Stats can be liars. If you just look at the 2024 final record for the Missouri Tigers, you see 10-3 and think, "Yeah, they stayed the course." It looks like a carbon copy of the 2023 magic, just with one more loss. But honestly? The university of missouri football stats from this past year tell a much weirder, much more stressful story than the 11-2 run that ended in the Cotton Bowl.
Numbers don't always capture the smell of a hospital room or the sound of 62,000 people holding their breath while a quarterback trots back onto the field after an MRI.
The Brady Cook Paradox: Efficiency vs. Grit
Brady Cook is basically the most debated player in Columbia. You've got the people who look at the 2,535 passing yards and 11 touchdowns from 2024 and say he regressed. Technically, they’re right. His yards per game dropped from 255 in 2023 to about 211 this year. But stats don't track "clutch" very well.
In the Music City Bowl against Iowa, Cook threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He added 54 yards on the ground. That’s against one of the best defenses in the country. He finished his career with 26 wins as a starter. That is second only to Chase Daniel.
- Career Passing Yards: 9,008
- Career Rushing Yards: 1,209
- Total Touchdowns: 69 (49 passing, 20 rushing)
He wasn't always flashy. Sometimes he was frustrating. But he took care of the ball, throwing only 15 interceptions in 1,138 career attempts. That is a microscopic interception rate.
Why the 2024 Offense Felt Different
Mizzou fans were spoiled in 2023. Cody Schrader was a human bowling ball who led the SEC in rushing. In 2024, the ground game was a committee. Nate Noel was the lightning, and Marcus Carroll was the thunder, but injuries turned the backfield into a revolving door.
| Player | Rushing Yards | Average | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Noel | 503 | 5.3 | 2 |
| Marcus Carroll | 401 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Brady Cook | 223 | 2.6 | 5 |
Luther Burden III remained a cheat code, even if his receiving yardage dipped. He hauled in 61 catches for 676 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2024. He finished his career at Mizzou with 192 receptions—ranking fourth all-time in program history. The Chicago Bears took him 39th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, and honestly, that feels like a steal for them.
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The offense actually stayed fairly efficient on third down, converting at a 46.3% clip. That’s high-level ball. But they struggled in the "middle eight"—the last four minutes of the first half and the first four of the second. In the losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, they were outscored in those stretches by a margin that basically ended the game before the fourth quarter even started.
The Defensive Masterclass Nobody Talked About
While everyone was arguing about the quarterback, the defense was quietly elite. Corey Batoon took over as defensive coordinator and didn't miss a beat. Missouri's defense allowed only 20.0 points per game, which ranked 19th in the nation.
They were even better at limiting yardage. The Tigers gave up just 281.6 yards per game. That’s 7th in all of college football.
They were basically a brick wall.
They held opponents to a 36.8% conversion rate on third down. One of the biggest surprises was the sack production. Even after losing Darius Robinson to the NFL, the Tigers found ways to get home. Johnny Walker Jr. was a menace, recording at least 0.5 sacks in seven straight games to close out the year.
Situational Success and the "Zou" Advantage
There is a specific stat that Eli Drinkwitz probably has tattooed on his brain: 7-0.
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For the first time since 2010, Missouri went undefeated at home. They didn't just win; they sold out every single game at Faurot Field. That hasn't happened since 1979. The university of missouri football stats regarding home-field advantage are staggering. They outscored opponents by an average of 18 points in Columbia.
On the road? Different story. They went 3-3 in games played away from the "Zou" or at neutral sites. The 34-0 shutout at Alabama was the first time Mizzou had been held scoreless since 2019. It was a wake-up call that the gap between "good" and "top-tier" in the SEC is still a wide chasm.
Special Teams: The Blake Craig Era
You cannot talk about the 2024 season without mentioning the kicker. Replacing a legend like Harrison Mevis is a nightmare. Blake Craig, a redshirt freshman, stepped into those massive shoes and proved he has a cannon for a leg.
He struggled with consistency early, but he finished the year with 24 made field goals. In the Music City Bowl, he hit from 51 and 56 yards in the fourth quarter.
The 56-yarder wasn't just a career long; it was the game-winner.
Special teams stats are often ignored until they cost you a game. For Mizzou, they actually won a couple. The Tigers finished the year ranked 23rd in Time of Possession percentage, largely because their kicking game and punting kept opponents pinned deep, forcing long fields that the defense could defend.
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The Historical Context: Is Mizzou a New Powerhouse?
Drinkwitz has now delivered back-to-back seasons with at least 10 wins. This is only the third time in school history that has happened. The other two times? 2007-2008 under Gary Pinkel and 2013-2014 under Pinkel as well.
The all-time record for the program now sits at 728–597–52. They are trending up.
But there’s a nuance here. In 2024, Mizzou didn't beat a single team that finished the year ranked in the AP Top 25. Their 10 wins came against a schedule that featured several struggling programs. Critics point to the South Carolina loss as the "real" Mizzou—a team that could lead late but couldn't close the deal against a high-level opponent on the road.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you’re looking at these stats to predict 2025 and beyond, keep your eyes on the "Red Zone Success" metric. Mizzou scored on 92% of their red zone trips in 2024. That is elite. However, their touchdown-to-field-goal ratio in those trips was lower than you'd like to see.
- Watch the Portal: With Brady Cook and Luther Burden gone, the offensive production stats are going to be entirely dependent on how the 2025 transfer class settles in.
- Defense is the Floor: As long as the Tigers keep a top-10 defense in terms of yards allowed, they will be in every game.
- Home Dominance: If you're betting or predicting, never bet against the Tigers at Faurot Field. The stats suggest the "Zou" is currently one of the hardest places to play in the SEC.
The 2024 season wasn't as "clean" as 2023. It was grittier. It was uglier. But 10 wins is 10 wins. The stats prove that Mizzou has transitioned from a team that "hopes" to win to a program that expects to win, even when the stars aren't shining.
To get the most out of following these trends, check the official NCAA stat database weekly during the season, as the SEC's removal of divisions has made strength-of-schedule metrics more volatile than ever before. Focus on "Yards Per Play" rather than "Total Yards" to get a true sense of this team's efficiency.