The black and gold came close to their biggest upset since 2007 but came up just short.
Vanderbilt came close to pulling off a big upset at No. 7 Missouri on Saturday, but the Commodores fell 30-27 in double overtime as the football sailed past the left upright on Brock Taylor’s attempt at a game-tying field goal from 30 yards out. The loss dropped Vandy to 2-2 on the season with a bye week coming up before a difficult home game against No. 4 Alabama.
After the loss, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and quarterback Diego Pavia spoke with reporters via Zoom. Below is a transcript of their comments, lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
Opening statement:
Lea: “Obviously, disappointed in the result. I’ve got a team that’s obviously in pain in the locker room and a team that fought and was gritty and did everything they could to pull out a road win against a tough opponent. We’re gonna be disappointed in the result; we’re gonna stay committed to our process. This is a journey. The season didn’t end in Atlanta; it doesn’t end here today. We’re gonna get ready to get back into it and get back to work in the bye week to get healthy, to learn from some of the mistakes that showed up again for us today and keep working toward a cleaner game and a game where we come out on top and achieve the result we want.
“It’s there for us. I believe in this team. I believe in the guys in that locker room. I’m proud of them for the way they fight. Now, there are things in terms of our execution, our focus, our discipline that we have to clean up. When you look at this game, none of it resembles our strategy. They were able to run the ball effectively. They were able to chew up time of possession. They were able to win field position. Those are margins we want to win, and it takes that for us to win a tough game on the road against a tough opponent. Again, disappointed in the result, believe in my team and I’m excited to continue on the journey and to go look for more.”
On struggling to defend Missouri’s run game:
Lea: “To be honest with you, when we were able to get them off schedule, we were able to build to a stop. The second drive, I felt like they were effective in getting the space they wanted for the stretch game to get going. The one I want back is the long touchdown run. Some of the things that we’re going to see on film, where it’s first-and-10, second-and-6, or first and 10, second-and-5, those are going to be nuances around how we play at point of attack, or the free hitter being in the right position. I think we battled through the first half at the safety position, kind of rotated some guys through, and we have to play better at the safety position.
“But the long run was a pressure that we had one player out of position. To defend the run against a good team, you gotta build the run wall. To build the run wall, you gotta have 11 guys on the same page. I felt like, outside of that one, there’s going to be yards for them and plays for them. I felt like we got into a rhythm against the run too in the back half of the game where we were able to build to some stops there and force field goals. But we gotta do a better job, and again, first- and second-down performance impact third-down performance. We want to be better there too.”
On thinking positively about playing a top-10 team close:
Lea: “I don’t like that perspective, because we’re gonna form our opinion around the standards we measure ourselves to. Missouri is a good football team. Eli does a great job. This is a tough environment, and we didn’t do enough today to be one point better than them. We know we have a good team. And just like last week, when we fell short, this week, we battled hard. It’s not good enough.
“For us, we want to look at the standards we have as a program and reach towards those, and when we hit those standards, we’re going to be celebrating this game in our locker room. And so I understand the perspective. Just it’s not how I choose to see this team. I believe in our team. I don’t need a game against another opponent to know what we’re capable of, but if we want to achieve the things that we set out to achieve this season, we’re going to need to clean up and we’re need to play closer to our standards, and I know we can do it.”
On how to get Taylor back on track after missing three clutch field goals this season:
Lea: “Just keep putting him out there. I thought the kick he hit before half was obviously awesome. He’s got the leg. He’s a young player, and he’s a resilient player, so we’ll keep putting him out there and giving him the opportunity. The team believes in him, and I think right now, it’s about encouraging him. Honestly, I would have loved to have seen that end with us in the end zone. So we’re going to look at the ways leading up to that. I thought we did a nice job of getting back in range after the tough OPI call. That was hard. But if you would have asked me in the moment, once Diego hit the scramble and got the first down, there was no way that I felt like we were leaving that field anywhere other than the end zone. Came up short. Obviously Brock’s gonna be disappointed, but we’re gonna be there to support him and lift him up, and we’ll keep giving him opportunities and give him chances to prove himself.”
On defending Mizzou star WR Luther Burden III:
Lea: “They were able to hit the out-and-up there, the double move in overtime. I thought he was effective in the return game. I think that’s an area that we need to be scrutinizing: our coverage units. We mis-hit a punt again tonight. We kicked the ball down the middle of the field on a line. There’s too often that their kickoff return unit is able to bring the ball out. I felt like an early return, we out-punted our coverage. So I thought he was effective in that respect. Obviously I want the out-and-up back in the overtime. But again, credit to them. There’s going to be opportunities for them to find one-on-ones. They found it in that moment. We’ll keep strengthening our performance. But he’s a really good player. He’s going to get his plays. Again, credit to them for finding the design there to get him open in the overtime.”
On Burden’s touchdown in overtime:
Lea: “Well, you’re in a situation where you it’s first-and-10. Your choice is, are you clouding out there, or are you trying to make sure your box is secure and you’re not letting them get in rhythm? They started in a reduced formation and they motioned him out. So they got him into big space. I think when we look at the play, we’re going to see a chance for us to drive through the man and cap the double move. Unfortunately, we were off-body when we drove, and he was able to turn it up, and they executed.
“I think if that’s a third-down snap, I’m going to be scrutinizing the call, just because he’s a great player, and we need to make sure we know where he is. In that situation, they were able to create on first-and-10. Again, I give them credit. I haven’t seen it on film yet, so we’ll need to look at it and find ways where we can be better. But on the whole, I thought we stayed out of those situations throughout the night, and we made it a little harder than we have in the past in terms of getting the ball up and over top of those.”
On freshman WR Joseph McVay scoring his first career touchdown:
Lea: “Joe’s fast. Joe’s a guy that has come in and been really impressive and handling himself as a young player. He has stayed committed to a process and positioned himself to help us win. Alex Bailey and Tim Beck did a nice job designing him into the plan, and when he got his his opportunity, he seized it, and hopefully that leads to more from him. But we love his feet, and we love his attitude. It was cool to see him, I believe in his first reception, to go up and over the top and get a touchdown. So hopefully more of that to come, but certainly happy for him in that moment.”
On the offensive pass interference penalty in double overtime:
Lea: “I don’t want to scrutinize the throw or anything like that. It was just a one-on-one shot. We talked about the one-on-one opportunities they have or that happened against us defensively. Same thing — we’re looking for a one-on-one, because you can put that ball in a lot of different places. That ball can be an up over the top win. It could be over the helmet, or it could be back shoulder. It looked to me like he was trying to get it back shoulder, and it looked to me like Junior just tripped up, and as he’s tripping up, he tugged on the defender a little bit. But we’ll have to look at the film to determine. I love the thought of isolating Junior and trying to get him a win. We just gotta continue to build that chemistry and hopefully be in better position next time.”
On whether Pavia is taking too many hits:
Lea: “That’s a good defense. I’ve kind of said this before. What Diego brings as a competitor is inspirational to our team, and again, when he’s out there with the ball, you know you have a chance. It’s one of those things where as they had a lead on us, and it was kind of getting toward the end of the third, maybe the fourth, is just telling the guys, ‘Get one more stop and get the ball back to the offense,’ knowing they’re going to score. And sure enough, they were able to do that. It’s a credit to him. He’s got to play the game the way he knows to play the game.
“We can design plays where the ball is out of his hand. I thought at times we had other guys on the field making plays, which was great to see, but when things break down on a third down, there’s nothing we can do to tell him not to tuck it and find the yards he can. He did that tonight and was effective that way. I believe we’re going to look at it and and say that we need to be more effective early in our process and be in rhythm, particularly in the passing game. But we’re not going to slow him down. We’re going to ride with him and the style of play he has, and we’re going to get the other guys ready. I’m glad he’s on our team.
On the state of the locker room:
Pavia: “People are pissed off that we lost, like they should be. But we’re motivated to go play our next opponent. We’ve got a bye week coming up, and then we gotta prepare for Alabama. They’re a good football team, too. So just taking it day by day, and then leading up to the game — we’re an inch away. We’re an inch away from coming over the hump. Last week, we lost by single digits. This week, we lost by single digits, and we just gotta get over the hump.”
On his message to the team:
Pavia: “Shoot, just keep going. We gotta push the standard. We still have little things that are messing us up, but we gotta push the standard, and we’ll be better for it. These big games, we lost by a small margin. So we just gotta be better in the little things, and we’ll be better off.”
On the offensive pass interference penalty in double overtime:
Pavia: “It was an RPO, and I liked my matchup. I like Junior Sherrill over anybody. So I threw it. Football happens. We got backed up. They thought it was offensive pass interference, but everyone else thinks different. Things happen. So we just gotta play football.”
On the difference between Vandy’s successful drives and three-and-outs:
Pavia: “We didn’t get behind the chains when we were successful. Those three-and-outs, we were third-and-15, third-and 20, third-and-12. You can’t win football games getting in third-and-long. So we gotta be better on on first and second down so we could do multiple things. It’s my fault. I need to get better operation from the sideline — the play call, get it out faster so I can make some checks that I see on the field. With the loud crowd, playing away, it’s hard to play road games in the SEC. So we just gotta do the little things better, and then we’ll be better off for it.
On fighting back from deficits:
Pavia: “We’ve been down in I think every single game that we played. It’s just keeping our head on straight and playing the next play. So we just forget about the play before, and just play the next play and we’ll be fine.”
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Vanderbilt football vows to push forward after double-overtime loss at No. 7 Missouri
The Commodores will head into their bye week on a two-game losing streak.
When Diego Pavia hurdled a defender and scrambled to Missouri’s 12-yard line early in double overtime, Vanderbilt had a massive upset win in its sights. Just five plays later, the Commodores saw their dream crushed as Brock Taylor yanked a 30-yard field goal wide left to give the No. 7-ranked Tigers a 30-27 victory.
Vandy has lost two straight games late in devastating fashion and will enter its bye week with a 2-2 record as its momentum from the opening win over Virginia Tech largely has evaporated.
“People are pissed off that we lost, like they should be. But we’re motivated to go play our next opponent,” Pavia said. “… We’re an inch away from coming over the hump. Last week, we lost by single digits. This week, we lost by single digits, and we just gotta get over the hump.”
Mizzou holds the FBS’ longest active win streak, which dates back to the middle of last season. At times, the Tigers (4-0) flexed their muscles with superior speed and athleticism as Vandy tried to hold on. Like against Tech, Pavia rallied the ‘Dores from a second-half deficit to get the game into overtime — the New Mexico State transfer threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns while adding 84 yards on the ground.
Tight end Eli Stowers continued his support of Pavia with seven catches for 57 yards, but Vandy couldn’t stop Mizzou’s run game. Nate Noel took 24 carries for 199 yards, and All-America wide receiver Luther Burden III stung the visitors with six receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-tying score in overtime.
“I saw a lot of missed tackles, the running back breaking one, two, three tackles, and then keep going,” said sophomore linebacker Bryan Longwell. “So we gotta get them down. We gotta cap all the runs. You can’t let them get that many yards after contact.”
Both teams moved the ball efficiently for much of the game, but many of those drives stalled out and ended in field-goal attempts. Pavia avoided pressure, stepped up in the pocket and unleashed a rocket to freshman wide receiver Joseph McVay for a 65-yard touchdown to open the scoring, giving McVay his first career catch on his first career drive. Mizzou, however, countered with a 20-yard catch-and-run from Brady Cook to Burden that tied the game.
Mizzou coach Eliah Drinkwitz committed a major error to end the first half, which loomed large late in a one-possession game. On fourth down from midfield, Drinkwitz opted to run a play instead of running out the clock with only seconds remaining. Khordae Sydnor sacked Cook, setting up Taylor for a 57-yard field goal — a program record — that he converted with ease to stun the crowd at Faurot Field. Vandy took a 13-10 lead into halftime.
The Tigers scored 10 straight points to start the third quarter with Noel setting up the touchdown with a 64-yard run that drew the ire of Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea after the game. AJ Newberry countered with a 4-yard touchdown run, and the teams went scoreless in the fourth quarter as Taylor and Mizzou kicker Blake Craig traded missed field goals.
Pavia found walk-on fullback Gabe Fisher on a play fake to put Vandy on top in overtime, but Cook hit Burden wide open on the very next play to tie it. Craig kicked a short field goal for what turned out to be the game’s winning score, as the ‘Dores failed to get in the end zone in double overtime after Junior Sherrill’s offensive pass interference penalty saved a game-ending interception but also took the possibility of a touchdown mostly off the table.
“This is a tough environment, and we didn’t do enough today to be one point better than them,” Lea said. “We know we have a good team. And just like last week, when we fell short, this week, we battled hard.
“It’s not good enough. For us, we want to look at the standards we have as a program and reach toward those, and when we hit those standards, we’re going to be celebrating this game in our locker room.”
Week 4 of the 2024 college football season is in the books and SEC play is revving up with all but three of the league’s 16 teams having played at least one conference game. Tennessee’s conference opener was the first-ever SEC game for league newcomer Oklahoma, and the Vols delivered another early-season statement in a 25-15 win that was not as close as the final score might have indicated. The performance and the result saw Tennessee move up two spots to No. 3 in the latest 247Sports SEC poll released on Monday.
The voting panel consists of SEC team-site writers from the 247Sports network – including yours truly – and three national analysts. Each week we’ll rank the league from first to 16th. I’ll post the poll after it is released and share my ballot of how I voted (and my explanations as to why).
Tennessee’s win in Norman was the headliner of a week that saw Georgia and Alabama rest before their big Week 5 tilt in Tuscaloosa, Vanderbilt push top-10 Missouri to the wire and Arkansas and Florida score conference wins.
Vanderbilt football will kick off vs. Alabama at 3:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network from FirstBank Stadium on Oct. 5, the conference announced Monday.
The Commodores (2-2, 0-1 SEC) are off this week after a loss to Missouri. The Crimson Tide (3-0) will face Georgia at home in their SEC opener.
Both of Vanderbilt’s SEC games so far have been in the afternoon SEC Network slot. This game was previously designated as being in the afternoon slot, which includes the 2:30 games on ABC and ESPN as well as the SEC Network game.
Previously the Commodores played an early game against Virginia Tech and a night game against Alcorn State.
Vanderbilt will be back at home after three weeks without a home game. The Commodores played on the road at Georgia State and Missouri, losing both games, before the off week.
Each of Vanderbilt’s first four SEC games were designated as either an afternoon or “flex” time slot and five of eight overall. Tennessee and Auburn will be early games, while LSU will be a night game.