NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Missouri Tigers football games are almost always unpredictable. Comebacks, untimely turnovers from both sides and an absurd last two minutes are staples.
But their 17-10 loss to Vanderbilt in the Music City blew it all out of the water.
College Gameday came to town for a top-15 ranked matchup between the Tigers and Commodores. Many would have laughed at that sentence just a few seasons ago.
The two high-octane offenses entered the game as top-3 points per game offenses in the Southeastern Conference, but ended the first half at just three points a piece.
Starting quarterback Beau Pribula suffered a potential season-ending ankle injury early in the second half, bringing true freshman Matt Zollers in to play hero. He nearly did that, coming up inches short on a hail mary connection to Kevin Coleman Jr. to send the game to overtime.
Through a roller coaster of twists and turns, here's three takeaways for the Missouri Tigers.
Matt Zollers is enough
Nobody expected Zollers to be in this situation – he wasn't even supposed to be the backup. But two serious leg injuries to the quarterbacks ahead of him brought him here, and he shone under the spotlight.
Zollers threw for 138 yards and a touchdown while completing 14 of his 23 passes. He led the Tigers on a 12-play, 75-yard drive ending in a touchdown pas to Jude James to tie the game up in the fourth quarter, and put them in scoring position on two more drives – a Robert Meyer missed kick and Coleman coming up inches short on the hail mary negated them.
"Poise in the pocket, finding spots, accurate throws," head coach Eli Drinkwtiz said on the positives Zollers' play. "He did a really good job."
Mizzou's offense moved the ball more with Zollers in the game than Pribula – 206 yards to 150. He'll have a bye week to prepare for an intimidating Texas A&M squad in Week 11, but Zollers looks ready for the challenge.
Jude James' emergence
Brett Norfleet exited the game in the third quarter after suffering an upper body injury, leaving a gaping hole at the tight end position for someone to step up.
James, the redshirt freshman, was thrust into the limelight, and made the most of his opportunity. James hauled in four catches for 29 yards and a touchdown. He emerged as a go-to target for Zollers in crucial moments of the game.
James' is now up to six catches, 81 yards and two touchdowns on the season, all of which came from Zollers' passes. It seems James could be more involved in the offense going forward, but his emergence means more than just his snap count.
As Zollers is set to be the starter for the foreseeable future, his connection with the skill position Tigers could be different than Pribula's. It'll be interesting to watch which Tigers' usage increases, and which decreases as Zollers continues to lead the team.
Big plays still bite the Tigers
Missouri's defense shut down Vanderbilt's electric offense. Diego Pavia and his Commodores were held to just 185 total offensive yards aside from an 80-yard touchdown run from Makhilyn Young. Young's dash to the end zone was just one of two touchdowns on the day for the Commodores, who largely struggled to move the chains.
"That play is really disappointing," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "We thought we'd pretty much held them in check the entire game. I mean, they had no breathing room."
That's become the main narrative surrounding Missouri's defense; one or two big plays allowed each game shift the tide. As the Tigers prepare to enter the last four SEC games of the season, coverage big plays will define how this season's defense is remembered.