Even though Missouri didn’t make the College Football Playoff, they still got a chance to finish their season on a high note.
The Tigers faced Wake Forest in the Gasparilla Bowl.
Mizzou was trying to win its first postseason contest since the 2014 Citrus Bowl.
However, The Demon Deacon’s Sam Hartman had something to say about that. The fifth-year redshirt junior quarterback completed 23 of 36 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns, while only committing one interception in his team’s 27-17 victory.
Along with leading Wake Forest to postseason glory, Hartman also became the Atlantic Coast Conference’s all-time leader in touchdown passes when he connected with Taylor Morin on the Demon Deacon’s opening possession for his 108th passing score.
Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook did his best to rally his team. Cook tossed his only touchdown of the game late in the first half to Demariyon Houston to cut the deficit to 14-10 at intermission.
The Tigers finally grabbed their first lead of the game when Cody Schrader capped off a 13-play, 83 yard drive with 5:45 to play in the third quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run to put the black and gold ahead, 17-14.
However, Hartman was able to throw his final two touchdown passes over the final 19:29 of the game, while the Demon Deacons defense kept Mizzou off the board the rest of the way.
The 27-17 loss gives the Tigers four straight bowl games without a win and the team is 0-2 under head coach Eli Drinkwitz.
