By Marie Reader

DALLAS — The No. 9 University of Missouri football team continues its remarkable 2023 season against No. 7 Ohio State in the 88th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Friday, Dec. 29 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT with ESPN and Tiger Radio Network providing coverage.

THE SERIES
The Tigers (10-2) and Buckeyes (11-1) meet for the first time since 1998 and 13th matchup overall. OSU holds a 10-1-1 edge in the series and the teams will square off for the first time in the postseason.

MIZZOU IN THE COTTON BOWL CLASSIC
MU will play in its third Cotton Bowl Classic and first since 2014. The Tigers are 2-1 all time in the classic.

COTTON BOWL GAME-BY-GAME
• Jan. 1, 1946: Texas 40, Missouri 27
• Jan. 1, 2008: Missouri 38, Arkansas 7
• Jan. 3, 2014: Missouri 41, Oklahoma State 31

THE COACHES
ELIAH DRINKWITZ, the 2023 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year is in his fourth season at Mizzou. He has led the Tigers to bowl appearances in each of his first four seasons, joining former head coach Warren Powers as the only two MU head coaches to achieve that feat. Additionally, only Powers won more games in his first two seasons at MU (1978-79, 15) than Drinkwitz (11). Prior to taking the Mizzou job, Drinkwitz was 12-1 as the head coach at Appalachian State in 2019. He had previous stops as the OC at NC State, Boise State and Arkansas State.

Ryan Day is 56-7 in his fifth full season at Ohio State.

ABOUT OHIO STATE
The 2023 Buckeyes have been powered by one of the nation’s top defenses and an offense that features the Big Ten’s top wide receiver and tight end. Ohio State has national rankings of No. 3 in total defense (259.9 yards/game), No. 1 in passing defense (147.4 yards/game) and No. 2 in scoring defense (11.0 points/game).

COACHES
MISSOURI TIGERS
Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz
Record at Mizzou 27-21 (Fourth Year)
Overall Record 39-22 (Fifth Year)

OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Head Coach Ryan Day
Record at School 56-7 (Fifth Year)
Overall Record Same

GAME INFORMATION
Facility AT&T Stadium
Capacity 80,000
TV ESPN
Radio 1580 AM / 105.1 FM / SiriusXM 119 or 190
Online The Varsity Network: “Search Mizzou”
Series Record OSU leads 10-1-1
At Neutral Site First Meeting
Last Meeting Sept. 19, 1998 (A), OSU W 35-14

ON THE AIR
TV: ESPN
• Play-by-Play: Dave Pasch
• Analyst: Dusty Dvoracek
• Field Analyst: Tom Luginbill
• Online: WatchESPN.com
• Mobile App: ESPN

RADIO: TIGER RADIO NETWORK
• Play-by-Play: Mike Kelly
• Analyst: Howard Richards
• Sideline Reporter: Chris Gervino
• Host: Matt Michaels
• Engineer: Jeremy Washington
• Local: 1580 AM / 105.1 FM
• Satellite: SiriusXM 119 or 190 and on the SXM App
• App: Mizzou Tigers / The Varsity Network: “Search Mizzou”

NATIONAL RADIO: ESPN RADIO
• Play-by-Play: Brad Sham
• Analyst: Kirk Morrison
• Sideline Reporter: Taylor McGregor
• Satellite: SiriusXM 80 and on the SXM App
• App: Mizzou Tigers / The Varsity Network: “Search Mizzou”

STREAKS, STORYLINES, SIDEBARS … 
• Mizzou is playing its 133rd season of college football and is the 33rd FBS school to reach the 700-win milestone.
• Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz has led Mizzou to a bowl in each of his first four seasons — and hit the six-win threshold in season four — only the second coach in school history to do so along with the late Warren Powers (1978-84).
• The 2023 roster features 32 players who have started at least four games in the collegiate career at the FBS level.
• Thirty-eight student-athletes on the team are from Missouri, including eight from the 573 area code, 19 from the St. Louis metropolitan region, nine from the Kansas City area and two from southwest Missouri.
• Mizzou finished nonconference play undefeated for the 10th time since 2000, and first since 2018.
• The Tigers finished the regular season 10-2, hitting double-digit wins for the first time since 2014, along with a 6-2 SEC finish after being picked to finish 13th overall in the league’s preseason poll.
• The Tigers’ two losses came in SEC play by a combined margin of 19 points to ranked teams.
• MU leads the NCAA FBS in red-zone offense, converting at a 97.9-percent (47-of-48) clip.
• Missouri recently signed their third Top 25-ranked recruiting class in the last four seasons.
• MU’s offense is the No. 1 red-zone unit in the FBS and No. 25 scoring offense, averaging 34.1 points per game.
• The defense had 35 sacks, forced 10 turnovers in the last three games and leads the SEC in turnover margin.
• OC Kirby Moore and DC Blake Baker recently inked contract extensions and MU will return both coordinators for the first time in Coach Drinkwitz’s four seasons.
• RB Cody Schrader, the Burlsworth Trophy winner and Consensus All-America choice, leads the NCAA FBS and SEC in rushing yards per game, QB Brady Cook has thrown for over 3,000 yards while electrifying WR Luther Burden III had his first career 1,000-yard receiving season.
• Butkus Award finalist Ty’Ron Hopper has 55 tackles, six for a loss, and three sacks to his credit.
• CB Kris Abrams-Draine, Hopper, CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and DE Robinson all accepted Reese’s Senior Bowl invites.

FIVE-PLUS THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MISSOURI

1. THE CLASSIC
MU is making its fourth appearance in the Cotton Bowl Classic and first since 2014 (2013 season) … The Tigers are 2-1 all time in the classic … MU defeated Oklahoma State (2014) and Arkansas (2008), but lost to Texas in 1946 … This is Mizzou’s first appearance in one of the CFP’s New Year’s Six games … MU has nearly 12,000 active alumni in Texas with almost half that number belonging to the DFW alumni chapter … Tigers fans scooped up the 13,000-bowl ticket allotment in less than 18 hours.

2. HOW WE GOT HERE
The Tigers finished the regular season 10-2 and have the nation’s No. 1 red-zone offense and No. 25 scoring offense, averaging 34.1 points per game … They achieved double-digit wins for the first time since 2014 and finished 6-2 in Southeastern Conference play after being picked to finish 13th overall in the league’s preseason poll with many pundits suggesting MU wouldn’t make a bowl game … The team has held the #STP or Something To Prove motto close to its heart all year long.

3. BEST IN THE LAND
RB Cody Schrader won the Burlsworth Trophy as the nation’s best player who started his career as a walk-on … The St. Louis native played three years at NCAA DII Truman State before coming to MU as a walk-on in early 2021 … After leading the Tigers with more than 700 rushing yards last season, he ran for an SEC-best 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns in the regular season … A First-Team All-SEC selection and winner of multiple All-America honors, Schrader was also a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.

4. AMBUSH OFFENSE
Led by QB Brady Cook, WR Luther Burden III and Schrader, the Tigers have the nation’s No. 1 red-zone offense and No. 25 scoring offense, averaging 34.1 points per game … Schrader leads the NCAA FBS and SEC in rushing yards per game … Cook has thrown for over 3,000 yards while the electrifying Burden had his first career 1,000-yard receiving season. The OL, anchored by 40-game starting vets at RT (Javon Foster) and RG (Xavier Delgado), was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award.

5. DEATH ROW D
Defensively, MU’s senior-led 11 forced 35 sacks and topped the SEC in turnover margin — snagging 10 turnovers in the last three game … CB Kris Abrams-Draine leads the SEC in passes defended while DE Darius Robinson’s 6.5 sacks rank sixth in the conference … Butkus Award finalist Ty’Ron Hopper has 55 tackles, six for a loss, and three sacks to his credit … Abrams-Draine, Hopper, CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Robinson have all accepted invitations to the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

RESERVE YOUR SEATS NOW!
Fans can reserve their 2024 season tickets today by visiting MUTigers.com/FBTix.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Athletics, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Missouri football (@MizzouFootball) and Coach Drinkwitz (@CoachDrinkwitz) on X. You can also find the Tigers on Instagram and Facebook.

FOLLOW THE COTTON BOWL
Follow the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.

COURTESY MISSOURI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS