NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt running back Makhilyn Young broke free for an 80-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and the Commodores held off a late rally to defeat Missouri 17-10 on Saturday afternoon at FirstBank Stadium.
The Tigers (6-2, 2-2 SEC) lost starting quarterback Beau Pribula to a leg injury early in the third quarter, halting Missouri’s offensive rhythm after a promising start to the half. Pribula was carted off the field with his left leg in an air cast following a failed fourth down run from the Vanderbilt 1-yard line.
Pribula finished 9 of 14 passing for 68 yards while rushing four times for 10 yards before the injury. Freshman Matt Zollers took over and completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown.
After a scoreless first quarter, Missouri took a 3-0 lead midway through the second on a Robert Meyer field goal that capped a 70-yard drive consuming over seven minutes. Vanderbilt (7-1, 3-1) responded before halftime with a Brock Taylor 38-yard field goal to even the score at 3-3 going into the break.
The Tigers opened the second half with momentum. On Vanderbilt’s first drive, Missouri’s Damon Wilson intercepted Diego Pavia’s pass on a tip from Chris McClellan at the Commodores’ 20-yard line, setting up first and goal after a Kevin Coleman jet sweep. But the drive stalled at the 1-yard line, and on fourth down, Pribula kept the ball on a read-option and was tackled short, suffering the injury that would end his day.
After the emotional pause, Vanderbilt seized control. On its next drive, Young bounced outside and sprinted 80 yards untouched for the first touchdown of the game, putting the Commodores ahead 10-3 with 3:51 left in the third quarter.
Zollers responded with composure. He led a 71-yard drive early in the fourth quarter, capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jude James on fourth down to tie the game at 10-10 with 12:49 remaining.
Both defenses stiffened from there. Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy powered his way to 97 rushing yards on 20 carries, but the Tigers’ next possession ended in disaster when Jamal Roberts fumbled near midfield with 7:30 to play. Vanderbilt recovered at the Missouri 44 and slowly drove down the field, aided by a roughing-the-passer call and a defensive pass interference penalty that advanced the ball inside the 15.
With 1:52 remaining, Pavia capped the drive himself with a 2-yard keeper to put Vanderbilt ahead 17-10. The Commodores’ quarterback finished 10-of-19 for 129 yards and one interception, adding 20 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Zollers gave Missouri one final chance. He connected with Kevin Coleman Jr. seven times for 109 yards, including a 19-yard completion to move the Tigers to the Vanderbilt 30 with 10 seconds left. But after an intentional grounding penalty and an incomplete pass, Zollers found Coleman one more time for 35 yards down to the 1-yard line as time expired one yard short of forcing overtime.
Missouri outgained Vanderbilt 376 yards to 265 and held the ball for more than 36 minutes, but costly penalties (eight for 88 yards) and missed opportunities inside the red zone (1-for-3) proved decisive.
Young led Vanderbilt with 86 rushing yards on just four carries, while tight end Tre Richardson caught four passes for 62 yards. The Commodores’ defense, led by linebacker C.J. Heard limited Missouri to 4.8 yards per play and made critical stops on fourth down and in the red zone.
The loss plummets Missouri’s chance at a college football playoff bid, and raises questions about the health of its starting quarterback heading into the Tiger’s next matchup in 2 weeks at home against Texas A&M.