Nov. 12, 2016
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For Vanderbilt, this one might sting – at least for a little while.
For several reasons, a 26-17 loss to Missouri on Saturday wasn’t what the Commodores had in mind for their final road game of the season. For one, the Tigers had been winless in SEC play (0-5) prior to this week. Their normally stingy defense had regressed under first-year head coach Barry Odom. And Vanderbilt, which had nearly upset then-No. 9 Auburn one week ago, possessed a bit of momentum at it ventured to Columbia.
So it’s easy to see why this loss might not sit well with the Commodores. Need proof? Just ask ‘em.
“We definitely missed a big opportunity,” wide receiver Caleb Scott said. “It’s going to hurt, but we have the 24-hour rule to let it soak in.”
The ‘Dores would be wise to take those 24 hours and reflect on what they could have done better on Saturday. But after that time is up, Vanderbilt (4-6, 1-5 SEC) needs to put Missouri in the rear-view mirror. Why? Because the Commodores remain a team with something to play for, and we’ve seen too much potential from this program to assume that goal is no more.
For that to happen, Vanderbilt must play better during its home stretch than it did against Missouri on Saturday. The ‘Dores allowed the Tigers to build an early 19-0 lead thanks in no small part to two key plays in the first half. The first was an interception thrown by quarterback Kyle Shurmur early in the second quarter, which was returned 19 yards for a touchdown by Missouri’s Aarion Penton. The second was an 82-yard touchdown pass from Missouri quarterback Drew Lock to receiver J’Mon Moore.
ELLIS: Three Thoughts from loss to Missouri
Those two plays gift-wrapped 13 points to the Tigers (they missed the extra point following one score) and forced the ‘Dores to play from behind. Toss in other uncomfortable stats, like Vanderbilt’s seven team penalties and Missouri’s 10 third-down conversions (out of 19), and it’s easy to see why head coach Derek Mason felt Vanderbilt shot itself in the foot far too often.
“We really hurt ourselves,” Mason said. “I thought we played sloppy football and didn’t play above the Xs and Os.”
But Vanderbilt shouldn’t allow amnesia to set in following the Missouri game. This is still the same program that went into Athens and beat Georgia, 17-16, on Oct. 15. This is the same squad that, prior to Saturday, had lost each of the rest of its SEC games by a seven points or fewer. Under Mason, the Commodores’ defense has been one of the league’s best in SEC games this season, and its performance on the road against Auburn last week proved as such.
If the ‘Dores can tap back into their own potential, the final two games of the regular season don’t appear as daunting. They return home next Saturday to host Ole Miss before closing the year with a visit from rival Tennessee. Neither opponent is a pushover, but both have proven beatable in spurts this season. Vanderbilt has already proved much of the SEC wrong in moments in 2016. A loss to Missouri doesn’t have to spoil that reputation. It also doesn’t have to spoil the Commodores’ shot at the postseason.
That much seemed clear to Mason on Saturday evening, as he reflected on his team’s performance in the chilly confines of Missouri’s Memorial Stadium. Asked if the loss hurt more than others, the coach shook his head. “They all hurt,” Mason said. “They all matter to me.
“But you know what?” he continued. “I’ve got to console this football team, get their minds back in the right spot, and let’s get ready for Ole Miss.”
If Mason gets his team’s mind in the right spot this coming week, it won’t allow that empty feeling from Columbia to linger for long.