<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0WahtX_0wEQXk0E00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0WahtX_0wEQXk0E00" width="1210" height="806" ></figure>Moxie.<blockquote>Noun: courageous spirit and determination; perseverance</blockquote>According to Dictionary.com the definition of Moxie is the above. It’s a slang term, American in nature, and it’s not even been around for 100 years. The Google search definition uses the Oxford Language dictionary and describes moxie as a force of character, determination, or nerve.Sometimes it’s hard to describe what you’ve just watched when it comes to your favorite sports club or team. The superlatives abound, often over applied, particularly in sports. That said, I still can’t believe how the game yesterday unfolded. And the only thing I can think to say about it is man, it took a load of moxie to win that game. I can’t be alone on this, but once Luther Burden muffed the punt and Auburn recovered it in the end zone, I felt the all too familiar feeling of despair. Brady Cook wasn’t on the field and Mizzou had put up just 124 yards of offense with Drew Pyne under center. Even though Cook has struggled with his deep passing game this season, the intermediate passing game has been effective, and Cook’s mobility and ability to pick up yardage and 1st downs with this legs is vital to the Missouri offense. Pyne seemed at home in the short yardage, but it was clear the offense stalled with him out there. Without Brady, Mizzou was cooked. But sometimes life (and a whole lot of medical advancements) intervenes. You don’t often get to write the script, but yesterday felt like it was written. Brady Cook thought he was done. Reporters had downgraded his return from probable to unlikely. The deficit grew. Hope looked lost. Mizzou continued to fight, Pyne even steered them down the field to get close enough to kick a second field goal for the day. But Auburn used a 13 play 63 yard drive to get themselves back into scoring position again. Mizzou fans everywhere were seeing the hope of the season circling the drain. That is until Auburn kicker Towns McGough (that’s his real name, pronounced ‘ma-goo’) missed a 30 yard kick wide left. What happened next was the story. Brady Cook trotted onto the field, and while it wasn’t an immediate lighning bolt the strike didn’t take long. On 3rd and 10 from their own 20, Cook hit Mookie Cooper for a big strike over the middle. The catch and run took the ball all the way down to the 2 yard line as the 3rd quarter expired. Missouri had new life, the entire vibe in the stadium had changed. Marcus Carroll punched in a touchdown on the next play, the Tigers converted the two point conversion, and suddenly we were in business. But no storybook is written without a plot twist or two, and Missouri’s next two drives would provide the twist. Mizzou were pinned on the one yard line with 6:55 to play and couldn’t get out past the four yard line. Giving the ball back to Auburn, the defense held in a big way forcing another punt. This time the ball would drop into Daniel Blood’s hands at the 5 yard line. 95 yards to go with 4:26 to play. 3rd and 1 from the 14, Carroll gained 5 yards. 3rd and 7 from the 22, Cook scrambled for 14 yards. Another setback occurred when Cook was sacked for a loss of 8 yards after the 2 minute time out. It set up a 3rd and 18, when Cook found Burden for a 15 yard gain. Burden, again trying to do too much, gave up a few yards in an attempt to gain the first down. It set up a 4th &amp; 5, where Auburn again went man coverage and Cook to Burden worked again, this time for 16 yards and a Missouri 1st down. Maybe the storybook ended is Cook running it in as time expires, or tossing a touchdown pass, but a handoff to Jamal Roberts got the deal done before more time had run off the clock. Missouri had scored with 46 seconds left in the game. All the defense had to do was prevent Auburn from scoring a touchdown in that time. They did. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center">"Mizzou means so much to me." An emotional Brady Cook after <a href="https://twitter.com/MizzouFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MizzouFootball</a>'s win against Auburn. <a href="https://t.co/fXyIBf9Eg2">pic.twitter.com/fXyIBf9Eg2</a>— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/1847729276793020827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote>I don’t know if this season will end with a storybook ending, most likely not. After all storybooks aren’t real life. We occasionally get something fun like yesterday, but more often than not someone else hoists the big trophy at the end of the year. Someone else walks off to cheesy 70s rock athems blaring with confetti falling. But it’s not about what happens next. To get to that part at all, you had to play yesterday out as it did. To have a shot, you had to beat Auburn. Maybe it could have been a little easier, but sometimes we forget Mizzou was only favored by 4, and Auburn was a top 25 SP+ team despite their record. Mizzou isn’t perfect, but a lot like the team last year they fight to the end. This year the Tigers demanded respect from the outset of the season. The 2023 team earned that respect, the ‘24 version is figuring out you gotta do it all over again. Starting with a trip to Tuscaloosa next weekend.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3iHjBk_0wEQXk0E00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3iHjBk_0wEQXk0E00" width="1920" height="1200" ><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0bsqHW_0wEQXk0E00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0bsqHW_0wEQXk0E00" width="1920" height="804" ><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4IHiG1_0wEQXk0E00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4IHiG1_0wEQXk0E00" width="1920" height="871" ><h2>Other SEC Scores:</h2><ul><li>Georgia (5) 30, Texas (1) 15</li><li>Tennessee (11) 24, Alabama (7) 17</li><li>LSU (8) 34, Arkansas 10</li><li>Texas A&amp;M (14) 34, Mississippi State 24</li><li>Vanderbilt 24, Ball State 14</li><li>South Carolina 35, Oklahoma 9</li><li>Florida 48, Kentucky 20</li></ul></div></body>

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Pourover: Writing your own storybook ending

Noun: courageous spirit and determination; perseverance. According to Dictionary.com the definition of Moxie is the above. It’s a slang term, American in nature, and it’s not even been around for 100 years. The Google search definition uses the Oxford Language dictionary and describes moxie as a force of character, determination, or nerve.