The Vanderbilt football team was close to ending a 17-year, 27-game losing streak against opponents ranked in the AP’s top 10.
But the streak is now extended to 28, as the Commodores (2-2, 0-1 SEC) lost 30-27 in the second overtime on the road to Missouri (4-0, 1-0). The two teams have missed a combined five field goals, the Tigers three and Vanderbilt two.
Sure, the Commodores played a lot better than they did a week ago when they lost at Georgia State, but moral victories don’t count toward bowl eligibility, and Vanderbilt needs a few upsets to get there.
Here are three overreactions from the game:
Vanderbilt is missing a player like Luther Burden
Players like Diego Pavia and Eli Stowers are a significant upgrade from what the Commodores previously had at the skill positions. But Luther Burden, Missouri’s star wide receiver, can break games open.
Despite his mediocre performance, Burden caught six passes for 76 yards, an average of nearly 13 yards per catch, and had a 30-yard punt return.
Burden was a five-star recruit. Vanderbilt has never signed a five-star recruit.
Pavia performed admirably, but the Commodores failed to gain yards. In the first overtime, when the Tigers scored on a touchdown pass to Burden on a play, Missouri showed the impact an offensive star can have.
Fumble and penalties are a big problem for Vanderbilt
To his credit, Pavia has been in the right positions to lose the ball several times this season, but botched handoffs and throws have caused significant problems, costing yards even when they don’t result in turnovers.
And then there are the penalties. Against Georgia State, the biggest problem was defensive penalties, against Missouri, it was offensive penalties. In total, Vanderbilt committed eight penalties for 93 yards, while the Tigers committed three for 33 yards.
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Kicker Brock Taylor causes concern in tricky situations
Brock Taylor is undoubtedly an improvement over the kickers the Commodores have had in the past, having set a school record with a 57-yard field goal just before halftime.
But Taylor had three opportunities to make game-winning kicks – a field goal against Virginia Tech that would have won, a potential field goal to take the lead against Missouri, and then a potential tying kick in the second overtime – and he wasted all three chances.
That’s partly because Vanderbilt trusts Taylor more than other kickers in the past, but Taylor will need to use his kicks in the right moments to become the weapon his range requires him to be.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Reach her at [email protected] or via X, formerly Twitter. @aria_gerson.
