Missouri

Auburn report card: Grading the Tigers' 21-17 road loss to Missouri

Published

1 year ago

October 19, 2024

Auburn report card: Grading the Tigers' 21-17 road loss to Missouri

Saturday felt like the same old story for Auburn.

The Tigers came close and had plenty of chances to salt the game away, but they didn’t. And with the door never closing, Missouri walked right through and claimed a 21-17 win.

Auburn dropped to 2-5 this season, 0-4 in the SEC.

There were mistakes in all three phases of the game as Auburn was once again second-best. Blame will likely be placed on the offense by many, but numerous mistakes across the board led to another meltdown.

Here‘s how we graded Auburn’s performance:

Offense

Grade: D-

This one was bad, really bad.

Auburn only mustered 286 yards of total offense in the game. Considering this was after a bye week, giving Auburn two weeks to prepare, the performance is even worse with context.

If you want to extract any positives from the loss, you can point out the fact that Auburn only turned the ball over once. Given the turnover issues in previous games, that’s an improvement, but it makes the 286 yards look even worse.

The best moment of the day was Payton Thorne’s 47-yard touchdown pass to Cam Coleman, but Thorne struggled in the later stages of the game.

Jarquez Hunter had his quietest game of the season too, being held to 57 yards and just three yards per carry.

There were a few small things that prevent the offense from earning an F, but there isn’t much else to salvage this performance.

Defense

Grade: B-

Auburn‘s defense was good, until it wasn’t.

It held Missouri to limited production for most of the game, but that success coincided with Missouri starting quarterback Brady Cook sidelined due to an ankle injury.

When Cook returned with under a minute left in the third quarter, he gave Auburn‘s defense fits with both his legs and chunk plays through the air. His third play back in the game was a 78-yard connection with Mookie Cooper, setting up Missouri’s first touchdown of the game on the next play.

He was most effective, though, on Missouri’s 17-play, 95-yard drive to take the lead in the final minute. He had runs of 14 and nine yards on that drive, showcasing an issue Auburn has dealt with all season.

“It was a hard thing. But we’re gonna get that addressed and talk about it in film (study),” Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante said of the scrambles after the game.

The disappointing part of that statement is that Auburn had chances to get the issue of quarterback runs fixed after the New Mexico game and after Arkansas and again after Oklahoma, but the issue persists.

Special Teams

Grade: D

It takes an especially bad performance to score a special teams touchdown and still get a D here.

Penalties in the kicking game continue to be an issue for Auburn, and they cost the Tigers field position at times. The bigger mistake, though, was Towns McGough’s missed 30-yard field goal.

It came when Auburn was up 17-6, and felt like the turning point in the game when Cook re-entered immediately following the missed kick.

McGough is now 5-for-10 on the season, continuing to struggle as Alex McPherson is still yet to play a game for Auburn this season.

“He’s in a kicker’s slump, I guess you would say,” Freeze said of McGough. “Alex is closer health-wise for some shorter ones. Probably have to look at that too.”

Coaching

Grade: D+

Auburn still can’t get over the hump, and that falls on coaching before anything else.

Offensively, the most questionable sequence came on the drive where McGough missed the field goal. Auburn had first-and-goal at the 10-yard line, but threw the ball three straight times.

For context, Auburn ran the ball on eight of its nine previous plays and was moving the ball efficiently doing so.

The first throw on the sequence was a nice end zone shot to Robert Lewis that went through his hands, but the next play was a sack that took away any realistic chance of Auburn getting into the end zone.

Defensively, the biggest question is how Auburn still struggles to contain running quarterbacks seven games into the season. Asante claimed that the team will address the issue this week, but one would think it would be addressed and fixed by now.

Overall

Grade: C-

Auburn looked good enough to win, but it didn’t. Does that sound familiar?

This time around, Auburn really never played well, but mistakes by Missouri gave it a lead and a sense of control.

Eventually, the visiting Tigers’ performance caught up with them, and they were handed a rather deserved loss. You can still make a strong argument, though, that Auburn should’ve won. That’s what good teams do.

Good teams take advantage of their opponents fumbling handoffs and muffing punts into the end zone and win the game.

At the moment, the mark of a good team is one Auburn is falling short of.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 winning numbers for March 3, 2026

Published

7 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing

07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing

Midday: 5-8-9

Midday Wild: 8

Evening: 8-8-2

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing

Midday: 0-3-5-7

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 0-9-9-5

Evening Wild: 6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 3 drawing

Early Bird: 13

Morning: 15

Matinee: 09

Prime Time: 14

Night Owl: 14

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 3 drawing

04-07-09-17-21

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

Missouri auditor to probe St. Louis arts funder after whistleblower complaint

Published

19 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Missouri auditor to probe St. Louis arts funder after whistleblower complaint

Missouri state Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick has launched a review of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis’ finances.

The audit is in response to complaints from a whistleblower who alerted the office to possible misuse of funds, Fitzpatrick said Tuesday. The auditor’s office then reviewed documents provided by RAC during an initial investigation before launching a full audit.

“We have verified the veracity of the whistleblower complaint, and have seen with our own eyes at this point records that give us enough concern that we want to proceed with an audit,” Fitzpatrick said.

The auditor’s report could be released late this year or in early 2027, he added. It would then be up to state and local authorities to follow up on any potential misconduct.

In an unsigned statement, RAC said it receives an annual audit from a firm selected by the offices of the St. Louis mayor and St. Louis County executive and that it shares the results publicly. “[We] are confident the findings from the state will mirror the success we have come to expect at the local level,” the statement says.

“We welcome the opportunity to provide documentation and context regarding our financial practices and grantmaking processes. As always, RAC will continue to focus on serving the St. Louis region’s arts and cultural community and maintaining the public’s trust,” the statement adds.

Potential issues identified in the state auditor’s initial investigation include the possibilities that RAC’s administrative expenses exceed what is allowed by statute, that leaders issued bonuses disallowed by the state constitution and that large grants were issued with no follow-up to ensure the money was used properly.

Fitzpatrick said his actions are not related to the commission’s choice of grant recipients.

Changes to the grant process

RAC distributes annual grants to arts organizations in St. Louis and St. Louis County. It is funded by a tax on hotel and motel stays. The commission distributed $3.7 million last year.

The organization suspended grant applications for fiscal 2026 due to “continuing financial volatility” and a new five-year plan, according to a note on its website. It will use applications received in 2025 as a guide for its 2026 grants.

Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis

Vanessa Cooksey took leadership of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis in 2021.

“This pause allows RAC to support eligible and high-scoring 2025 grantees and applicants while navigating financial challenges and planning for a stronger, more sustainable grant program in the future,” the note says.

RAC publishes a list of its annual grants online.

Vanessa Cooksey became president and CEO of the organization in 2020 after it spent a year without a permanent leader. Previous chief Felicia Shaw had stepped down in November 2019. Neither Shaw nor RAC provided a public explanation for Shaw’s departure.

Some smaller organizations had complained that during Shaw’s tenure they stopped receiving annual grants.

The Regional Arts Commission had a $13.4 million budget in 2024, according to tax documents. Cooksey received a $196,253 salary and $28,652 in additional compensation.

Continuing a process begun by Shaw, Cooksey oversaw changes to grant applications that she said were meant to simplify the process – including removing a longstanding split between its funding mechanisms for large and small organizations.

A key arts funder after the coronavirus pandemic

In November 2022, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to direct $10.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to RAC. A measure that would have allocated another $1.6 million failed to pass the St. Louis County Council, so RAC was statutorily required to distribute ARPA funds only to groups based in St. Louis.

RAC has distributed $9.5 million of the ARPA money so far, funding 195 individual artists and 75 organizations.

Arts leaders said in 2022 that the sector supports more than 19,000 jobs and generates nearly $600 million a year – more than all local sports franchises combined.

The federal money was a boon to St. Louis artists and arts organizations following a steep decrease in funding at the height of the coronavirus pandemic due to decreased tourism in the region.

Tax revenues earmarked for RAC decreased from $9.5 million in fiscal 2019 to $2.8 million the next year. Tax revenue directed to RAC have increased but still lag behind the pre-pandemic total. The commission reported $7.5 million in tax revenue received in fiscal 2024.

RAC presented a new five-year plan with much fanfare in March 2020 but had little initial opportunity to implement it. Not long after, St. Louis officials put limits on public gatherings to tamp down spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Commission officials released a new five-year strategic roadmap in December 2025.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for March 2, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing

Midday: 3-3-4

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 4-8-9

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 2 drawing

Midday: 6-4-2-2

Midday Wild: 5

Evening: 2-8-2-4

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 2 drawing

Early Bird: 08

Morning: 12

Matinee: 05

Prime Time: 04

Night Owl: 02

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from March 2 drawing

13-17-18-23-28

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 2 drawing

21-28-58-65-67, Powerball: 25

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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