Vanderbilt @ Missouri preview
Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 5, 2013 ) Missouri 51, Vanderbilt 28
Defending SEC East champion Missouri has managed to win two games during a three-game offensive slump, but the Tigers will need the offense to return to form to get back to the SEC Championship. Missouri looks to improve in that area when it hosts struggling Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Commodores are coming off a bye week after narrowly avoiding an embarrassing loss when they held off FCS member Charleston Southern for a 21-20 victory.
Missouri is still in the thick of the SEC East race thanks to its defense and special teams, which accounted for four touchdowns in last week's 42-13 win at Florida. "Points are points no matter how you get them – offensively, defensively, or special teams-wise," Missouri center Evan Boehm told reporters. "Shout out to our defense and our special teams for doing such a great job, but as an offense it's really time for us to step forward and take control of the game." The matchup features two of the nation's most dangerous kick returners in Missouri's Marcus Murphy, who returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns against the Gators, and Vanderbilt's Darrius Sims, who had two kickoff return TDs earlier this season against South Carolina.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Missouri -21.
ABOUT VANDERBILT (2-5, 0-4 SEC): The Commodores' youth shows in the fact that the team's leading rusher, receiver and tackler are all freshmen and now redshirt freshman Johnny McCrary is set to become the team's fourth starting quarterback. McCrary came off the bench against Charleston Southern and tossed a 65-yard TD pass to leading receiver C.J. Duncan to jumpstart a struggling offense. Vanderbilt gives up a whopping 178.4 rushing yards per game and has surrendered at least 180 yards on the ground in four straight games.
ABOUT MISSOURI (5-2, 2-1): Quarterback Maty Mauk continued to struggle at Florida, and the Tigers managed 119 total yards. The defense and special teams more than made up for that, as Missouri forced six turnovers and Murphy became the school's career leader with seven kick return touchdowns. The defensive line was dominant against the Gators: Shane Ray recorded two sacks and forced a fumble that fellow defensive end Markus Golden returned for a touchdown, and defensive tackle Harold Brantley recorded a sack for a third straight game.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Murphy (4,235) is third on Missouri's all-time list for all-purpose yards, trailing only Brad Smith (4,419) and Jeremy Maclin (5,609).
2. Vanderbilt has been outscored 59-17 in the first quarter and has been shut out in the first stanza in five of its seven games.
3. Ray's 10 sacks are 1 1/2 shy of the Missouri single-season record set by Aldon Smith in 2009 and matched by Michael Sam last season.
PREDICTION: Missouri 27, Vanderbilt 13