How a scare from Vanderbilt could prepare Mizzou’s defense for game at Tennessee
For most of the season Missouri’s defense has been able to hang its hat on stopping the run.
The Tigers held Kentucky star running back Benny Snell to 67 yards rushing in a 15-14 loss on Oct. 27 and held Alabama tailbacks Damien and Najee Harris under 70 yards apiece on Oct. 6.
Then Ryan Walters’ defense met Ke’Shawn Vaughn.
The Vanderbilt tailback spliced up Missouri’s defense on Saturday, rushing for 182 yards and a 65-yard touchdown.
Vaughn’s first-quarter touchdown was the longest run play Missouri’s defense had allowed from scrimmage this season and he ran for more yards than any other tailback MU had faced this year.
While the Tigers got their act together in the second half of a 33-28 win, Vaughn’s performance left an impact on Missouri’s defense for the variety of ways he hurt them.
“He did what he was supposed to do,” linebacker Brandon Lee said. “We didn’t do what we were supposed to do. We didn’t tackle him and do certain run reads. He played well but we gave a lot of things as well.”
Vanderbilt used Vaughn in ways that confused Missouri’s defense. The Commodores lined up him outside as a decoy receiver, only to give him the ball on a pitch or a reverse sweep that Missouri didn’t see coming.
Linebacker Terez Hall called Vaughn the best tailback Missouri has faced.
“The first two series, if you ask me right now, I don’t know what plays they ran,” Hall said. “They came out in some stuff.”
Missouri’s run defense dropped a few spots after the Vandy game, but is still ranked in the top 30.
Stopping the run shouldn’t be a priority for Missouri on Saturday at Tennessee because the Vols are more of a pass-oriented team with quarterback Jarrett Guarantano. The Vols rank No. 104 in rushing offense.
But Garrett said the game was a wake-up call for Missouri because Vanderbilt capitalized on the Tigers’ defensive style. Missouri’s defense tends to attack downhill and sells out to the run when it sees movement in the backfield.
Vaughn anticipated pressure coming from a certain direction and waited for an opening before taking off. Missouri was used to running backs picking a spot and sticking with it.
“He’s kind of like everything you can ask for in a back,” Garrett said. “He had good patience and knew when to turn on the gas too. He was good at cutting it back a lot.”
While Vaughn’s performance gave MU trouble in the first half, the Tigers were still able to stop him when it mattered: a fourth-down goal-line stand.
Quarterback Drew Lock then took the offense 99 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
“We knew we had to stop them,” Lee said. “Our offense carried us the whole game. At some point we had to fight back.”
Alex Schiffer
Alex Schiffer covers University of Missouri athletics for The Star.
