STILLWATER, OKLA. ? Missouri got plenty of big plays from Brad Smith and Marcus Woods, but it was Brad Ekwerekwu’s redemption and trickery that made the day for the Tigers.

Smith rushed for 184 yards, and Woods ran for one score, caught a pass for another, and set up a third with a 76-yard punt return for the Tigers, who built a 22-point lead and held off Oklahoma State with its offense more than its league-worst defense.

But Ekwerekwu stole the show. Ekwerekwu, a wide receiver, rebounded from a fumble and a failed fake field goal to throw for a score on a trick play and score on a reverse as Missouri beat Oklahoma State, 38-31, on Saturday.

“Players like those kind of plays, and that kind of fits with what we do on offense. We do so many things on offense – so many options, the shovel pass, all different types of runs,” Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. “Really, I think it’s an interesting offense, and I think when you add that to it, I think it really just helps everything else that you do.”

Ekwerekwu scored on a 13-yard reverse run to stretch Missouri’s lead to 38-24 with 9:07 left in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma State (3-2 overall, 0-2 Big 12 Conference) pulled back within a score on backup quarterback Al Pena’s five-yard pass to D’Juan Woods with 6:36 left, and Missouri (3-2, 1-1) was able to run the clock down to before Adam Crossett missed a 23-yard field goal wide right.

David Overstreet leaped to intercept Pena’s pass with 55 seconds left to seal the victory for Missouri’s defense, which has given up 165 points in five games.

Marcus Woods ran for 102 yards, including a 12-yard TD run in the first quarter.