Missouri football is 4-0 for the first time since 2013. The undefeated start to the season earned the team the No. 23 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll for college football. The Tigers will look to continue their strong start to the season this Saturday when they take on the 2-3 Vanderbilt Commodores at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. Here are the three keys to Missouri coming out on top in its first inner conference game of the season.

Limiting Vanderbilt’s Passing Attack

Although a Commodore is a Naval officer, the Vanderbilt offense, ironically, is more focused on attacking through the air. 1,386 of their 1,929 total offensive yards this season (71%) have come from passing. Their artillery includes three wide receivers who are all in the top-15 for receiving yards in the SEC — senior Will Shepherd, freshman London Humphreys and sophomore Jayden McGowan. Additionally, Shepherd’s six receiving touchdowns are the most in the conference.

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz has high respect for the uber-talented receiving room at Vanderbilt. 

“It’s going to be a really difficult challenge,” Drinkwitz said. “Those guys are really talented.”

Due to a handful of injuries, Missouri’s defense will likely be short-handed as they try to handle Vanderbilt’s potent passing attack. Last week, starting cornerbacks Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Dreyden Norwood both suffered injuries, which forced seniors Marcus Clarke and Jaylon Carlies into action. On Tuesday, Drinkwitz stated that both Rakestraw and Norwood are uncertain to play against Vanderbilt. 

Injuries for Vanderbilt will also play a part in the team’s passing attack. The Commodores’ quarterback, sophomore AJ Swann, suffered an elbow contusion injury two weeks ago against UNLV. The injury caused Swann to leave the team’s game last week against Kentucky during the fourth quarter. In both games, Swann was replaced by senior Ken Seals, who was the team’s starter in 2020 and 2021. 

Regardless of who is throwing the ball for Vanderbilt, Missouri’s defense will have its hands full on Saturday with the Commodores’ three exceptional play-making receivers. 

Avoiding big plays on kick/punt returns

Though special team units are often overlooked, football games are sometimes determined by just a few big plays from these units. That was the case in Vanderbilt’s 35-28 win over Hawaii in week two. If not for a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown from McGowan in the first quarter, Vanderbilt might not have won the close 35-28 game. With 257 total yards on kickoff returns, McGowan currently has the fifth most in all of college football. 

Drinkwitz talked about some of the issues on Missouri’s kick and punt return units this Tuesday.

“We haven’t really played up to our full potential on special teams yet,” Drinkwitz said. “We’ve had glimpses of being successful there but haven’t put it all together. Our coverage teams are going to have to be really good [this week].” 

If the game this weekend is as close as the last time the two teams met in 2022 — a game that ended with Missouri winning 17-14 — a few big returns from Vanderbilt could be game-changers. Missouri’s special teams unit will have to improve from their first four performances of the season in order to limit the big-play ability of Vanderbilt’s return groups.

Pressure the Quarterback

Missouri’s front seven must make the Vanderbilt quarterback uncomfortable on Saturday. An injury to Vanderbilt’s starting right tackle, graduate student Junior Uzebu, has caused the Commodores to make some changes along the offensive line. This includes senior Bradley Ashmore, who typically plays at right guard, to move over one spot to play right tackle. Junior Gage Pitchford has also moved, stepping in at right guard in place of Ashmore. The makeshift offensive line allowed 20 pressures last week against Kentucky, causing a panicked Swann to throw three interceptions. 

Missouri getting after the Commodores’ quarterback early and often would also limit the big-play potential of Vanderbilt’s three play-making wide receivers. If the quarterback is not afforded the time to read a defense and make his decision, his pass-catchers are likely to suffer. Creating havoc against a hobbled Vanderbilt offensive line would make for a long day for the Vanderbilt offense.

Edited by Quentin Corpuel | qcorpuel@themaneater.com

Copy Edited by Jae Green and Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com