Southeastern Conference leading rusher Cody Schrader ran for a career-high 217 yards and a score as No. 9 Missouri reached double-digit wins for the first time since 2014, pasting Arkansas 48-14 on Black Friday in Fayetteville, Ark.
Schrader achieved the yardage on 27 carries, but the lion’s share of his work — 192 yards — came on 22 first-half attempts.
Quarterback Brady Cook was 12-of-20 for 112 yards, rushed for a score and tossed two touchdowns to Brett Norfleet, from 16 and 11 yards.
The win should put the Tigers (10-2, 6-2 SEC) into a New Year’s Six bowl game, with their only two losses coming to ranked opponents LSU and Georgia.
Missouri moved the Battle Line Rivalry series record to 11-4 in its favor against the Razorbacks (4-8, 1-7), who lost for the ninth time in the past 11 outings against their border rival.
Record-setting Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson was injured early in the first quarter and did not return. Jacolby Criswell went 12-for-20 for 96 yards with a TD pass in relief.
Schrader set up the game’s first score with a 36-yard run and soon plunged in from 2 yards — his ninth straight game with a rushing TD — at 9:12 of the first quarter.
On the next series, Jefferson scrambled for a 22-yard gain but took a hard hit, fumbled and clutched his left knee. He left the game with the assistance of trainers.
Harrison Mevis drilled a 24-yard field goal at the end of Missouri’s ensuing drive.
A scuffle ensued after Cook was hit out of bounds on the Arkansas sideline in the second quarter, and another tussle occurred a play later. Both sidelines had to be restrained while one fight had to be broken up.
Missouri’s Armand Membou and Arkansas’ Eric Gregory and Zach Williams were ejected.
When the fracas settled, Cook made it 17-0 on a 3-yard run.
Schrader’s 49-yard dash put the Tigers in field-goal range for Mevis, who made one from 22 yards for a 20-0 halftime score.
After Norfleet’s two TD receptions in the third, Jayden Jernigan recovered a fumble and rumbled 10 yards for a score to make it 41-0.
In the fourth quarter, the Razorbacks’ Andrew Armstrong caught an 8-yard pass from Criswell, and Isaiah Augustave (15 carries, 80 yards) scored on a 6-yard run.
Missouri’s Nathaniel Peat scored on a 1-yard run to cap the scoring.
–Field Level Media
