SEC INSIDER

No. 22 Missouri seeks to add to streak at Vanderbilt

Field Level Media

October 16, 2019 at 2:11 am.

Missouri rides a five-game winning streak heading into Nashville, Tenn., where it meets host Vanderbilt on Saturday.

The 22nd-ranked Tigers (5-1) breezed through the last five games, winning them by a combined margin of 144 points. Missouri, 2-0 in league play, leads the Southeastern Conference East Division standings.

Vandy (1-5, 0-3 SEC), a 15 1/2-point home favorite last week, was humiliated 34-10 at home by UNLV on Saturday.

Missouri’s closest call in its winning streak came in Saturday’s 38-27 win over Ole Miss on Saturday. Tigers quarterback Kelly Bryant threw for 329 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and running back Larry Roundtree added 126 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

All five wins were at home. Missouri’s one loss was on the road, 37-31 at Wyoming on Aug. 31.

That’s a loss that coach Barry Odom said his team used as a learning tool.

“We talked about it immediately on that Sunday after that game that that’s not going to define us,” Odom said this week. “Our response from there, but also the fine line of winning a football game, how everything that you do throughout the week will get exposed.

“And then you gotta go execute. And if you prepare the right way but then you don’t go execute or you walk out, you’re minus-3 in the turnover margin, then we’re not going to win a game.”

Minus-3 was what Missouri finished in turnovers at Wyoming. The average of 7.2 yards per rush Missouri yielded against the Cowboys was also a huge factor.
Since then, Missouri is allowing 2.1 yards per carry and is plus-5 in turnovers.

The Tigers’ pass defense, which allows 5.0 per attempt, has also been stingy.

Vanderbilt’s rock is running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, whose 750 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns lead the team by a big margin.

The Commodores have mustered little success on either side of the ball besides Vaughn. Vandy ranks 120th nationally in scoring defense (36.8) and 119th in scoring offense (18.0).

Vanderbilt also can’t find a quarterback. Riley Neal has started every game, but backup Deuce Wallace has played in five games.

The two rotated last week. Mo Hasan, last year’s backup, was listed third this week.

Vanderbilt Stadium, which seats 40,550, wasn’t half full the last two weeks. Just hundreds remained in the stands during last week’s humiliating loss.
That prompted coach Derek Mason’s plea to the fan base for support during his Tuesday press conference.

“Here’s what I do know: I do know that (the players) represent you,” Mason said. “They need your support in this game.”