Oklahoma held scoreless in two quarters against Missouri, still controls playoff fate

Oklahoma and Missouri delivered a November game that felt like it was played on asphalt. Cold air, long possessions and trench battles defined a 17-6 Sooners victory that kept Oklahoma squarely in the College Football Playoff hunt.

Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula, returning from a dislocated ankle, showed early he was healthy enough to run the offense. His first possession featured an eight-yard keeper, and the Tigers followed with a 14-play, 8:53 march that resulted only in a field goal. In a game this tight, it felt like the opening punch.

For nearly 25 minutes, Missouri’s defensive plan suffocated Oklahoma. The Sooners managed just 17 yards late in the first half and finished with negative rushing yardage during that stretch. Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle spent the week praising Missouri’s defensive front, calling it “the best defensive line I’ve seen all season,” a sentiment that appeared prophetic.

Momentum flipped on a pair of rapid-fire moments. First, Oklahoma’s partially blocked field goal attempt kept the score 3–0. Minutes later, Isaiah Sategna broke free for an 87-yard touchdown that jolted the Sooners awake. A Pribula fumble on the next drive set up a short field, and Javonnie Gibson capped a seven-play series to make it 14-3.

The second half turned into a procession of punts until Missouri reached a critical 4th-and-2 at the Oklahoma 21 with under six minutes left. Instead of giving the ball to star back Marcus Hardy, the Tigers took a shot to the end zone. The pass fell incomplete, sealing Missouri’s fate.

Pribula finished 17-of-29 for 185 yards, but Missouri’s offense couldn’t recover from the turnovers and missed opportunities. Oklahoma, meanwhile, leaned into the muck and survived — again.

With LSU ahead, the Sooners remain one win from likely securing a playoff berth 

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