Final score and recap: Mizzou football beats South Dakota to start 1-0
Year 4 of the Eli Drinkwitz era started at the University of Missouri tonight.
Missouri hosted South Dakota in its season opener at Faurot Field to prove it belongs in the conversation among the best in the SEC.
The Tigers came away with a 35-10 win, starting 1-0.
More: Takeaways as Mizzou football handily, not spectacularly, defeats South Dakota
Mizzou vs. South Dakota final score and recap
FINAL: Mizzou 35, South Dakota 10
Sam Horn tosses his first touchdown
Late in the fourth, Cody Schrader ran for a 42-yard gain and that set up Sam Horn's first-career touchdown pass.
That should put the finishing touches on the win.
South Dakota takes advantage of the Mizzou turnover
Sam Horn's first-career interception might not have been his fault, but it led to points for South Dakota regardless.
Horn's pass went off Tyler Stephen's hands, a pass he should have caught, and into the hands of a Coyotes defender. Three plays later, South Dakota scored.
Missouri is firmly in the lead 28-10, but Horn's two drives have ended scoreless.
End of the third: Mizzou 28, South Dakota
It's Sam Horn time
After Marvin Burks' sack ends a South Dakota drive, Sam Horn has officially taken over for Brady Cook with MU sporting a 28-3 lead.
HALFTIME: Mizzou 28, South Dakota 3
The 2-minute offense gets MU back on the board
With another three and out, MU's offense got the ball back with 1:25 left in the half. The Tigers punched in one last time in the first half.
A 15-yard rushing score by Brady Cook has Missouri in front comfortably going into the break.
Now, we wait to see if Sam Horn gets his chance.
Mizzou scores its third TD on the day
After South Dakota's field goal, the Tigers took the ball with about four minutes until halftime and marched back into the end zone.
Cody Schrader gets on the board with a 2-yard touchdown after Peat scored his short-yardage rushing touchdown earlier. MU shook off a first-and-25 situation after two penalties on the offensive line thanks to a targeting penalty on South Dakota.
MU leads 21-3.
South Dakota gets on the board
The Coyotes, who had -2 yards going into their fourth drive of the game, drove right down on the Missouri defense and broke the shutout on a 40-yard field goal attempt.
But, the Tigers' defense didn't break. On first and goal from the 6, MU's defense drove South Dakota back to the MU 25 to force third and goal from the 25.
Kris Abrams-Draine was flagged for holding, which put the ball at the Tigers' 6. The defense still held.
MU leads 14-3.
End of the first quarter: Mizzou 14, South Dakota 0
Peat pushes the lead to 14-0
After taking a 7-0 lead, the Tigers wasted no time returning to the end zone.
Nate Peat, after having one rushing score called back due to a flag, barreled into the end zone to push MU's lead to 14-0.
Missouri's defense forced another three and out and blocked the ensuing South Dakota punt for good measure. That gave MU a short field to work with.
Missouri strikes first
After a third and five play in South Dakota's territory, Brady Cook makes his first statement in his quest to earn MU's starting quarterback job.
Cook hit Mekhi Miller for an 18-yard touchdown. The first score of the season is also Miller's first career touchdown.
That capped a six-play, 52-yard drive that spanned 2:29.
Coin toss: Mizzou to start first
The coin has been flipped. The stands are filled. It's finally game time.
Missouri won the toss. The Tigers will take the ball on offense to start.
Pregame: Mizzou warms up sans Carlies
J.C. Carlies, MU's starting safety, was in street clothes as the Tigers warmed up prior to Thursday's game. If he's out for tonight. Florida transfer Tre'Vez Johnson is a candidate to start in Carlies' stead.
Mizzou injury report
QUESTIONABLE: JC Carlies
OUT: Chad Bailey, Michael Cox, Peanut Houston, Bence Polgar
Mizzou vs. South Dakota X (formerly known as Twitter) feed
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Final score and recap: Mizzou football beats South Dakota to start 1-0
