Game report: Missouri 26, Vanderbilt 17

First quarter

The key: Missouri grabbed a 6-0 lead on freshman running back Damarea Crockett’s 4-yard touchdown run. It was the Tigers’ first lead in SEC play this season since late in the fourth quarter against Georgia on Sept. 17. Unfortunately, it remained six points when freshman kicker Tucker McCann blew the extra point. He missed two point-afters in the game and two field goals, including a 21-yard chip shot.

Second quarter

The key: Vanderbilt outgained Missouri 221-141 in the second quarter and was chipping away at a 19-0 deficit less than 5 minutes into the period. It was 19-10 at halftime.

Third quarter

The key: Nursing a 19-17 lead, Missouri sophomore quarterback Drew Lock was unable to corral a bad snap at the goal line and Vanderbilt recovered. It was the second time in the third quarter that the Tigers drove inside the 5-yard line and came away empty.

Fourth quarter

The key: Walk-on kicker Ben Tesson, a transfer from Drake, connected on an extra point, which boosted Mizzou’s lead to nine points and made it a two-score game after junior J’Mon Moore’s second touchdown midway through the quarter.

Offense

B+

There were still some lengthy scoring droughts and self-inflicted wounds, but Missouri both rushed and passed for more yards than Vanderbilt allows per game this season. Even the 26 points is deceptive since the kicking game left five points on the field. The fumble at the goal line prevents a higher grade, but the Tigers should have scored 38.

Defense

A-

The Tigers still gave up 411 yards, but Missouri limited the damage to only 17 points. Senior cornerback Aarion Penton scored on an interception return, one of two picks for the defense, and the Tigers sacked Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur six times, including several key third-down stops.

Special teams

F

Redshirt freshman Johnathon Johnson had some bright moments in the punt-return game, but freshman kicker Tucker McCann’s struggles are too dire to overlook. He missed four kicks, including two extra points and a 21-yard field goal. It could have cost them the game.

Coaching

B+

Continually trotting out McCann, while a vote of confidence for a scholarship kicker who’ll be counted on the next three years, could have been Barry Odom’s undoing. Mizzou fans don’t want to think about what might have happened if the 55-yard field goal try at the end of the first half was returned for a touchdown. And it almost was. Still, this was perhaps the most effective game plan on both sides of the ball in any game this season.

Player of the game: Junior defensive end Charles Harris, with a nod to junior defensive end Marcell Frazier. Both recorded 2  1/2 sacks during a dominant six-sack performance by the Mizzou defensive line. Harris also had a team-high nine tackles and finished with a game-best 3  1/2 tackles for a loss, with two hurries and a forced fumble.

Reason to hope: The five-game losing streak is over. The 11-game SEC losing streak is over. The offense looked solid against a very good defense. The defense only allowed 17 points and was back to its havoc-creating ways.

Reason to mope: Officially, there were 50,261 on hand to see the victory, but Memorial Stadium seemed far more empty and the surrounding parking lots weren’t as vibrant as usual on a beautiful game day. It might be even less festive on the Friday after Thanksgiving with students home for the holiday.

Looking ahead: Missouri gets preseason SEC East favorite Tennessee next Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn., on CBS. The Volunteers need help to reach the conference title game and can’t afford another loss, so it’s a chance for the Tigers to play big-time spoiler.

This story was originally published November 12, 2016 at 8:39 PM with the headline "Game report: Missouri 26, Vanderbilt 17."