Vanderbilt was at the Mizzou 25-yard line with four seconds to play and had one chance to steal a victory but this time the Tigers defended the play, Kyle Shurmur’s pass fell incomplete and the Tigers were finally on the winning end of a nail-biter with their 33-28 win Saturday at Faurot Field.
Mizzou picked up their sixth win to become bowl eligible for the second year in a row.
The turning point of the game came after the Tigers stopped Vandy on a 4th and goal inside the one-yard line. With Mizzou trailing, they drove 99 1/2 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 9:18 to play.
Drew Lock threw two touchdowns, but was also picked off twice. Each time the defense stood tall. Leading in the fourth quarter, the Tigers looked to ice the game but Lock’s second INT bounced off a receiver into the hands of a Vandy defender. The Commodores took over at the Mizzou 35 but failed to convert on 3rd and 9 and 4th and 9 turning it back over the Tigers.
Another big moment came earlier in the first quarter. With Mizzou down 14-7, Lock was picked off again after a miscommunication with receiver Jalen Knox. From the Tigers 30, Vandy ran three plays then missed a 41-yard field goal attempt keeping it a one-score game. The Tigers defense stood tall after the previous two Vandy drives ended in touchdowns on back-to-back 75-yard drives that used just 11 plays.
Missouri rushed for 253 yards on 43 carries as Damarea Crockett and Larry Rountree wore down the Commodores front seven. Crockett finished with 122 and Rountree with 92.
Mizzou travels to Tennessee next Saturday.
