College GameDay came to Nashville for No. 15 Missouri football’s matchup with No. 10 Vanderbilt. Both teams came into this game as two of the top three scoring offenses in the Southeastern Conference, but the defense was on display for the majority of the contest.
The Commodores struggled against the Tigers’ defense but managed a gritty 17-10 victory, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
No matter how this game would’ve ended, it was going to be remembered for the ankle injury sustained by graduate quarterback Beau Pribula. The injury occurred on a fourth-and-goal designed quarterback run after Pribula was stuffed under a pile of players. Pribula is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
With Mizzou’s starting quarterback sidelined, first-year backup Matt Zollers was thrust into the limelight in a pivotal matchup. Zollers ended with 14 completions for 138 yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers’ offense didn’t find any rhythm until late in the second quarter, as the game started as a defensive showcase. Missouri spanned a 13-play, 69-yard drive for over seven minutes that ended in a 39-yard field goal by freshman kicker Robert Meyer.
The mirroring pattern of the game continued as the Commodores generated some momentum on the ensuing drive, drilling a 38-yard field goal to bring the score to 3-3, where it would stay for the remainder of the first half.
The Tigers’ first drive of the second half offered promise after an interception by defensive end Damon Wilson ll. With the ball on the Commodores’ 20-yard line, Mizzou managed to run the ball down to the 2-yard line. A subsequent fourth-and-goal attempt brought about Pribula’s aforementioned injury and stopped the offense from putting any points on the board.
Zollers looked poised on his first drive of the game, leading a 12-play drive down to the opposing 11-yard line and setting up Meyer with a field goal opportunity.
Meyer’s kick took a direct line to the left field goal post, doinking off and leaving the Tigers scoreless yet again.
Instead of mirroring the scoreless drive, the Commodores junior running back Makhilyn Young took the first play of the drive 80 yards to the house to give Vanderbilt a 10-3 lead.
“I feel like we did pretty good besides a few explosive plays we gave up,” graduate safety Daylan Carnell said postgame. “We’ve just got to take away the explosive play, and then we’ll be fine.”
Missouri responded, taking another 12-play drive 75 yards down the field, but this time the offense got in the end zone after Zollers found redshirt first-year tight end Jude James on a fourth-and-2 attempt for a 6-yard touchdown. James became a favorite target of Zollers, finding him four times for 21 yards and the touchdown.
“(Jude) stepped up in big moments,” head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said postgame. “He was in there at the end of the game and did some nice stuff.”
The Tigers’ defense forced another three-and-out on Vanderbilt, but another turnover gave Vanderbilt the ball on Mizzou’s 44-yard line. Sophomore safety CJ Heard stripped and recovered the ball from redshirt sophomore running back Jamal Roberts.
Penalties and the Commodores’ ground game led to a 1-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Diego Pavia to give Vanderbilt a 17-10 lead with 1:52 remaining in regulation.
Mizzou’s offense fit 13 plays into less than two minutes and got a few penalties to improve its field position. Zollers threw a Hail Mary to the end zone, which was caught by Kevin Coleman Jr. inches short of the goal line, ending the game as the clock hit zero.
The Tigers’ two-game road trip ended with the narrow loss. Week 10 brings the second bye week of the season, but the following week, No. 3 Texas A&M will travel to Columbia for another game with playoff implications.
