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Saturday Spotlight
(15) Missouri Tigers at (10) Vanderbilt Commodores
Missouri (6–1):
I saw them a few weeks ago against the Alabama Crimson Tide, and they had several chances to fight back into that game. But Alabama is one of those teams that will keep you down, no matter how hard you try to rally. After the loss to the Crimson Tide, Missouri continued its conference schedule and faced the Auburn Tigers, earning a close victory. If I’m being honest, their offense didn’t look great. Beau Pribula threw two interceptions, and the focal point of the offense, Ahmad Hardy, was held under 100 yards rushing for the second consecutive game after starting the season on a tear. It was the defense that came to the rescue, handling business in the bounce-back win against Auburn. That doesn’t surprise me—Missouri has been one of the better defensive teams in the nation. I mentioned this a few weeks ago when previewing their showdown with Alabama: Missouri has flown under the radar in a conference dominated by big-name programs like Texas, Georgia, and Alabama. Yet the Tigers continue to stay afloat and remain in playoff contention, which would be a major accomplishment for them. Today, they’ll do battle in Nashville against the tenth-ranked team in the nation.
Vanderbilt (6–1):
When I last saw them, they were heading into Tuscaloosa to play Alabama for the first time since upsetting them as the top-ranked team in the nation. I’ve said it on College Football Showdown, and I’ll say it again: Alabama doesn’t lose to the same team in consecutive seasons—and this Vanderbilt group found that out the hard way. If anything, that game revealed the blueprint for limiting this offense: disguise coverages, keep the safeties high, force Diego Pavia to beat you with short and underneath passes, and don’t allow explosive plays downfield. Diego was held under 200 yards passing in that matchup. Yes, Vanderbilt has one of the best offenses in the nation, but I like how balanced they are. They don’t rely on one aspect of their offense to win games. If they want to turn it into a shootout—a track meet, as I call it—they can. But they can also slow things down, lean on the run, and turn the game into a street fight when necessary. Against LSU last Saturday, not many people gave them a chance against a team widely considered a national title contender. It wasn’t pretty, but they got the job done, even with Diego not having his best game. With that win, Vanderbilt is off to the best start in school history. This afternoon, they’ll welcome another group of Tigers to town.
Missouri X-Factor: Beau Pribula
He’s truly settled in as the leader of this Missouri offense and is a dual-threat quarterback who can attack with both his arm and his legs—adding another layer to the Tigers’ attack. Vanderbilt will likely focus on stopping Ahmad Hardy, meaning Pribula could get more play-action opportunities. If Vanderbilt plays man coverage, there’s also a strong chance they’ll forget to keep a spy on the quarterback, which could open up the middle of the field for Beau to make plays with his legs. Vanderbilt has struggled against mobile quarterbacks this season, which could work in Missouri’s favor.
Vanderbilt X-Factor: Cole Spence
Diego Pavia has plenty of weapons, including two tight ends—one of whom is Cole Spence. At 6’7” and 250 pounds, Spence is a matchup nightmare for safeties and linebackers. He uses his size to shield defenders, allowing Diego to simply lob it up and trust him to make the catch. Missouri has athletic defenders, so it’ll be interesting to see how they plan to contain such a big, physical presence in Spence.
Final Thoughts:
Both teams bounced back last weekend after suffering losses to Alabama. Believe it or not, these two programs are more similar than you might think: both have one SEC loss, both are 6–1 overall, both feature dual-threat quarterbacks, and both offenses emphasize establishing the run. They’re also efficient on third and fourth downs. Defensively, each team can generate pressure without blitzing—sending four while keeping a spy in the middle and dropping the secondary into coverage. For Missouri: Get back to your identity—establish Ahmad Hardy early. Vanderbilt’s defense struggles to stop the run, and feeding Hardy will not only wear them down but also keep Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt offense off the field. Time of possession is your friend. Also, attack Vandy’s weakness defending the intermediate passing game. Use slants, curls, and crossing routes to exploit their soft zones. Finally, take care of the football—Vanderbilt’s secondary is opportunistic and capable of turning mistakes into points. For Vanderbilt: The offensive line must be ready for the challenge against Missouri’s front four, which can collapse the pocket and pressure the quarterback. Offensively, look to exploit mismatches in coverage, especially against a Missouri defense that can struggle with athletic tight ends. Winning the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball is a must. This is a huge game for both programs—and it could easily be the best matchup on the Week 9 slate.
