Tennessee vs. Missouri score, takeaways: Tigers dominate Vols as Cody Schrader makes SEC history

The Tigers star running back played a game for the ages on Saturday

No. 14 Missouri dominated No. 13 Tennessee 36-7 on Saturday. Tigers star running back Cody Schrader rushed for 205 yards, had a career-high 116 receiving yards and added a 7-yard touchdown run in what was the most impressive performance of his Missouri career. The transfer from Division II Truman State entered the game as the SEC's leading rusher and will likely keep that title heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. With the win, Missouri improves to 8-2 and in a good spot to earn a bid in a New Year's Six bowl berth. 

Missouri pulled away with 24 points in the second half. That included a pick six when Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III telegraphed a pass to the right side and Daylan Carnell stepped in front and took it 38 yards the other way for a touchdown. It was Carnell's first interception of the year and set off a celebration in Columbia, Missouri. Quarterback Brady Cook had a 3-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and tossed a 21-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Luther Burden III in the fourth in what was a wildly efficient day for the veteran signal-caller.

The Tigers dominated the first half of the game as well, which included a 20-play, 72-yard drive that gobbled up 10:55 and resulted in the game's first points courtesy of a Harrison Mevis field goal. Tennessee's only touchdown came on the subsequent drive when Milton found Dont'e Thornton Jr for a 47-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

• Schrader is the first player in SEC history to have 200 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in the same game. He is the first player in Missouri history to have 90 or more rushing and receiving yards in a game in program history, and he did it in the first half. His 321 scrimmage yards in one game is the second-most in school history behind only Devin West.
• Missouri converted 11 of its 17 third-down attempts including 7 of its 10 attempts in the first half to dominate time of possession and wear down the Volunteer defense. 
• Tennessee's average third-down distance was 7.6 yards as the Volunteers converted just 5 of their 12 chances.

CBS Sports was with you the entire game providing live updates, highlights and analysis. Read on below for takeaways as the Tigers thrashed the Vols in this SEC East showdown. 

[Nov 11, 2023 at 7:07 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Cody Schrader is one of the best stories of the season

The veteran running back who transferred from Division II Truman State was a relative unknown coming into the season but has evolved into the best running back in the SEC. His 321 yards from scrimmage were just 29 yards short of Tennessee's offensive output for the entire game despite the fact that everybody on the planet could see that he was getting the ball. He could do whatever he wanted against a Volunteers defense that is founded on making plays behind the line of scrimmage and creating havoc.

This, coming from a guy who walked on last year after a booster mentioned his name to coach Eli Drinkwitz at a cocktail party. He waited his turn, worked his tail off and has emerged not only as one of the best running backs in the country, but a guy who will get plenty of looks from NFL scouts after his college career ends. 

He was carried off the field by his teammates after the game and deserved every minute of that ride.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 7:27 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Can we give Missouri's defense a little love?

Schrader will get all of the love, but let's save a little for a Mizzou defense that was lights-out all day. It held a typically potent Tennessee offense to just seven points -- the fewest under third-year coach Josh Heupel. Tennessee's rushing attack -- headlined by Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson -- averaged just 3.6 yards per carry; quarterback Joe Milton III was the Volunteers' leading rusher with 36 yards. 

Tennessee has to run the ball to set up the pass since Milton is a bit limited in the short and intermediate passing game, and Mizzou shut that down from the moment toe met leather. 

This has been a trend for Missouri, though. The Tigers held Georgia's running game in check last week when the Bulldogs averaged just 3.97 yards per attempt and did the same against South Carolina two weeks ago when the Gamecocks only managed 2.38 yards per carry. The Missouri defense is getting hot at the right time.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 7:26 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

The perfect Missouri team

Drinkwitz only had one year of FBS head coaching experience when he was hired by Missouri prior to the 2020 season, and it took a few years for him to properly set the foundation for his program. This team is a perfect example of why he was brought in. 

Wideout Luther Burden III was a five-star stud from just around the corner in East St. Louis, so he was a natural fit. Drinkwitz went after him hard and got him locked down. A great coach has to protect his own borders, and Drinkwitz has done just that. He came in with the reputation of developing college quarterbacks into stars, and that's exactly what he did with Brady Cook -- a former three-star prospect who's also from St. Louis. Drinkwitz recognized talent, tapped into it and produced a player who works great within the system. He also dug deep to find a gem in Schrader, who has worked himself into a top-tier running back with NFL hopes. 

The foundation of this offense was set in three different ways, which is exactly how Missouri and Drinkwitz need to operate to build off of this season and contend in the SEC in the future.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 6:34 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Game over

5:50 Q4: Missouri 35, Tennessee 7

Joe Milton III telegraphed a pass to the right side and Daylan Carnell stepped in front and took it 38 yards the other way for a touchdown. It was Carnell's first interception of the year, and put the game as far out of reach as the Smoky Mountains. It was Milton's first interception of a game in which he had been one of the only reliable players on either side of the ball for the Volunteers.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 6:29 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Burden finds pay dirt

6:21 Q4: Missouri 29, Tennessee 7

Cody Schrader can't have all of the fun, right? Of course not. Brady Cook found superstar wide receiver Luther Burden III for a 21-yard touchdown to ice the game away after six-play, 66-yard drive. Cook has 275 passing yards and Burden, who came into the game with an ankle injury suffered last week against Georgia, has four catches for 26 yards. The combination of Cook and Schrader has worn out the Volunteer defense to the point where it has no answer for anything.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 6:23 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Crazy fumble might end Tennessee's chances

The Volunteers had some momentum going down two scores midway through the fourth quarter, but a wild play put an abrupt end to it. Joe Milton III's arm got tied up with running back Dylan Sampson's arm before the pass, and Missouri recovered the fumble. It was initially called an incomplete pass, but the officials discovered that it was a fumble and Missouri recovered the ball in the immediate action.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 6:02 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Missouri cruising into the final frame

End Q3: Missouri 22, Tennessee 7

Cody Schrader has been the story in this one. The Mizzou running back has 139 yards rushing, a career-high 116 yards receiving and found the end zone on a 7-yard scamper in the first half. The transfer from Truman State has been unstoppable throughout the game and has outgained the entire Tennessee team by himself. However, Missouri's defense deserves a ton of credit in this one as well. The Tigers have held the stout Tennessee rushing attack, which came in leading the SEC, to just 2.6 yards per rush. As a result, the Volunteers have relied heavily on the arm of quarterback Joe Milton III. While he has been solid -- he's 17 of 20 for 230 yards and one touchdown -- the Tigers have done a great job of limiting his deep shots and keeping everything underneath.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 5:50 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Missouri extends its lead

2:38 Q3: Missouri 22, Tennessee 7

Tennessee is hanging by a string, but its defense gave the offense a chance after holding Missouri kicker Harrison Mevis to a 23-yard field goal late in the third quarter to extend the lead. Check out this stat: Missouri running back Cody Schrader has 255 yards of total offense, while Tennessee as a team only has 220. 

[Nov 11, 2023 at 5:32 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Cook for six

10:04 Q3: Missouri 19, Tennessee 7

The Tigers held Tennessee to a three-and-out on the first drive of the game and promptly picked up where they left off on the offensive side of the ball. Cody Schrader had five carries of the seven-play drive, but quarterback Brady Cook got the six when he faked a pitch to Schrader and took off up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good, but it's clear that Tennessee is in a world of hurt. It can't stop Schrader, and Mizzou will lean on its star until the Volunteers prove that they can slow him down.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 5:00 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Missouri up at halftime

HALFTIME: Missouri 13, Tennessee 7

This SEC East showdown between No. 13 Tennessee and No. 14 Missouri was expected to be a track meet, but it has been far from it as the Tigers are up six on the Volunteers after 30 minutes in the SEC on CBS Game of the Week. Missouri running back Cody Schrader has been the star of the show. The senior has 105 rushing yards, a career-high 93 receiving yards and a 7-yard touchdown run midway through the second quarter that gave the Tigers the lead. More importantly, Schrader and the Tigers offense has been nearly unstoppable on third downs. Coach Eli Drinkwitz' crew is 7 of 10 on third-down opportunities with five of those seven conversions coming during a monstrous 20-play, 72-yard drive that gobbled up 10:55 of game time to end the first and start the second quarter. 

[Nov 11, 2023 at 4:37 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Dont'e Thornton is out for the game

Tennessee wide receiver Dont'e Thornton caught the first touchdown of the game on a beautiful one-handed catch, but it cost him. The Oregon transfer came down awkwardly on the play and will miss the remainder of the game according to CBS Sports sideline reporter Jenny Dell. Thornton came into the game with 12 catches for 178 yards on the season.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 4:32 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Cody Schrader is having a DAY

10:33 Q2: Missouri 10, Tennessee 7

The senior running back for Mizzou plunged in from seven yards out to give the Tigers a 10-7 lead. Schrader has 40 rushing yards and 93 receiving yards midway through the second quarter. We knew that Schrader is a beast on the ground as he led the SEC in rushing coming into the game. However, this is a career day through the air and we haven't even reached halftime yet.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 4:24 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Tennessee answers back to take the lead

12:25 Q2: Tennessee 7, Missouri 3

Dont'e Thornton's first touchdown catch with Tennessee was a thing of beauty. Quarterback Joe Milton III unloaded a perfect strike down the left sideline from around midfield, and Thornton reeled it in with one hand with a defensive back in his face. It was initially called incomplete, but the officials later determined that Thornton held on through the ground. It'll be interesting to see if Tennessee's defense can get off the field quickly here. The last thing it needs is to get worn down by another long Mizzou drive.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 4:13 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Mizzou on the board first

Early Q2: Missouri 3, Tennessee 0

The first quarter was dominated by Missouri as the Tigers held on to the ball for 13:45. They cashed it in for a field goal on the second play play of the second quarter when Harrison Mevis kicked a 31-yard field goal to cap off the 20-play, 72-yard drive. The drive started after the Tigers forced a three-and-out on Tennessee's only drive of the game, which came after a Jaylen McCollough interception at the Tigers' 15-yard line. Tigers quarterback Brady Cook is 10 of 11 for 96 yards and the one interception in this pivotal SEC East showdown. 

[Nov 11, 2023 at 3:56 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Tamarion McDonald is questionable to return

The Tennessee secondary is going to have its work cut out for it today, and it might have to slow down the Tigers without one of its key players. Tamarion McDonald suffered an upper body injury when he was hit on the first drive of the game. Jenny Dell of CBS Sports reported that McDonald is questionable to return and doesn't have a helmet on the sideline.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 3:49 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Massive turn of events on the opening drive

Missouri had no problem getting into Tennessee territory, but Jaylen McCollough picked off a tipped pass from Brady Cook at the 15-yard line and returned it all of the way to the Mizzou 49-yard line to set the Volunteers up on a short field on their opening possession. At the very least, that could have a big impact on field position as the first quarter moves on.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 3:25 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

The pick is in

This one will be a nail-biter. Both of these teams have dynamic offenses, so Cook and Milton should lead there teams up and down the field in what will look like the college football version of a ping-pong match. Tennessee's tempo will be what gives the Volunteers the edge at the end. The sheer number of plays will wear down the Tiger defense and the Vols rushing attack will dominate the final five minutes to earn the critical road win. Pick: Tennessee -1.5

[Nov 11, 2023 at 3:10 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

All eyes on Cody Schrader

The veteran running back will be relied on in a big way, especially if Burden can't go. The senior leads the SEC in rushing at 102.11 yards per game, and is second in the conference in rushing touchdowns with 10.

Tennessee's coaching compared Schrader to Kentucky's star Ray Davis.

"This guy may be just a tad more physical where the guy at Kentucky was faster," said defensive line coach Rodney Garner. "I think they both do a really good job of pressing the blocks and just finding the soft spot, just squaring up the shoulders (and) getting downhill. We've got to do a great job of playing vertical, creating knock backs, (and) be able to tear up blocks. We've got to keep our pads square. We've got to tackle. We can't miss tackles. All the little things are what it comes down to playing in this conference. Just play a great, sound, fundamental game."

It's likely that Missouri will want to shorten the game and keep Tennessee's offense off the field. It'll be up to Schrader to make that happen.

[Nov 11, 2023 at 3:05 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

The impact of Luther Burden III

Missouri's star wide receiver suffered an ankle injury in the first half of last week's loss to Georgia. He stayed in the game, but it was clear that he was extremely limited and the offense lost its rhythm as a result of his absence. Coach Elli Drinkwitz was asked about the status of his superstar during Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference. 

"Well, I haven't seen him practice today, but yesterday he was in a green jersey and didn't take a whole lot of reps," he said. "You know, we'll just have to see how he progresses, so I won't know more about that, probably, 'til after today's practice. But I would anticipate Friday is the first time I'll have a real feel on whether or not he's going to be able to play or not."

It's unlikely that Drinkwitz will reveal Burden's status until game time, but this could make or break Missouri's chances. If he can go, there will be a ton of pressure on Theo Wease Jr. and Mookie Cooper. 

[Nov 11, 2023 at 3:00 pm ET · Barrett Sallee]

Breaking down the Tennessee rushing attack

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel made waves last year when he led the Volunteers to the No. 1 spot in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, and kept them in the mix throughout the regular season thanks in large part to a dynamic passing attack. Things are different this year. The rushing attack led by Milton and running backs Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson have allowed the Vols to stay competitive. They lead the conference with 227.78 rushing yards per game, which is something that they set out to do from the outset.

"That's the number one stat I think we look at as an offensive line," said offensive lineman Ollie Lane. "It's a testament to the hard work we put in, plus with how great our running backs see and their field vision, being able to hit a hole that we create for them is huge. But, being able to be rated at the top means a lot to us. Coming through this whole offseason, that was a big point of emphasis for us is that we have to be able to run the ball. That's SEC football everywhere. There is a big emphasis on running the ball, and being able to be the best at it is a huge testament to the hard work we put in this entire offseason."

If Missouri can't slow down the Volunteer rushing attack, it's going to be a long afternoon.