Vanderbilt football lets chance for SEC win slip away, falls to Missouri 17-14
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Vanderbilt football had a chance to win late in the game Saturday. Down three, with the ball in Missouri territory, the Commodores had it in their hands to snap a 24-game conference losing streak.
On fourth-and-1, Vanderbilt (3-5, 0-4 SEC) put the ball in the hands of bell cow Ray Davis. But Davis was stopped short. Like the offense had done all day, the Commodores came up empty-handed and Missouri (3-4, 1-4) came away with a 17-14 victory.
Offensive miscues
Vanderbilt's offense in the first half found itself consistently with good field position but couldn't capitalize. Despite three first-half drives that were at one point inside the Missouri 30, the Commodores came away with no points after a missed field goal, an offensive pass interference and an end-zone interception, AJ Swann's first of the season.
Swann repeatedly targeted top receiver Will Sheppard, but the two didn't display the same chemistry as they had previously. The Tigers' defensive backs made several plays on Sheppard as he struggled to maintain control of the ball through contact.
Joseph Bulovas missed another field goal in the third quarter after the Commodores recovered a kickoff in Missouri territory. But late in the fourth quarter, Missouri missed a field goal of its own and, on the next play, wide receiver Gamarion Carter took a screen pass to the house to cut the Tigers' lead to three points.
Swann left the game after being strip-sacked in the third quarter, and backup Mike Wright came in. It was unclear whether Swann sustained an injury.
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Up and down defense
Vanderbilt's struggling defense had an up-and-down day. The Commodores let the Tigers march down the field on their opening drive for a touchdown and gave up chunk plays at times, but Vanderbilt also made more big plays on defense than it had previously. The Commodores were often successful when they blitzed and got pressure on quarterback Brady Cook, who threw an interception and had a fumble returned for a touchdown.
Vanderbilt held Missouri scoreless through the second half and recovered a red-zone fumble in the fourth quarter.
Safety Jaylen Mahoney tied the program's single-game record with five tackles for loss.
Special teams give and take
Matt Hayball at punter had a strong day, pinning the Tigers deep on several kicks and also converting a fake punt by rushing for the first down. Linebacker Langston Patterson recovered the third-quarter kickoff that gave Vanderbilt an extra possession.
But Bulovas struggled, missing two field goals — and the kickoff that was recovered fell short of its intended destination, too.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt football struggles offensively in loss to Missouri
