COLUMBIA - For the first time in five weeks, the outcome of a Missouri football game was not determined at halftime.
It was won in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers (5-1, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) won a defensive battle in the first half and an offensive shootout in the second half, topping Mississippi 38-27 on Saturday night at Faurot Field.
It was the program's first win in the rotating SEC West crossover schedule since 2014 when Missouri beat Texas A&M 34-27 at Kyle Field.
Missouri scored 28 unanswered points after the Rebels scored the opening touchdown, but Mississippi didn't go away, and the Tigers didn't salt the game away until a 3-yard run by Larry Rountree III on fourth-and-2 at the Rebels' 33 with a minute remaining.
"We spent a lot of time talking about that this week," Missouri coach Barry Odom said. "We knew it was going to go down to the fourth quarter. The way that, whatever our past games, they've kind of been over (at halftime) and we've been trying to run the clock out in the second half.
"I'll take that any time we can get it, but we also know the truth of what it's going to take to win down the stretch. We're going to have to win on the last possession of the fourth quarter, usually, is how these things are going to go down."
A crucial goal-line stand swung the game in two plays just before halftime, as Missouri stood up Rebels' running back Snoop Conner for no gain on third- and fourth-down runs from the 1-yard line to preserve a 12-7 halftime lead.
Linebacker Nick Bolton made a one-on-one stop on the third down try, and defensive end Tre Williams and linebacker Cameron Wilkins came away with the stop on fourth down.
"They had two tight ends and a running back in the game, so we kind of figured they were going to get a quarterback run or run inside zone," Bolton said. "We had a good play call, coach Walters had a good play call, defensive line got a push, and me and Cam fit our gaps to the best of our ability."
On a night when the Missouri defense was closer to average, and not the elite unit it had been in the last month, the offense sprang into life. Kelly Bryant looked healthy, completing 23-of-35 passes for 329 yards with a score and an interception, Rountree and Dawson Downing each broke off touchdown runs of 40-plus yards and the Tigers racked up more than 200 yards on the ground and more than 500 yards overall, both for the third time this season.
"As we went into the week, really challenged our offensive line and defensive line on Tuesday after practice that I thought that the game was going to be won or lost up front," Odom said. "I thought that our offensive line took ownership in that, and I think they played extremely well together, and we were able to run the ball at times we needed it."
Bryant was able to protect his left knee, but took two hard, late hits to the head and Mississippi had two defenders ejected for targeting in the second half. Bryant said he wanted to show his teammates he would tough it out and be there to start against the Rebels, but also to get comfortable playing with the brace on his knee.
"You talk about a competitive son-of-a-gun," Odom said. "I don't know that I've been around a tougher dude. Because he pops back up, and I'm trying to get a read still, like, 'Is Kelly alright?' 'I'm good, coach,' he says, every time, 'I'm good, coach.'"
By handling business at home, Missouri finds itself alone atop the standings in the SEC East. No. 3 Georgia (5-1, 2-1 SEC) lost 20-17 in double overtime at home to South Carolina, and No. 7 Florida (6-1, 3-1 SEC) lost 42-28 at No. 5 LSU.
The Tigers play at Georgia and host Florida in back-to-back weeks in November, a run of games that could decide who plays in Atlanta in early December in the SEC championship.
Missouri, Alabama and LSU are currently the only teams undefeated in SEC play this season.
The Tigers had their first sellout of the new configuration of Memorial Stadium, a crowd of 62,221, at the 108th Homecoming celebration.
Mississippi (3-4, 2-2 SEC) racked up 440 yards of offense, including 204 yards on the ground, but needed 78 plays to get there. It's the first time since the Wyoming game the Tigers' defense allowed more than 300 yards total and more than 5 yards per play.
The Rebels scored on their second drive of the game on a short field, after Johnathon Johnson muffed a punt, didn't score on their next six drives, and then scored on three of their final four drives.
Mississippi missed one extra point, while Tucker McCann missed two, and made 4-of-4 field goals from 31, 48, 39 and 38 yards. Missouri punted once all game, and did not record a sack, but defensive tackle Jordan Elliott recorded both the team's tackles for loss.
Rountree had two rushing touchdowns and finished with 126 yards on 21 carries, and Downing had six carries for 70 yards, including a 54-yard run up the gut that saw several broken tackles and a heroic stretch for the goal line with a defender hanging on to him. It was Downing's first touchdown of his career.
Missouri plays next Saturday at Vanderbilt (1-5, 0-3 SEC). Game time is 3 p.m. in Nashville.