A college football battle of the Tigers between LSU and Missouri led to one of the grossest bad beats in recent history on Saturday afternoon. There was less than a minute left in the game when things went terribly wrong.
Mizzou, ranked No. 21 in the country at 5-1, hosted No. 23-ranked LSU at 3-2 in Columbia. Despite their records, and home field advantage, it was the visitors who were favored by 5.5 points.
Through the first 59 minutes, anyone who bet on the home team was sitting pretty.
- FIRST QUARTER
- Missouri touchdown and two-point conversion
- Mizzou 8 — LSU 0
- LSU touchdown and PAT
- Mizzou 8 — LSU 7
- Missouri touchdown and PAT
- Mizzou 15 — LSU 7
- Missouri touchdown and two-point conversion
- SECOND QUARTER
- Missouri touchdown and PAT
- Mizzou 22 — LSU 7
- LSU field goal
- Mizzou 22 — LSU 10
- LSU touchdown and PAT
- Mizzou 22 — LSU 17
- Missouri field goal
- Mizzou 25 — LSU 17
- Missouri touchdown and PAT
The home-side Tigers were not just covering 5.5, they were winning outright at the break.
And then things got dicey.
- THIRD QUARTER
- LSU field goal
- Mizzou 25 — LSU 20
- LSU touchdown and PAT
- LSU 27 — Mizzou 25
- Missouri touchdown and PAT
- Mizzou 32 — LSU 27
- LSU field goal
- FOURTH QUARTER
- LSU touchdown and PAT
- LSU 35 — Mizzou 32
- Missouri touchdown and PAT
- Mizzou 39 — LSU 35
- LSU touchdown and PAT
With 2:58 left in the game LSU scored again to go up 42-39.
Missouri turned the ball over on downs. LSU punted.
At 42-39, Missouri was covering 5.5 and got the ball back with 41 seconds remaining. If the game ended right there, the home Tigers would have covered.
That is not what happened.
Quarterback Brady Cook threw a pick-six on second down. LSU took a 48-39 lead.
Missouri could not answer. The game ended. LSU won by ten.
Missouri did not cover 5.5. Brutal bad beat. Just brutal.