Saturday, November 18
Nashville, Tenn.
6:30 p.m. (CT)
University of Missouri
at
Vanderbilt
Bowl Eligibility In Reach as Mizzou Heads to Vandy
11/13/2017 11:16:00 AM | Football
"Keep It Rollin' Baby" Tour Moves to Nashville
The turnaround Missouri Tigers (5-5 overall, 2-4 in Southeastern Conference play) take to the road over the next two weeks to close out the 2017 regular season, and they'll look to continue their momentum Saturday in Nashville, Tenn., where they'll take on the Vanderbilt Commodores (4-6, 0-6). Kick time from Vanderbilt Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. (central time), with the game being televised on the SEC Network.
- Mizzou is riding high after claiming its fourth-consecutive blowout victory, the latest a 50-17 win over Tennessee on the Tigers' Senior Night. Thanks to a punishing ground attack that ate up 433 yards (averaging 8.2 yards per rush), Mizzou out-gained Tennessee by a 659-to-258 margin in total offense, and broke open a 17-17 game by scoring the final 33 points on the night to pull away in the second half. Senior RB Ish Witter made his final appearance at Faurot Field a memorable one as he ran for a career-best 216 yards and one touchdown, while true freshman phenom Larry Rountree III added 155 yards and a score as well. Junior QB Drew Lock, the nation's leader in touchdown passes on the season with 35, added four scoring strikes through the air, while the Tiger defense continued its stellar play of late.
- Mizzou's defense forced four second-half turnovers, and allowed the Volunteers to drive more than 35 yards only three times in UT's 14 possessions. Tennessee's eight second-half drives resulted in four punts and four turnovers, and senior S Anthony Sherrils again was the primary culprit, as he intercepted a pass and forced and recovered a fumble, giving him two straight games with an interception and fumble recovery. He now has three such games in his career as Mizzou has had only four such games since 2000. Cornelius 'Pig' Brown was the only other Mizzou player to accomplish that feat, doing so back in 2007 against Illinois.
- Vanderbilt comes into Saturday's contest after a 44-21 home defeat to Kentucky that marked its sixth loss in seven games, after the Commodores had started the season 3-0. Against Kentucky, Vanderbilt struck first on a 37-yard touchdown run by RB Ralph Webb in the first quarter, but it was all Wildcats after that, as UK scored 34 unanswered points to take a commanding 34-7 lead. Vandy was victimized by four interceptions of QB Kyle Shurmur that helped the Wildcats maintain control of the game, while Kentucky out-gained them by a 427-to-368 margin in total offense.
- Mizzou continues to be one of the nation's top turnaround stories. After opening 1-5 this season, Mizzou can improbably reach bowl eligibility with a win Saturday. The Tigers would be just the 13th FBS team to ever accomplish that feat and just the sixth from a Power 5 conference. The only SEC team to start 1-5 and make a bowl game was the 1983 Ole Miss team that lost the Independence Bowl to finish 6-6 on the year.
- What may be even more remarkable is that since 2001, every SEC team to start 1-5 has failed to even eclipse three wins, making Coach Barry Odom's team one of the best turnarounds in SEC history. Mizzou is just the third SEC team ever to win four straight games after losing five straight (Tennessee in 1988 and South Carolina in 1992).
Incredible Turnaround?
- While Mizzou Football is still hopeful for more wins in its final two games, it is important to note that Mizzou's turnaround from a 1-5 start is among the best ever by an SEC team. Since 2000, no team in the SEC that has started 1-5 has finished with more than three wins, meaning Mizzou is the first SEC team this century to start 1-5 and get to four wins.
- Looking deeper into that stat, hopefully not jinxing anything, but there have only been 12 teams in the history of college football to start 1-5 and make it to a bowl game. Mizzou obviously still has work to do in regards to a bowl, needing to win one of its last two games.
- The only SEC team to ever start 1-5 and qualify for a bowl was the 1983 Ole Miss team that wound up in the Independence Bowl, but lost to Air Force, 9-3. Below is a look:
| School | Year | Start | Final | Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State | 1993 | 1-5 | 7-5 | Las Vegas Bowl (W, 42-33) |
| Miami (Ohio) | 2016 | 0-6 | 6-7 | St. Petersburg Bowl (L, 17-16) |
| Texas Tech | 2012 | 1-5 | 6-7 | Sun Bowl (L, 41-10) |
| Rutgers | 2008 | 1-5 | 8-5 | PapaJohns.com Bowl (W, 29-23) |
| Rice | 2012 | 1-5 | 7-6 | Armed Forces (W, 33-14) |
| Rice | 2006 | 1-5 | 7-6 | New Orleans (W, 41-17) |
| Pitt | 2001 | 1-5 | 7-5 | Tangerine (W, 34-19) |
| Ole Miss | 1983 | 1-5 | 6-6 | Independence (L, 9-3) |
| N. Texas | 2001 | 1-5 | 5-7 | New Orleans Bowl (L, 45-20) |
| N. Texas | 2002 | 1-5 | 8-5 | New Orleans Bowl (W, 24-19) |
| UNC | 2013 | 1-5 | 7-6 | Belk Bowl (W, 39-17) |
| FAU | 2008 | 1-5 | 7-6 | Motor City Bowl (W, 24-21) |
Homecoming, Part II
- Mizzou celebrated its 106th Homecoming on Oct. 21 with a 68-21 win over Idaho to begin its current four-game win streak. Saturday's game will be a second homecoming for six Mizzou players who call the state of Tennessee home (four starters and all contributors for this year's team):
| Player | Hometown |
|---|---|
| Sophomore WR Johnathon Johnson | Memphis |
| Junior P Corey Fatony | Franklin |
| Junior DB Finis Stribling IV | Thompson's Station |
| Freshman LB Aubrey Miller, Jr. | Memphis |
| Junior OL Paul Adams | Nashville |
| Junior WR Emanuel Hall | Franklin |
Locked in Lately
- Junior QB Drew Lock has been on fire over his last seven games. He has 27 touchdowns and just five interceptions while passing for 2,113 yards on 142-of-224 (63.4 percent). He now has four games in his career with 400 or more yards, tying for the most in school history with Chase Daniel (four from 2005-08).
- Last week, Lock threw for four TD passes, marking his sixth consecutive game with at least three TD passes. That is tied for the longest streak by any FBS quarterback this season (Ohio State's J.T. Barrett did so in six as well) and it is the nation's longest active streak. It is the longest streak by any SEC QB since at least 2000.
- Lock now leads the nation with his 35 passing TDs this year, which are already the second-most in school history and eighth-most in SEC history (SEC record is 40). Lock is second nationally in yards per completion (15.94), fourth in passing efficiency (196.0), 10th in both total passing yards (3,012) and passing yards per game (301.2) and is sixth in points accounted for (216). He is first or second in virtually every passing category in the SEC. Lock has more TD passes through 10 games than any SEC QB in the last 15 seasons.
- Lock now ranks third in school history with 7,743 career passing yards. He sits 1,056 yards behind second-place Brad Smith who had 8,799 from 2002-05. Lock's 62 career TD passes rank second all-time on Mizzou's career TD passes list.
| QB | Yds | Att | Comp | INT | Pct. | TD | Rtg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Chase Daniel (2005-08) | 12,515 | 1,609 | 1,094 | 41 | 0.680 | 101 | 148.95 |
| 2. Brad Smith (2002-05) | 8,799 | 1,484 | 835 | 33 | 0.563 | 56 | 114.08 |
| 3. Drew Lock (2015-17) | 7,743 | 1,015 | 555 | 28 | 0.547 | 62 | 133.40 |
| 4. James Franklin (2010-13) | 6,962 | 943 | 586 | 25 | 0.621 | 51 | 136.70 |
| 5. Jeff Handy (1991-94) | 6,959 | 1,058 | 618 | 30 | 0.584 | 39 | 120.16 |
| 6. Blaine Gabbert (2008-10) | 6,822 | 933 | 568 | 18 | 0.609 | 40 | 132.59 |
| 7. Phil Bradley (1977-80) | 5,352 | 798 | 437 | 29 | 0.548 | 32 | 117.06 |
A Defense That Starts in the Trenches
- Mizzou has 38.0 tackles for loss over the last four games and now leads the SEC in tackles for loss, ranking 11th nationally.
- Mizzou had just 27.0 tackles for loss in its previous five games before posting 38.0 over its last four.
- Mizzou also has 16.0 sacks over its last four games after posting just 11 in the first six contests.
- Mizzou has three games of 5.0 sacks in that stretch, marking the first time since 2014 that Mizzou has had three separate games with at least 5.0 sacks.
- Mizzou is limiting its opponents to 110.3 yards per game on the ground over the four-game winning streak (would rank ninth nationally for perspective), its best four-game streak in rush defense since early 2015.
- Mizzou allowed 222.8 yards per game on the ground over the first six.
- Mizzou is allowing just 16.5 points per game over its four-game win streak after allowing 45.2 over its first six games (1-5).
Players Mentioned
Offensive Lineman
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Punter
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Wide Receiver
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Wide Receiver
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Linebacker
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Running Back
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Defensive Back
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Defensive Back
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Running Back
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