Previewing Saturday’s matchup between Vanderbilt and Missouri at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri at 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network.
History Lesson: Vanderbilt trails the SEC series 3-6-1 and fell in last season’s matchup with Missouri in Nashville, 45-17. The Commodores seek their first win in Columbia since 2012.
Names to Watch (Arkansas):
QB Drew Lock
Lock ranks second in the SEC in averaging 266.0 passing yards per game, and his 19 touchdown passes are second-most among league quarterbacks. The senior is fresh off completing 24-of-32 throws for 250 yards and three touchdowns in Mizzou’s 38-17 upset of then-No. 11 Florida.
WR Emmanuel Hall
The electric freshman wideout missed four games this season before returning last week vs. Florida, when he hauled in four catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers are 4-0 with Hall this season and 1-4 without him (including his injured game vs. Georgia).
LB Cale Garrett
Garrett recorded a team-high 12 tackles in last week’s upset of Florida and leads the SEC with 51 solo stops. He now has four straight games with 10 or more tackles, the first Tiger defender to do so since 2015.
The Statistical
5
Trips to the red zone that ended in points for Vanderbilt against Arkansas. The Dores went 5-for-5 on red-zone opportunities in their 45-31 win over the Razorbacks on Oct. 27, capitalizing on key scoring opportunities on the road.
250
Vanderbilt rushing yards vs. Arkansas. Ke’Shawn Vaughn exploded for 172 yards and three touchdowns, including a 63-yard scoring run, but Khari Blasingame (46 yards), Jamauri Wakefield (22) and Ja’Veon Marlow (22) gave the Dores a team effort on the ground in Fayetteville.
7-2
Missouri’s record in the month of November under head coach Barry Odom. The Tigers are riding a six-game win streak in November games dating back to the 2016 season.
The Big Question: Can Vanderbilt shut down Lock? Missouri’s quarterback threw three touchdown passes and needed just 10 completions to record 235 passing yards in the win over the Commodores last season. Vanderbilt’s secondary will be without redshirt sophomore Zaire Jones for the rest of the season, so depth could be an issue on defense. The rest of the Dores must step up against Lock, Hall and the Tigers’ passing attack.
Vanderbilt Needs To: Force turnovers. Lock has thrown five interceptions against just one touchdown pass in Missouri’s four losses this season. The Dores, meanwhile, are among the SEC’s best at forcing turnovers; their 16 takeaways are fourth-most in the SEC. If Vanderbilt can stifle Lock into mistakes, they could emerge victorious in Columbia.
Did You Know? Vanderbilt’s 16 takeaways are the most by a Commodore squad through nine games since 2013. The Dores have scored 80 total points off turnovers this season.
He Said It: “Bye weeks are good. Wins after bye weeks are great. That’s what I’ll say about that.” –Vanderbilt offensive lineman Bruno Reagan, on the Commodores’ mindset coming off an open date.
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
