Oct. 24, 2015
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Vanderbilt – Missouri Postgame Notes
Oct. 24, 2015
Vanderbilt Stadium
Pregame Notes
– Vanderbilt is in its 126th year of organized football.
– The Commodores wore gold helmets and pants with black jerseys on Saturday.
– Vanderbilt won the toss and deferred to the second half, Missouri elected to receive and defend the north goal.
– Attendance was 31,128.
– Vanderbilt captains for the game were Tommy Openshaw, Zach Cunningham, Darrius Sims and Spencer Pulley.
Team Notes
– Vanderbilt met Missouri for just the eighth time in history and is now 3-4-1 all time vs. the Tigers.
– The win over Missouri is the first ever in Nashville.
– The victory is Head Coach Derek Mason’s first SEC win.
– The homecoming victory is the fourth in the Commodores’ last five and the first homecoming win over a SEC foe since 1998 when the Dores topped South Carolina.
Individual Notes
– Freshman Kyle Shurmur earned his first collegiate action getting the start at QB. He is the first VU freshman quarterback to start since teammate Wade Freebeck started against South Carolina last season.
– Shurmur is just the seventh true freshman to start at quarterback at Vanderbilt joining Freebeck (2014), David Wallace (1998), Kenny Simon (1993), John Gromos (1985), Tim Richardson (1985) and Mike Wright (1975).
– Tommy Openshaw’s career-best 78-yard punt in the first quarter was the longest punt by a Commodore since Taylor Hudson’s 75-yard boot at South Carolina in 2013 and matches the fourth-longest punt in school history.
– Donovan Sheffield saw his first collegiate action in the first quarter in the secondary becoming the 12th VU true freshman to play this season.
– Darrius Sims’ 24-yard reception in the second quarter was the longest reception of his career.
– Ralph Webb plunged in from the one-yard line for his fourth rushing TD of the season to give Vandy a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.
– Ralph Webb rushed for 84 yards in the first half on 15 carries.
– Kyle Shurmur passed for 69 yards on 7-of-15 passing in the first half, finishing the game 10-for-20 for 89 yards.
– Darreon Herring’s first sack of the year came on a third down in the third quarter.
– Tommy Openshaw’s 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave him at least one field goal in every game this year with 12 on the season.
– Landon Stokes recorded his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
– LaDarius Wiley recovered a muffed punt in the fourth quarter.
– Adam Butler’s third sack of the season came late in the fourth quarter.
– Ralph Webb had a team-high 110 all-purpose yards with 99 rushing and 11 receiving.
– Kyle Shurmur joins teammate Wade Freebeck as only the second VU quarterback to win his first start as a true freshman.
Offensive Notes
– With Ralph Webb’s rushing TD in the second quarter, the Commodores have now scored first in five games this season.
– Vanderbilt rushed for 101 yards in the first half led by Ralph Webb’s 84.
– The Commodores gained 170 yards in the first half, running 41 total plays.
– Vanderbilt’s 168 yards rushing is the most allowed by Missouri this season.
– Seven different VU receivers caught passes in the game giving Vanderbilt all seven games this season with at least seven players catching passes.
– Vanderbilt’s 10 points in the win are the fewest points in a win since a 7-0 victory over Chattanooga in 1985 and the fewest in a league win since 1968 against Kentucky.
Defensive Notes
– Stephen Weatherly’s sack in the second quarter was his first of the season and his ninth career sack.
– Vanderbilt held Mizzou to just 45 total yards in the first half allowing just eight yards rushing.
– The defense held the Tigers to 0-for-7 on third down forcing five straight three-and-out possessions to end the half with Missouri running just 22 total plays.
– Vanderbilt held Missouri to 0-for-14 on third down.
– The Commodores allowed just 188 total yards in the win, the fewest allowed under Mason against an SEC team.
– The three points allowed are the fewest under Coach Mason.
– Missouri’s 80 yards rushing are the fewest allowed by a Mason-led team against an SEC opponent.
– The three points allowed are the fewest allowed by the Dores since a 40-0 win over Kentucky in 2012.
– Torren McGaster led the team with five tackles.
– The defense registered seven tackles for loss.
– Vanderbilt forced seven three-and-out possessions by Missouri.
– Missouri’s 188 yards are the fewest allowed against a SEC opponent since 2006 against Ole Miss in a 17-10 loss.
Special Teams Notes
– Tommy Openshaw’s career-best 78-yard punt in the first quarter was the longest punt by a Commodore since Taylor Hudson’s 75-yard boot at South Carolina in 2013 and matches the fourth-longest punt in school history.
– LaDarius Wiley recovered a muffed punt in the fourth quarter for the Dores’ first turnover.
– Tommy Openshaw’s 40-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave him at least one field goal in every game this year with 12 on the season.
– Tommy Openshaw punted seven times for an average of 45.6 yards.