Missouri football, ranked seventh nationally, struggled with consistency and made several mistakes during their SEC opener against Vanderbilt but ultimately secured a 30-27 victory in double overtime at Faurot Field, providing a sense of relief for head coach Eli Drinkwitz.
In the first overtime, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia connected with Gabe Fisher for a touchdown, but Missouri’s Brady Cook answered with a touchdown pass to Luther Burden III on the first play of their possession. In the second overtime, Missouri’s Blake Craig kicked a 38-yard field goal, which proved crucial as Vanderbilt’s Brock Taylor missed a 31-yard attempt, allowing Missouri to escape with the win.
Much of the game saw the Missouri offense underperform. Despite two visits to the red zone in the second quarter, they managed only three points, with Craig missing one of his attempts. Missouri’s running game was hampered by weak blocking, and Cook finished the day with 226 yards on 23 completions out of 37 attempts, while Pavia completed 11 of 19 passes for 157 yards.
Nate Noel stood out with a season-high 199 rushing yards, including a 64-yard run that set up a touchdown for Marcus Carroll. Missouri’s strategic choices raised eyebrows, particularly a fourth-and-3 play where Cook was sacked, which allowed Vanderbilt to advance and kick a long field goal just before halftime.
As for the overall performance, Missouri faced challenges but managed to pull through. The score trajectory was as follows:
– First Quarter: Vanderbilt 7, Missouri 7
– Second Quarter: Vanderbilt 13, Missouri 10
– Third Quarter: Tied 20-20
– Fourth Quarter: No additional scoring, leading to overtime where Missouri triumphed 30-27.
The game featured significant moments including missed field goals by both teams and defensive stands, ultimately culminating in Missouri’s hard-fought victory to open their SEC schedule.