Missouri football will take on Vanderbilt this Saturday at 3:15 p.m. This is Missouri’s fourth home game in a row and their ninth straight sellout.

The Tigers are 3-0 and looking to continue their winning streak against the Commodores. They hold the longest win streak in the country at seven, dating back to last season.

Missouri is heavily favored in this matchup, as Vanderbilt has struggled in recent years. The Commodores have not finished with a winning record since 2013.

Vanderbilt struggled last year, finishing 2-10. They ranked dead last in the SEC with a conference record of 0-8 across 2023.

The Commodores are coached by Clark Lea, who has been with the team since 2020. Lea hired  offensive coordinator Tim Beck this year. Beck made the transition from New Mexico State, where he coached under the same role. While there, Beck helped engineer an impressive turnaround, guiding the Aggies to consecutive bowl appearances.

Lea and Beck seem to be turning things around for Vanderbilt, as the Commodores currently have a winning record of 2-1.

“[Lea] has done a really good job with his coaching hires,” Missouri Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “I think their offense is new and innovative and tough to defend.” 

Vanderbilt opened their season against Virginia Tech, a game in which they were 13.5 point underdogs. The Commodores shocked the nation when they upset the Hokies 34-27 in a dramatic overtime game. Vanderbilt’s quarterback Diego Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State, threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the team in rushing yards, accumulating 104 yards and a rushing touchdown.

“[The Commodores] utilize their quarterback in a lot of different ways, and he gives them a chance on every play to be explosive,” Drinkwitz said. “Diego’s a different style runner. He’s more physical downhill, [and] he will lower his shoulder and take on defenders.”

While he put up strong numbers, Pavia showed moments of weakness. He fumbled the ball twice, contributing to the team’s three lost turnovers. The team looked inconsistent, nearly blowing a 17-0 lead. At the end of the day the Commodores emerged victorious, showing that Vanderbilt could be better than everyone expected.

Vanderbilt’s second game of the season was a different story. The 55-0 victory against Alcorn State was flashy, with Vanderbilt scoring from a 57-yard punt return and an interception returned for a touchdown. 

Game three marked Vanderbilt’s first loss. The Commodores fell to the Georgia State Panthers 36-32 on the road.

In the loss, turnovers continued to be a problem for Vanderbilt. The Commodores fumbled the ball, leading to a Georgia State field goal. 

Although they lost, the Commodores still looked good in the game. Pavia had his biggest game of the season, surpassing 250 passing yards and throwing for two touchdowns. Linebacker Bryan Longwell had an interception as well.

The upset of Virginia Tech followed by the loss to Georgia State begs football fans to question the talent of this 2024 Vanderbilt team. That question could be answered by how they perform against No. 7 Missouri.

Missouri should have the upperhand in the matchup. The Tigers and Commodores have clashed 16 times, with Missouri winning 11 of those matchups. Missouri is on a four-game win streak in the series and has not lost to Vanderbilt since 2019.

The two teams faced off last year when Missouri traveled to Nashville in week five. Quarterback Brady Cook threw for 395 yards with four touchdown passes. Receiver Luther Burden III had 11 receptions, 140 yards and two touchdowns. These offensive leaders paved the way for a 38-21 victory for the Tigers. 

To overcome the Commodores again, Missouri can learn from their challenging game against Boston College last week.

“Our team faced adversity; [we] didn’t have the best start, but we still found a way to compete and win,” Drinkwitz said. “Now it’s just about being more consistent.”

If Missouri wins, they will head into their first bye week with an undefeated record. It would mark the second season in a row that they finish the month of September undefeated.

Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Ava Mohror and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com 

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com