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- During the calm before the storm at the Cotton Bowl, quarterback Colby Carpenter listens to music outside the Mizzou locker room.
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- Players relax outside of the locker room before the game.
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- The largest HDTV in the world hangs in AT&T Stadium.
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- The sun sets before action begins at AT&T Stadium.
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- Tailgaters Larry Wilson (center) and Cindy Lenk talk with television reporters. Both are lifelong Tigers fans who drove from Columbia to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl game.
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- Tight end Eric Waters blows a kiss to Mizzou fans on his way to the locker room after warming up on the field.
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- Truman and a Mizzou cheerleader pose for the camera before the game.
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- Truman and the cheerleaders lead the team onto the field.
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- Center Evan Boehm takes a look at the offensive line before hiking the ball.
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- Wide receiver Marcus Lucas barely misses a pass from quarterback James Franklin.
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- A Mizzou fan cheers on his team.
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- Tailback Henry Josey runs for the end zone. Josey scored three touchdowns and was voted the game's offensive MVP.
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- Quarterback Maty Mauk receives some support from a fan as he re-enters the field after running out of bounds.
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- Defensive end Kony Ealy celebrates a sack against Clint Chelf.
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- The Golden Girls perform during halftime.
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- An Oklahoma State fan shows off his colors in support of the Cowboys.
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- Wide receiver Marcus Lucas catches a pass for a touchdown in the second half.
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- Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy paces the sidelines at the beginning of the second half.
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- Linebacker Andrew Wilson tackles wide receiver Tracy Moore. Wilson was named MVP for the game.
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- Safety Braylon Webb intercepts the ball.
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- Defensive end Michael Sam celebrates a sack. Sam tied Mizzou's all-time sack record of 11.5, a record shared by Aldon Smith.
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- In a close game, fans expressed a range of emotions.
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- Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham jumps for a pass completion.
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- Defensive end Kony Ealy blocks a pass from Oklahoma State quarterback Clint Chelf.
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- Cornerback Randy Ponder breaks up a pass completion in the end zone.
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- Defensive lineman Shane Ray recovers a fumble forced by Michael Sam and runs for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 41-31 lead, the final score of the game.
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- Tigers fans celebrate a Cotton Bowl victory and chant S-E-C!
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- Offensive lineman Max Copeland shares his appreciation for a free hat at the end of the game.
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- Coach Gary Pinkel raises the Cotton Bowl trophy after ending a 12-2 season, tying a record set in the 2007 season, at the end of which Mizzou also won the Cotton Bowl.
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- Coach Gary Pinkel earned his 102nd win, making him the all-time winningest coach in Mizzou football history.
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- Players take turns holding up the Cotton Bowl trophy.
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- Players take turns kissing the Cotton Bowl trophy.
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- Players take turns kissing the Cotton Bowl trophy.
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- Offensive lineman Justin Britt hugs a young Tigers fan while holding the Cotton Bowl trophy.
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- Offensive lineman Anthony Gatti takes his turn holding up the Cotton Bowl trophy.
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- Offensive lineman Evan Boehm holds up a Missouri state flag in front of Mizzou fans after the game.
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- Wide receiver L'Damian Washington waves a Mizzou flag after the game.
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- Wide receiver L'Damian Washington says goodbye to Mizzou fans on his way to the locker room after the game.
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- Tailback Henry Josey receives the offensive MVP award during a press conference after the game.
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- Defensive end Kony Ealy hugs coach Gary Pinkel. Ealy announced that he plans to leave Mizzou and enter the NFL draft.
— In concluding a Cotton Bowl game filled with twists, drama and record-breaking accomplishments, it was fitting that Mizzou’s 41-31 win over Oklahoma State came down to one of coach Gary Pinkel’s most celebrated seniors.
The Tigers were up 34-31, but the Cowboys were driving with less than two minutes left in the game. Senior defensive end Michael Sam, a unanimous All-American, strip-sacked the Cowboys quarterback to tie Aldon Smith’s all-time sack record of 11.5. Shane Ray returned the fumble for a touchdown and locked up the Mizzou victory.
“Just all the drama that you don't want as a coach in the fourth quarter we had,” Pinkel said. “We had a lot of adversity. Fortunately we made the plays we needed to make to win it at the end.”
The win was Pinkel’s 102nd with Mizzou, surpassing legend Don Faurot's record for the most all-time Mizzou wins. The Tigers, who finished the season 12-2, also tied a school record for most wins in a season. After the game, after the Gatorade shower and confetti-cannon explosions, several players asked Pinkel about the milestones.
“I said, ‘This isn’t about me. This is about a championship.’” Pinkel said. “But I’m very honored, very honored, to be the winningest coach in Missouri history. I thank all those people who were a part of that.”
With Mizzou’s victory, the Tigers became the 10th team from the Southeastern Conference in the past 11 years to win the Cotton Bowl. The lone exception? Mizzou, who represented the Big 12 in 2008, beating Arkansas 38-7.
Two Tigers were honored in the postgame awards. Running back Henry Josey was named offensive MVP after racking up 92 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries. Linebacker Andrew Wilson, who passed his father to become 10th all-time in tackles at Mizzou, was named defensive MVP.
“These guys believed in me even when I doubted myself, even when everybody was doubting that I would come back again,” Josey said. “That's the main thing of my success: just having the right support.”
Based on Mizzou’s win and other teams’ losses around them, the Tigers are likely to ranked in the top 5 of the national polls for the season. Auburn, one of the two teams to beat Mizzou this year, closes the NCAA football season in the national championship Jan. 6. The final polls will be released that night.
