Missouri Tigers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores: Kickoff time, TV, five things to know
After its biggest regular-season win in four years, Missouri returns home hoping to clinch bowl-eligibility against Vanderbilt. The Commodores have had their own ups and downs this season and could be playing for their coaches’ job security.
The details
Kickoff: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium, Columbia
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
The line: Missouri by 14
Five things to know
Don’t let the record fool you: Vanderbilt isn’t a bad team. The Commodores took Notre Dame, a likely College Football Playoff team, down to the wire in South Bend earlier this season and hung with Florida and Kentucky. Derek Mason’s squad can play.
Depth could be an issue for Missouri: The Tigers could be without top tight ends Albert Okwuegbunam and Kendall Blanton. Okwuegbunam went out against Florida with a shoulder injury and Blanton is nursing a sprained knee. Tailback Tyler Badie also got hurt vs. Florida and cornerback Adam Sparks has a shin injury.
The Commodores have a good…: Quarterback and receiver combination in Kyle Shurmur and Kalija Lipscomb. Shurmur is fifth in the Southeastern Conference in passing while Lipscomb is third in the SEC in receiving yards. Missouri’s secondary had a strong performance against Florida. Lipscomb is its next challenge.
Missouri’s two starting tight ends could be…: A converted defensive end and offensive lineman. Daniel Parker, a Blue Springs graduate, and Sam Bailey both got a lot of snaps on Saturday and played well. With Blanton and Okwuegbunam on the shelf, both could see more balls coming their way against Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt also has...: A tackling machine at linebacker in Jordan Griffin. Griffin is second in the conference with 91 tackles and among the top 25 nationally. He’s got a nose for the ball and could cause some issues for Missouri’s run game.
Alex Schiffer
Alex Schiffer covers University of Missouri athletics for The Star.
