Despite a late-game scare, Missouri football picked up its first victory in over a month, defeating Vanderbilt 17-14 on Homecoming weekend.
Missouri’s offense came out of the gates fast on its opening possession. After sophomore quarterback Brady Cook connected with graduate wide receiver Barrett Banister for a huge gain on third-and-11, Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz drew up a wide receiver screen to freshman wide receiver Luther Burden III, who broke three tackles en route to his fourth touchdown of the season.
After the game, Burden III was asked what he saw on the screen pass; Burden simply responded, “The end zone.”
Burden was not done. In the second quarter, with the ball on the Vanderbilt 10-yard line, Burden took an end around, shook multiple Commodore defenders with a cut-back and found the end zone for his second score of the game.
Senior running back Cody Schrader also had an exceptional game. The Truman State transfer put up 84 rushing yards on 14 carries. After the game, Schrader credited the Missouri offensive line and wide receivers for their exceptional blocking.
“Tauskie Dove had a huge block for me,” Schrader said. “Receivers were blocking downfield really well, and the offensive line is improving each week.”
On defense, Missouri played tough once again, but it was the secondary who shined the brightest.
Junior defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine had one of the best performances of his career, breaking up three passes and forcing a fumble, although it was ruled an incomplete pass upon further review. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Ennis Rakestraw Jr. had back-to-back pass breakups as well as two tackles for loss. Junior defensive back Jaylon Carlies picked off Vanderbilt freshman quarterback AJ Swann in the end zone, as Swann was forced to throw a pass that Carlies easily intercepted. Junior defensive back Joseph Charleston had two pass breakups of his own, as well as a huge hit on Vanderbilt junior wide receiver Will Sheppard that caused an incompletion.
Redshirt freshman defensive back Daylan Carnell also contributed a pass breakup, and senior defensive back Martez Manuel registered the second-most tackles on the Missouri defense.
Despite all of that, Vanderbilt still had a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. The Missouri offense had been shut out in the second half, as Vanderbilt’s defense continuously gave its offense chances to get back in the game. The Commodores even scored a touchdown themselves on defense, as Vanderbilt senior linebacker Anfernee Orji forced a scoop-and-score on a sack fumble of Cook after sophomore linebacker CJ Taylor jumped over Schrader to collapse the pocket.
After an 80-yard touchdown reception from Commodore sophomore wide receiver Gamarion Carter and a three-and-out from Missouri on the ensuing drive, Vanderbilt worked the ball into Missouri territory with just under 90 seconds remaining in regulation. Facing a fourth-and-one, Vanderbilt senior running back Ray Davis took a handoff up the middle and was stuffed by Missouri senior defensive linemen Darius Robinson and Realus George Jr to clinch the victory for the Tigers.
Missouri will travel to the other Columbia next Saturday to play South Carolina, while Vanderbilt has a bye before hosting the Gamecocks on Nov. 5.
Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@themaneater.comCopy edited by Jacob Richey | jrichey2z