Mizzou’s offense struggles again in 10-3 loss at Vanderbilt

Lather, rinse, repeat.

With Missouri’s offense providing as much excitement as your morning shower Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium, coach Gary Pinkel’s squad lost a third straight game for the first time since 2009.

The latest face plant, a 10-3 loss at Vanderbilt,was eerily similar to the Florida and Georgia debacles — great defense, rudderless offense and a growing number in the loss column.

“That makes it a little more disappointing, because they’re (the defense) out there playing their hearts out for us,” MU freshman quarterback Drew Lock said. “We’re doing the same obviously, but they’re being a little more successful than we are.”

The Tigers, 4-4 overall and 1-4 in conference, have scored three, six and three points in the last three games, marking the first time Missouri’s offense has failed to score a touchdown in three straight games since the final four games of the 1937 season.

MU closed that year — a 3-6-1 campaign under Don Faurot — with a 7-0 loss to Oklahoma, a 3-0 win against Washington (Mo.), a 0-0 tie at Kansas at a 13-0 loss at UCLA.

“Disappointment, frustration, high anxiety …,” Pinkel said. “It’s a lot of frustration. We’ve lost some close games … but the bottom line is you gotta go do it and we’re not getting it done.”

Vanderbilt, 3-4 and 1-3 in the SEC, hadn’t won a conference games in coach Derek Mason’s two-year tenure.

The Commodores’ victory against the Tigers, who had won the last two SEC East division titles, snapped an 11-game conference skid.

Asked for the temperature of the Tigers’ locker room, senior safety and captain Ian Simon didn’t mince words: “Frustrated, (ticked) off — we’re doing a lot of things right, but we’ve got a lot of little things to fix so we can get back in the winner’s circle.”

The most glaring issue is an offense that hasn’t found the end zone in more than 13 consecutive full quarters. That’s 40 straight drives and 198 minutes, 36 seconds of game time since the last touchdown.

“You’ve got a lot of young guys out there doing it for the first time on a big stage like it is in the SEC every week,” Simon said. “You’re just going to take those bumps and bruises when it comes to learning like that.”

Missouri’s last offensive touchdown was sophomore Ish Witter’s 1-yard rolling plunge into the end zone with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter Oct. 3 against South Carolina.

Missouri had seven three-and-outs and once again kept the defense under the gun, running 24 fewer plays overall and allowing Vanderbilt to have 38:24 of possession.

The Tigers rose to the occasion again, allowing only 10 points — below their SEC best average of 12.9 entering the game — and 304 yards.

“It’s definitely frustrating, but it’s something you can’t show …,” said senior linebacker Kentrell Brothers, who led MU with 12 tackles, including a sack and 1  1/2 tackles for a loss. “You’ve got to be supportive and hope they do the best they can.”

Brothers became the first player in the nation to reach 100 tackles this season. He’s finished seven of eight games this season with double-digits tackles.

Missouri had a chance to tie the game late, but Lock, who finished 14 of 34 for 108 yards, threw four straight incompletions from the Vanderbilt 13-yard line in the closing seconds.

“We had a lot of guys open tonight and I didn’t hit them,” Lock said. “That was one of the more disappointing (games) on my part as far as my production on the field.”

Lock’s eight carries for 39 yards led Missouri, which totaled 80 yards rushing in 19 carries but only 15 yards on 10 carries from running backs.

Senior Russell Hansbrough finished the game with eight carries for 12 yards and Witter had two carries for 3 yards.

Lock said frustration continues to grow with the offense.

“Last week was two losses, this week was three losses in a row — that’s why it’s going to be a little more disappointing,” Lock said.

The Tigers caught a massive break on the opening kickoff when referees ruled that junior John Gibson didn’t fumble on a hit by Vanderbilt freshman linebacker Khari Blasingame.

Replays seemed to show the ball came out before Gibson was down, but the call stood after review — one of eight in the game — and the Tigers dodged an early bullet.

Both teams combined for seven straight punts from there before the Commodores scored the game’s only touchdown on a 1-yard run by Ralph Webb, whose 99 yards in 26 carries were the most Missouri’s defense has allowed this season.

Missouri finally got on the board with 49 seconds remaining before halftime on senior Andrew Baggett’s 35-yard field goal.

Sophomore defensive end Charles Harris — who finished with six tackles, including three for a loss — sacked Vanderbilt freshman Kyle Shurmur and stripped the football from his grasp in the process.

That set up Missouri’s only points, though both field-goal kickers drilled the upright during the second half.

VANDERBILT 10

MISSOURI 3

Second quarter

VAN: R.Webb 1 run (Openshaw kick), 11:27.

MU: FG Baggett 35, :49.

Fourth quarter

VAN: FG Openshaw 40, 9:12.

Attendance: 31,128.

RUSHING: Missouri, Lock 8-39, Fatony 1-26, Hansbrough 8-12, Witter 2-3. Vanderbilt, R.Webb 26-99, Sims 9-58, Crawford 5-19, Rivers 2-8, Team 1-(minus 1), McCrary 3-(minus 4), Shurmur 3-(minus 11).

PASSING: Missouri, Lock 14-34-0-108. Vanderbilt, Shurmur 10-20-0-89, McCrary 7-8-0-47.

RECEIVING: Missouri, J’.Moore 4-30, Hansbrough 4-17, Leftwich 3-38, Dilosa 2-17, E.Hall 1-6. Vanderbilt, Sherfield 5-35, Scheu 5-28, Sims 2-29, Scott 2-13, Marcus 1-11, R.Webb 1-11, Rayford 1-9.

This story was originally published October 24, 2015 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Mizzou’s offense struggles again in 10-3 loss at Vanderbilt."