Missouri Tigers football vs. Vanderbilt Commodores: Kickoff time, prediction, TV, odds
.jpg "Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz watches a replay during the second quarter against Texas A&M Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Columbia, Mo.")
THE DETAILS
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
TV: SEC Network
Radio: KMBZ (98.1 FM)
The line: Missouri by 16 1/2
Mizzou injuries: WR Mookie Cooper, DB Devyn Butler, out; DB Shawn Robinson, WR Chance Luper, DL Johnny Walker, DB Ish Burdine doubtful; DB Kris Abrams-Draine, DL Akial Byers, OL Michael Maietti, WR Barrett Banister, DB Allie Green IV, questionable
PREDICTION
There is a lot at stake for Missouri football this Saturday.
The matchup between Mizzou and Vanderbilt pairs two struggling teams that desperately need a win. This is the best chance on the schedule for either team to get a victory. Essentially, it’s a battle for the bottom of the SEC East.
Neither team has beaten a Power Five opponent this season. Dating back to last year, the Tigers have lost five straight against SEC foes. For the Commodores, that number balloons to 17.
But don’t let that statistic fool you into thinking this game is a given for Mizzou. In case you scrubbed it out of your memory for the sake of your wellbeing, the most recent conference win for Vanderbilt was against none other than the Tigers in 2019, the last time MU traveled to Nashville.
There are some interesting matchups in store this time around. One of the worst run defenses in the country (Missouri) faces one of the worst run offenses in the country (Vanderbilt). The same can be said for Mizzou’s scoring defense against Vandy’s offense. A Tigers offense that has had turnover issues as of late goes up against a Commodores defense that is prone at picking off opponents.
Another point of note: Backup quarterback Mike Wright will be starting for Vanderbilt for the third straight game as Ken Seals continues to recover from a finger injury. Over the last two contests, the sophomore has completed 23 of his 38 pass attempts for 328 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, along with 38 rushing yards on 25 carries.
As much as Mizzou has performed below expectations this season, this is a game it should in theory easily win. Especially after having the bye week to regroup. Then again, there is a lengthy injury list this week and a lot will be impacted by who will and won’t play.
There could be some weird football in store, but I think the Tigers will be able to get the job done.
Missouri 34, Vanderbilt 24
