DALLAS- In the closing seconds of Monday Night Football between the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles, it was a Missouri to Ohio State connection making the difference in the game.
“Hopefully it’s not the only time that Missouri and Ohio State hook up to do some good this week,” Missouri Football head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said.
Drew Lock, Missouri’s starting quarterback from 2015 to 2018, connected with former Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 29-yard touchdown with 28 seconds remaining to seal a 20-17 win over the Eagles.
“I think we have a lot of great representations of Mizzou in the NFL,” Drinkwitz said. “Drew did an excellent job of making the play when the opportunity presented itself his cousin Tommy [Lock] plays for us, he’s in the quarterback room and I know we were all excited.”
Lock was making his second start for Seattle, following a groin injury to starter Geno Smith. It was the third fourth quarter comeback win of Lock’s career.
“Really proud of Drew and his sticktoitiveness and continuing to earn his place in the NFL,” Drinkwitz said.
Smith-Njigba, a Dallas native, made a similar go-ahead touchdown catch in his Buckeye career that his former head coach referenced.
“For me the first thing I thought of was the catch he made in the Rose Bowl you know a couple years back where I mean it was almost the exact same area of the field and a similar type throw,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said.
Day spoke on the journey that Smith-Njigba took to get to that moment.
“Really happy for Jaxon you know he’s been through a lot the last year and a half and you know he’s got a really bright future ahead of him in the NFL,” Day said.
No matter the result of Friday’s Cotton Bowl, both programs and fan-bases will have a signature moment to remember for their schools.