COLUMBIA, Missouri – For the first time in the 2024 season, the Missouri Tigers trailed after the first half on Saturday night.
The electrifying offense of the past few weeks suddenly collapsed against the Vanderbilt Commodores defense, managing just 10 points by halftime. Missed opportunities and poor communication plagued the Tigers, but one particular decision caused the first real uproar around Faurot Field – the ball was snapped with eight seconds left in the second quarter.
With a fourth-and-3 and the half approaching, it made little sense to try again. And when Brady Cook was sacked by Khordae Sydnor for a loss of five yards – giving the Commodores solid field position – it was all but certain that Missouri would be behind.
Brock Taylor stepped up to attempt a 56-yard field goal, and Vanderbilt already led 13-10.
To avoid a shocking loss in the first league game, Missouri’s offense had to get going quickly. The passing game would not be enough.
Quarterback Brady Cook was unconvincing for much of the game and finished with 226 passing yards, 23 of 37 passes completed and two touchdowns. Too often, the senior missed completely open receivers and was able to make huge gains in space, especially in the red zone. But beyond that, the offensive style of play seemed completely off.
When Cook was forced to run or run the ball, the result was no better. The normally strong runner did not have the same speed as in previous games, was slow to make decisions and was condemned to lost ground by tackles.
Instead, Nate Noel and his running back team rose to the challenge.
At 8:49 of the third quarter, Noel stormed right past the Vanderbilt defense for a 64-yard gain that set up a point at the Commodores’ third yard line. Marcus Carroll took the snap there, plowed through the middle and increased the score to 20-13 after Blake Craig’s PAT attempt.
Noel was expected to finish the drive, but head coach Eli Drinkwitz and his team decided to put the ball in Carroll’s hands. It may have been surprising, but it wasn’t a problem for Noel.
“I was happy for him,” Noel said. “I was the first one to jump to the sideline and hit him in the end zone. That’s my guy.”
Noel continued to make his presence felt in the second half, continually working his way through Vanderbilt’s defense and picking up first downs. Even when the Tigers experienced another first of the season in overtime, he managed to continue to make an impact in the closing stages.
Without Noel’s big day, it would have been difficult for Missouri to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Nate Noel gave it his all,” Cook said. “Without him, we wouldn’t have won the game… I’m just really happy for him.”
Noel didn’t score a touchdown on his nearly 200-yard day, but the Tigers often wouldn’t have been able to score points if he hadn’t made so many good runs throughout the game. His red zone woes, which they had overall, prevented him from scoring points, rather than his individual performance.
“Unbelievable,” Drinkwitz said. “He’s a special player, I think we all noticed that. We just have to keep finishing his drives.”
Missouri still has a lot of work to do before heading south to Texas A&M in two weeks, but for now, all they can do is be happy about holding on to a 4-0 record in a thrilling game – thanks in large part to their running backs.
