AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Missouri receiver Luther Burden scored on a 61-yard jet sweep less than a minute into the game, and the 21st-ranked Tigers went on to beat Massachusetts 45-3 on Saturday.
“The first play Luther scored on I thought set the tone,” Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “Luther set the tone as a guy everybody looks up to to make that play.”
Missouri (5-1) rebounded from its 41-10 loss at Texas A&M last week with a resounding victory over the Football Bowl Subdivision independent. UMass (1-6) lost its third straight game.
“I talked all week about responding and there were a lot of ways this could have gone,” Drinkwitz said. “They fought back and responded and I thought they played team football today. We have got to be a team that dominates nonconference competition. ”
Brady Cook completed 14 of 19 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters and gave way to Drew Pyne to start the fourth. Marcus Carroll rushed for 91 yards on 13 carries with three touchdowns.
“Marcus Carroll did exactly what he needed to do,“said Drinkwitz.
The Tigers, who entered the game ranked 15th nationally in total defense, limited UMass to 237 yards and 13 first downs.
Burden’s long scoring run on the second play from scrimmage was his second rushing TD of the season. Burden missed most of the second half with an apparent shoulder injury. Carroll scored on runs of 3 and 4 yards to make it 21-0 early in the second quarter.
“I almost think the speed of the game surprised us a little bit,” UMass coach Don Brown said.
UMass got on the board with Jacob Lurie’s 28-yard field goal. The Minutemen threatened late in the first half, with Te'Rai Powell running for 39 yards on a fake punt to keep alive a drive that reached the Missouri 7. But linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. intercepted Taisun Phommachanh’s pass over the middle, and the Tigers went up 24-3 on Blake Craig’s 43-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
“I did think we settled down in the middle of the second quarter moving into the late second quarter, then took a shot with that fake punt and we hit it,” Brown said. "I thought that obviously gave us some juice, then we give it right back to them. That was disappointing for sure.”
Carroll’s third touchdown came on a 35-yard run in the third quarter, and Cook followed with TD passes of 63 yards to Joshua Manning and 8 yards to Brett Norfleet.
Phommachanh was 12 of 22 for 132 yards and an interception. UMass managed just 95 yards on 31 rushes.
“That was an opportunity of a lifetime, playing an SEC opponent in your building, and I just want you to know there’s nothing wrong with their effort, nothing wrong with how they go about their busuiness,” Brown said. “The bottom line is we got beat by the better team today.”
Missouri: The Tigers used a balanced attack to generate 461 total yards and a strong defensive performance that limited a third opponent to three points or less.
UMass: The Minutemen played the first of three games this season against opponents from the Southeastern Conference. They’ll travel to Mississippi State and Georgia in November.
Missouri: hosts Auburn on Saturday.
UMass: hosts Wagner on Oct. 26.
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Massachusetts running back Brandon Campbell (23) recovers a fumble by quarterback Taisun Phommachanh (3) during the second half of an NCAA football game against Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Amherst, Mass. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Things have quickly gone from bad to worse for the injury-plagued Denver Nuggets, who don’t have a true healthy center on their roster after losing three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and backup Jonas Valanciunas earlier this week.
Three other core players, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson and Christian Braun, were already sidelined with injuries, leaving point guard Jamal Murray as their last starter standing Friday in a 113-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Murray scored 34 points and had seven assists in 39 minutes.
“There is no complaining here, but sometimes it’s a mystery to the head coach what’s going to happen,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “I can’t tell you how we’re going to be. I’ve just got to try things through these next few weeks.”
Jokic went down with a left knee hyperextension at Miami on Monday, just four days after his historic 56-point, 16-rebound, 15-assist performance against Minnesota on Christmas. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
The 7-foot Serbian is averaging 29.6 points and leads the NBA with 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game. Jokic has 16 triple-doubles in 32 games.
Valanciunas strained his right calf in Toronto on Wednesday and also will not have his status updated until the end of January, forcing Denver to start 6-foot-9 rookie forward DaRon Holmes II at center. Holmes picked up two fouls in the first 81 seconds and finished with three points and six assists in Cleveland.
“Right now, we are who we are,” Adelman said. “I’m actually excited for it, seeing DaRon out there for his first real action.”
Power forward Gordon (right hamstring strain), small forward Johnson (right knee soreness) and shooting guard Braun (left ankle sprain) do not have projected return dates, leaving Denver without players averaging a combined 80 points.
Remarkably, the Nuggets have maintained the third-best record in the West at 23-11.
“No one knows what’s going to happen with Aaron and Christian,” Adelman said. “And obviously, Cam, Jonas and Nikola are going to be out a while.”
Murray has been steady, regardless of who he is on the court with, averaging career highs of 25.4 points and 6.9 assists. The 10th-year pro is seeking his initial All-Star appearance and is logging a team-best 35.3 minutes per game.
The bumps and bruises are piling up, though, as Murray is playing through a left ankle sprain. Keeping him in the lineup is an ongoing issue for Adelman, who is in his first full season as Denver’s coach.
“It’s my biggest worry because Jamal is a concern,” Adelman said. “It’s a daily conversation with trainers and our medical staff, but he feels responsibility for his teammates to be out there.
“There is open communication every day. We’ll do our best to take care of him.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman gestures in the second half of an NBA basketball against the Cleveland Cavaliers game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) reaches for a rebound with Denver Nuggets forward Daron Holmes II (14) and guard Jamal Murray (27) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Toronto Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) shoots over Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valančiūnas (17) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto, Wednesday Dec. 31, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) makes pass as Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (3) and guard Ochai Agbaji (30) defend during first half NBA action in Toronto on Wednesday Dec.31, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
