Missouri @ Vanderbilt preview
Vanderbilt Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 25, 2014 ) Vanderbilt 14, Missouri 24
Offense might be at a premium when Vanderbilt hosts Missouri in a matchup of struggling SEC East teams Saturday. Both teams are looking for answers to their offensive woes, as the Tigers rank last in the SEC in total offense while the Commodores are last in turnover margin.
Vanderbilt committed five turnovers in a 19-10 loss at South Carolina last week, leading coach Derek Mason to tell reporters the team is “exploring every option” to improve ball security, including the prospect of making a change at quarterback. The Tigers have lost consecutive games for the first time since 2012 and are coming off a 9-6 loss at Georgia in which they managed only 164 total yards. Despite the lackluster offensive performance, Missouri has stayed in games thanks to its defense, holding every opponent this season to 21 or fewer points and leading the SEC and ranking sixth nationally in scoring defense (12.9 points per game). The Tigers have won the past two meetings, including a 51-28 victory in their last trip to Nashville in 2013.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Missouri -2.5
ABOUT MISSOURI (4-3, 1-3 SEC): Freshman quarterback Drew Lock will make his fourth straight start while Maty Mauk remains suspended indefinitely, and Lock needs to bounce back from a rocky showing after going 11-for-26 for 143 yards against Georgia. The Tigers also had their worst game of the season running the ball, managing only 21 yards on 22 carries, and rank last in the league and 122nd of 128 FBS teams in rushing offense (103.4 yards per game). The only thing keeping the Tigers competitive is the dominant defense led by linebacker Kentrell Brothers, who leads the nation in tackles (91) and tackles per game (13), and defensive ends Walter Brady and Charles Harris, who have combined for 22 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
ABOUT VANDERBILT (2-4, 0-3): The Commodores have moved the ball at a decent clip, but they can’t hang onto it, which could result in a demotion for quarterback Johnny McCrary, who has thrown an SEC-high 10 interceptions. McCrary threw three picks last week to cloud a strong performance from Darrius Sims, who racked up 146 all-purpose yards — including a career-high 104 yards rushing — against the Gamecocks. The defense has been much-improved and was excellent with its back against the wall against South Carolina, holding the Gamecocks to a touchdown and four field goals despite nine South Carolina possessions reaching Commodore territory and four reaching the red zone.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Missouri's Gary Pinkel is coaching his 300th career game as a head coach, joining Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer, Texas State’s Dennis Franchione and Kansas State’s Bill Snyder as the only active coaches with at least 300 games at the FBS level.
2. Vanderbilt leads the SEC in third-down defense, holding opponents to a 26.2 percent success rate, while Missouri’s offense is 13th among 14 SEC teams on third down, converting just 33.3 percent.
3. Missouri ranks second nationally with 65 tackles for loss and has recorded at least seven in every game this season.
PREDICTION: Missouri 13, Vanderbilt 10