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After narrowly escaping Vanderbilt, where does Mizzou go from here?

By Zach Sweet

Sep 21, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a touchdown pass against the Vanderbilt Commodores during overtime at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Sep 21, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Brady Cook (12) throws a touchdown pass against the Vanderbilt Commodores during overtime at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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On Saturday afternoon, Mizzou played one of its worst games in the past two years. Hosting Vanderbilt in their SEC opener, the Tigers entered the game as 18-point favorites. Despite high expectations, the performance fell far short. Mizzou barely escaped with a 30-27 win in a double-overtime thriller.

This result left no one satisfied—whether it be players, fans, or coaches. There's clearly still work to be done, and Vanderbilt provided an early wake-up call for the Tigers. Following the lackluster performance, Mizzou dropped four spots in the AP Poll on Sunday, falling to No. 11 in the country.

Looking back at the victory, there were several moments where Mizzou appeared frazzled. Whether it was clock management issues, missed opportunities, or mental errors, the Tigers struggled to find a rhythm. They failed to execute their game plan from the start, putting the team in a precarious position throughout the contest.

Missouri's coach, Eli Drinkwitz, shared several thoughts postgame about what the team needed to do to improve.

"We've got to take a hard look at what we're doing in the red area to figure out why we can't sustain drives and why we're not able to convert third downs," Drinkwitz said. "That's on me as the head football coach, and I've got to do better."

The good news for Mizzou is that they have a bye this upcoming week, giving the team time to regroup before their first road game in two weeks. The Tigers will use this time to reset, watch film, and address areas for improvement ahead of what will be their toughest matchup of the season so far.

"We've got to take a hard look at the Missouri Tigers, and we've got to figure out why we're not executing third downs in the red area, why we're kicking field goals instead of scoring touchdowns, why we're missing tackles, and why we're busting assignments," Drinkwitz said. "We're as good as we can be record-wise, but we're not as good as we can be in terms of play, and we're going to have to settle in on that and figure out what we need to do to improve."

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