COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥 Missouri has four wins from its first four games of the season, as expected.
The No. 7 Tigers are undefeated heading into their bye week. But getting to that point was far from stress free.
It took two overtimes and a missed field goal in the second extra period for Mizzou to beat Vanderbilt 30-27 on Saturday.
But sugary icing splattered on by the opponent will not mask the bitterness of an error-riddled game that prompted MU to rely on the Commodores to miss from 31 yards away.
鈥淲e鈥檙e 4-0,鈥 Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said, 鈥渁nd we鈥檝e got a lot of work to do.鈥
Before Saturday鈥檚 game, Drinkwitz was preaching tidiness when it came to the unforced errors that had popped up in the Tigers鈥 first three games of the season.
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鈥淚t鈥檚 not about our opponent,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about us and our approach and how much better we can improve, how much more disciplined and consistent we can be in all three phases.鈥
Yet at times, there seemed to be a regression 鈥 or at a minimum, stagnancy.
Mizzou conceded the first touchdown of the game to Vanderbilt on a blown coverage reminiscent of a collapse a week earlier against Boston College. Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia made wideout Joseph McVay鈥檚 first collegiate touch a memorable one as the true freshman burst over the top of MU鈥檚 secondary for a 65-yard touchdown reception.
The Tigers equalized with a solid play design that gave quarterback Brady Cook a free bootleg and a simple pass to a wide-open Luther Burden III for a 20-yard touchdown.
That duo connected against on Mizzou鈥檚 first offensive play of overtime, a 25-yard dart straight to Burden in the end zone after he shook his matchup. But it otherwise was an down day for Cook.
Mizzou鈥檚 quarterback completed 23 of his 37 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Deep passing concerns weren鈥檛 exactly assuaged 鈥 though two shot plays hit Burden in the hands. Cook鈥檚 rushing was also stunted by its usual standards, with just seven yards picked up on the ground.
鈥淚鈥檓 a little disappointed in how I performed, how the offense performed, straight up,鈥 Cook said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day, we found a way to win.鈥
Less than a week after winning the Southeastern Conference鈥檚 special teams player of the week award, MU kicker Blake Craig missed on three field-goal attempts. He knocked a 24-yard chip shot off the upright, then whiffed from 40 and 46.
Craig also converted from 54 yards out and, in overtime, from 37 鈥 the kind of duality that comes with an overtime escape.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have even close to our best game,鈥 Drinkwitz said.
He included himself in that pronoun because of a dangerous clock management blunder before halftime. The Tigers faced a 4th and 8 near the end of the second quarter with a running clock that meant they didn鈥檛 need to run a play.
But they did, and Cook was sacked. That turnover on downs gave Vanderbilt the ball in Missouri territory with eight seconds left, which was just enough time to get into field-goal range. Those three points, paired with Mizzou鈥檚 misses and faltering offense that couldn鈥檛 close the deal, loomed over the second half of the game.
鈥淭otally my fault,鈥 Drinkwitz said. 鈥淭hat was a really haphazard decision by me. The team bailed me out. Bottom line, I鈥檝e gotta be much better.鈥
The clear positive from the MU offense was running back Nate Noel, who ran for a career-high 199 yards. After emerging as the head of the Tigers鈥 tailback committee near the end of the preseason, Noel鈥檚 burst and ability to navigate zone schemes have popped to a notable degree.
He had six runs of double-digit yards, including one 64-yard dash down to the 3-yard line that set up Missouri鈥檚 lone touchdown of the second half.
鈥淲ithout him, we don鈥檛 win that game,鈥 Cook said.
After a scoreless fourth quarter, the Tigers chose to start overtime on defense. Vanderbilt scored on its first possession from the 25-yard line, with Pavia scrambling up the middle to set up a 2-yard passing touchdown. The Commodores kicked an extra point, requiring Mizzou to score a touchdown to stay alive.
That鈥檚 where Cook and Burden picked up a dime at the right time.
鈥淭hat was a fun play,鈥 Cook said. 鈥淲e repped it all week, Luther ran a great route, little double move. He executed it perfectly 鈥 and I knew we had him.鈥
Missouri began the second overtime with the ball but did not get a first down. A short pass to tight end Brett Norfleet and minimal rush by Noel set up a 3rd and 5, on which Cook threw into double coverage in the end zone.
After the incompletion, Craig stepped up for his 37-yard make.
Needing to hold Vanderbilt to a field goal for survival, Mizzou鈥檚 defense rose to the occasion. Pavia scrambled all the way to the Tigers鈥 12 鈥 keep in mind that overtime possessions start inside field goal range, at the 25-yard line. But an offensive pass interference flag in the end zone backed the Commodores up. They recouped some of the yardage but needed to try a 31-yard field goal.
Vanderbilt鈥檚 field goal try went wide left.
鈥淎 weight just dropped off my shoulders,鈥 defensive tackle Chris McClellan said.
Mizzou enters a bye week with a four-game October slate that will, as a collective bunch of games, likely be tougher than what the Tigers have faced so far. Three of those matchups will be on the road, including two games in front of hostile six-figure crowds.
But preparation for that will wait. MU wants to start by solving its own problems.
鈥淲e gotta go take a hard look at the Missouri Tigers,鈥 Drinkwitz said.
No. 7 Missouri 30, Vanderbilt 27 (2OT)
Vanderbilt 7 6 7 0 7 0 鈥 27
Missouri 7 3 10 0 7 3 鈥 30
First Quarter
痴础狈鈥McVay 65 pass from Pavia (B.Taylor kick), 9:06.
惭滨窜窜鈥Burden 20 pass from Cook (Craig kick), 3:51.
Second Quarter
痴础狈鈥FG B.Taylor 27, 13:27.
惭滨窜窜鈥FG Craig 23, 1:17.
痴础狈鈥FG B.Taylor 57, 15:00.
Third Quarter
惭滨窜窜鈥FG Craig 54, 10:58.
惭滨窜窜鈥Carroll 3 run (Craig kick), 8:18.
痴础狈鈥Newberry 4 run (B.Taylor kick), :21.
First Overtime
痴础狈鈥G.Fisher 2 pass from Pavia (B.Taylor kick), :00.
惭滨窜窜鈥Burden 25 pass from Cook (Craig kick), :00.
Second Overtime
惭滨窜窜鈥FG Craig 37, :00.
VAN MIZZ
First downs 15 22
Total Net Yards 324 446
Rushes-yards 36-146 40-216
Passing 178 230
Punt Returns 0-0 2-40
Kickoff Returns 0-0 3-51
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 14-23-0 24-38-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 1-12 2-12
Punts 6-46.667 3-38.333
Fumbles-Lost 2-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 8-93 3-33
Time of Possession 21:54 58:06
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
搁鲍厂贬滨狈骋鈥Vanderbilt, Pavia 16-90, Alexander 11-52, Newberry 6-18, Sherrill 1-(minus 7), (Team) 2-(minus 7). Missouri, Noel 23-199, Carroll 6-10, Cook 11-7.
笔础厂厂滨狈骋鈥Vanderbilt, Pavia 14-23-0-178. Missouri, Cook 24-38-0-230.
搁贰颁贰滨痴滨狈骋鈥Vanderbilt, Stowers 7-57, McVay 1-65, Sherrill 1-17, Spence 1-12, Skinner 1-9, Alexander 1-8, Newberry 1-8, G.Fisher 1-2. Missouri, Burden 6-76, Wease 5-55, Norfleet 4-17, Noel 3-8, Carroll 2-26, M.Johnson 2-19, Cooper 1-18, M.Miller 1-11.
MISSED FG鈥Vanderbilt, B.Taylor 50, B.Taylor 31. Missouri, Craig 46, Craig 40, Craig 24.