he backed up all of his talk with his best game of the season and one of the best of his Tiger career. Cook was dynamic in the run game, leading the team with 54 rushing yards and explosive in the passing game, going for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Best of all, he never put the ball in harms way and only suffered a low completion percentage due to a few uncharacteristic drops. He was rightfully awarded the game’s MVP, a perfect finishing touch on his time as Mizzou’s QB1.
2. Marquis Johnson
No Luther Burden III? No Mookie Cooper? No Theo Wease, Jr. for a half? No problem for Marquis Johnson, who lapped up the extra targets with the tenacity of a guy who expects to be the main man in 2025. Johnson displayed a versatile route tree against Iowa’s stingy pass defense, posting a career high in yards (122) and catches (7) while grabbing Brady Cook’s second passing touchdown.
3. Blake Craig
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The true freshman had his bumpy moments in year one as the Tigers’ top placekicker, but it’s hard to grade him too harshly. After starting the game by kicking to the most dangerous return man in America, Craig redeemed himself by nailing two 50-plus yard field goals, including a 56-yarder to put the Tigers in the lead for good. The Tigers appear to have a good one on their hands for the next three seasons.
Honorable Mention: Johnny Walker, Jr.
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In his final game as a Tiger, Johnny Walker, Jr. logged two sacks and four total tackles, while registering a constant threat on the edge. His sacks both came in the second half, helping stifle on Iowa offense that had torn the defense apart earlier in the game.
Others receiving votes: Daylan Carnell, Corey Flagg, Jr.
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