Vanderbilt lost 26-17 to a team whose only victories before Saturday had come against Eastern Michigan and Delaware State. If Missouri had been able to get out of its own way, the score would have been even worse.
Two trips inside the Vandy five-yard line resulted in zero third quarter points for the Tigers, allowing the Commodores opportunities they’d squander in a must-win game. A missed 21-yard field goal and a fumbled snap kept Derek Mason’s hopes for a fifth victory alive, but his team’s once-rejuvenated offense ran out of gas in Columbia. After scoring on the opening drive of the second half, all Vanderbilt could do was punt until the clock ran so low the only alternative was a turnover on downs.