Vanderbilt Football (2-1) is coming off its first loss of the season against Georgia State and will look to regroup against the surging No. 7 Missouri Tigers this Saturday at 3:15 p.m. CDT. Last week, the Commodores overcame a 12-point deficit in the final quarter, but they lost their lead when Christian Veilleux connected with Ted Hurst for a 25-yard touchdown pass with just 15 seconds left on the clock. The Commodores will need to bounce back quickly if they want any chance of slowing down a battle-tested Missouri team.
Missouri is coming off its third win of the season after defeating Boston College 27-21 this past Saturday. The Tigers shut down a powerful rushing attack and secured two crucial fourth-quarter conversions to seal the victory. Missouri will aim to extend its CFB-best eight-game FBS win streak, dating back to Nov. 11, 2023.
Vanderbilt Hustler: Missouri is riding a strong three-game winning streak, with its latest victory coming over Boston College. How do you think that momentum will affect its upcoming matchup against Vanderbilt?
Brady Shanahan: After beating Boston College, Missouri’s players have incredible confidence moving forward, specifically in regards to its defense. [The Tigers] call themselves the death row defense, actually. Coming off of the two shutouts and the comeback win over BC — especially the third quarter where they only allowed 14 total yards — they are incredibly confident. Diego Pavia is a very talented quarterback — he can move and throw. Missouri’s defense having that experience against Thomas Castellanos this past week leaves them a little bit more prepared for his style of play.
VH: How has the team improved from last year?
BS: There’s been a lot of continuity, especially on the offensive side of the ball. You’ve got Brady Cook returning, along with the entire receiving corps, and I think they’ve all made significant strides since last season. One thing I’d really like to highlight is the running backs. They had to replace Cody Schrader, one of the best running backs in the country, but they brought in two outstanding veteran backs, Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll. They’ve fit in seamlessly. That level of experience is invaluable, because the team was already a cohesive unit, and bringing in guys who are already seasoned has only strengthened that dynamic. The veteran leadership in the locker room has been a major factor in their success so far this season.
VH: Do you think that Vanderbilt’s defense will be able to stop Brady Cook and Luther Burden III?
BS: I’ve watched a fair amount of Vanderbilt this season, particularly the game against Virginia Tech — in the first half, they looked really strong. It’s tough to predict because they came out of the gate looking great and in last week’s game they nearly pulled off a 12-point comeback in the second half. So, I don’t think Missouri can afford to get too comfortable. Vanderbilt has given Missouri a scare in the past — like our homecoming game two years ago, where they almost stole a win. I don’t think Missouri will underestimate them at all. They’ll be ready for Vanderbilt to put up a fight.
VH: What should Vanderbilt’s offense look out for in terms of playmakers on the Missouri defense?
BS: The biggest playmaker on Missouri’s defense is Daylan Carnell. They call him the star safety because [he plays] that high-risk, linebacker-safety position. So he’s moving all over the place, whether it’s dropping back in zone coverage, playing man [coverage] or lining up at linebacker. He can be rushing off the edge and he had multiple sacks last year. I think the Vanderbilt offense needs a game plan for him specifically because he’s that game-changing type of player.
VH: What is your score prediction for the game?
BS: Missouri’s predicted score has been 27 or more in each of the games so far, so I’ll go safe with a 27-14 win over Vanderbilt.
