Taylor-to-Magee touchdown lifts Mississippi State over Missouri 31-24

No. 24 Mississippi State beat No. 19 Missouri 31-24 on Saturday night, with Kamario Taylor throwing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Sanfrisco Magee with 3:57 remaining to decide a back-and-forth SEC game. The Bulldogs had lost an early 14-point lead and later trailed by seven, but their final scoring drive settled a 24-24 tie. Taylor finished with three touchdown passes and 360 yards, according to ESPN's box score.

The start belonged to Mississippi State. Taylor found Magee for a 43-yard touchdown with 8:56 left in the first quarter, then connected with Fluff Bothwell from 11 yards out in the closing seconds of the period. That made it 14-0 before Missouri began to work its way back. Blake Craig supplied a field goal, and Austin Simmons threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Donovan Olugbode in the second quarter. The Bulldogs carried a 14-10 lead to halftime.

Missouri took its first lead on a 21-yard Simmons pass to Cayden Lee early in the third quarter. A Kyle Ferrie field goal brought Mississippi State level at 17-17, but Simmons and Lee connected again from 28 yards for a 24-17 Missouri advantage with 2:53 remaining in the period. The Tigers had erased the early 14-point hole and appeared to have the better position heading into the final quarter. ESPN's play-by-play shows the swings in order.

Mississippi State's response came on the ground. Bothwell scored on a four-yard run with 7:09 remaining, tying the game at 24. After the Bulldogs got another opportunity, Taylor went back to Magee for the 24-yard winner. The two had produced Mississippi State's opening touchdown and its last. Taylor completed 27 of 38 passes; Bothwell carried 25 times for 122 yards, giving the Bulldogs a second way to move the ball when the game tightened.

The offenses each cleared 400 total yards. Mississippi State gained 499, while Missouri finished with 414. Simmons threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns, and Lee caught 11 passes for 156 yards and two scores. Those numbers show how Missouri recovered from a slow start; the result turned on the Bulldogs' two fourth-quarter touchdowns and their ability to prevent another answer after Magee's late catch.

The NCAA's Week 4 live recap confirms the ranked matchup and 31-24 final. Missouri had enough passing production to take the lead twice, but it could not protect the seven-point margin entering the fourth quarter. Mississippi State's finish was as important as its fast opening: the Bulldogs scored the last 14 points after Lee's second touchdown, turning a possible home loss into a win over a ranked conference opponent.