Missouri soccer escaped Week 3 with a victory over Troy, avoiding an upset simply earlier than the beginning of SEC play.
It wasn’t simple for Eli Drinkwitz’s squad, nor was it one of many Tigers’ sharpest performances of the season, particularly coming off a dominant win over Kansas the week earlier than. In truth, Missouri bought an surprising help from former Missouri girls’s basketball star Sophie Cunningham within the closing moments.
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REQUIRED READING: How Missouri soccer averted upset, eked out win vs Troy
As Troy kicker Ethan Head lined up for a 54-yard subject purpose try late within the fourth quarter, Missouri displayed a picture of Cunningham on the jumbotron. Sporting her Indiana Fever jersey, Cunningham appeared to level towards the sector and in Head’s path because the Tigers regarded to protect their lead.
Spoiler: It labored.
Dealing with a 10-point deficit with 2:46 remaining within the fourth quarter, Troy opted for the 54-yard subject purpose try as an alternative of going for it on fourth-and-1 on the Missouri 36-yard line. After the missed kick and a three-and-out from Missouri’s offense, the Tigers’ protection delivered a game-clinching fourth-down cease.
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Quarterback Austin Simmons struggled in his third begin for Missouri. The Mississippi switch accomplished 10-of-19 passes for simply 91 yards and a landing. He had entered the non-conference sport coming off back-to-back video games with not less than 250 passing yards and three landing passes.
With the win, Missouri has received its sixteenth consecutive non-conference sport and its forty ninth total sport underneath Drinkwitz. The Tigers open up SEC play on the street at Mississippi State at 7:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 26.
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This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: How Sophie Cunningham pointing meme helped Missouri throughout Troy FG try
