Takeaways from Mizzou's Loss at Vanderbilt, Quarterback Situation

Let’s state the obvious here: Matt Zollers was thrown into a near-impossible situation for a freshman quarterback. 

After starter Beau Pribula went down with a presumed lower-body injury, it was Zollers who was called on to find some answers on offense, while also trying to win Missouri the game. 

Given the situation that the talented quarterback was placed in, Zollers was solid. He threw for 138 yards on 14-for-23 passing, along with his lone touchdown. 

His first touchdown of the game and second of his career came on fourth down in the fourth quarter to tight end Jude James. Despite the oddity that the statement is, Zollers stepped up and delivered multiple big plays on that drive to tie the game. Zollers also delivered a 15-yard strike to receiver Joshua Manning on his first drive, which also came on a fourth down. 

Zollers looked quite composed during the game, including on his touchdown drive. He led the Tigers down the field, starting from the Missouri 25-yard line, on a 13-play drive that ended in a score. Even on the following drive, when running back Jamal Roberts was stripped, Zollers converted on two third downs and was making smart reads. 

Though his efforts weren’t enough to deliver a Missouri win, a few of the throws he delivered in the clutch, including the ones to James and Manning, were impressive given his level of experience. His fourth-down completion to Kevin Coleman Jr. with 50 seconds left was certainly one of those, but the final play of the game tops the list. 

Zollers somehow connected with Coleman on a Hail Mary attempt, but Coleman fell to the field an inch or two short of the endzone. It was still an incredible throw and is indicative of his passing ability, even if the toss didn’t amount to anything. 

Even if Missouri lost, Zollers was clutch. Assuming it will be Zollers who closes out the season, it’ll be interesting to see how he carries this momentum through the rest of the season. 

Being forced into quick passing game created rare rhythm 

The mix of the quick pass and run game the Missouri offense found on Zollers’ scoring drive was some of the best rhythm that the Tigers have played with all season. 

Some of that was game situation, with Vanderbilt wanting to dare Missouri to be able to sustain a long drive with a backup quarterback.

But, it was also a possible glimpse into what a more smooth version of the offense could look like for the remainder of the season. 

There’s been plenty of times where the run game has been elite, but few times has that been matched with a consistently efficient pass game.

"We got to keep working on our pass game. We're way too predictable right now from that stuff," Drinkwitz said following the win over Auburn, where the passing game was very inconsistent.

But on the 12-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game at 10, running back Ahmad Hardy took eight carries for an average of 5.4 per carry, while Zollers completed four simple passes for an average of 6.25 yards per reception.

One of the biggest questions Missouri will have to answer before Zollers takes the field next will be how the offensive playcalling will adapt around the true freshman. His play style is a great fit for the Missouri offense, but how much of the playbook is he ready to take on?

What was made clear Saturday though is that Zollers can already play well in the basic playbook of the offense. 

Penalties stall drives on both sides

Some of the biggest momentum killers in this game were penalties, and both teams were victims of them. On multiple scoring trips in both halves, a penalty or two managed to derail scoring possibilities. The first half itself ended with a 3-3 score, a score that could’ve been much higher without these teams shooting themselves in the foot. Both teams managed to score more in the second, but that same theme carried throughout. 

"It just seemed like every time we got something, (there was a penalty)," Drinkwitz said. "And that stuff we're going to have to, in these close games."

Missouri committed eight penalties in total for 88 yards. A few of those were very costly in terms of advancing down the field, especially a false start from right guard Curtis Peagler and an intentional grounding from Zollers on the final drive of the game. 

Even if points weren’t on the table to end the first half for the Tigers, a holding penalty at the very end of it on left tackle Cayden Green, directly following a converted first down from Beau Pribula, prevented the Tigers from having a chance to take the lead heading into halftime. 

These mistakes killed the Tigers in the first half, but Vanderbilt was hindered by the yellow flag all game long. The Commodores committed eight penalties for 83 yards, with a few more that were critical compared to Missouri. 

In all fairness, there’s no telling if the Commodores would’ve been up by more if it weren’t for their penalties. There must be some doubt sprinkled in with that, however, given that they reached the red zone multiple times.

The Commodores could’ve taken a lead much earlier in the game if it weren’t for a string of penalties. On the drive where they scored their first field goal, two penalties pushed Vanderbilt far back, including a holding call that cancelled out a Diego Pavia touchdown. 

These are not teams that usually commit a lot of penalties. The Tigers commit 4.6 penalties on average per game, while Vanderbilt averaged 6.9. That placed Missouri at No. 19 nationally before the game and Vanderbilt at No. 91. 

Both teams committed more than their per-game average. Most of them also happened to be self-inflicted. 

This has yet to be an issue for the Tigers, but it can’t bleed into their next game following the bye week. 

Offensive line

No matter what Missouri’s offense tried to do against Auburn in Week 8, most of it was dampened by quick breakdowns on the offensive line. But against Vanderbilt, Missouri was able to get much more push on outside runs, and create more holes on carries between the tackles. 

The 97-yard day from Ahmad Hardy was the much-needed return of Missouri’s efficiency in the run game. Last week, Hardy rushed for a mere 2.4 yards per carry, having hardly any spaces to run through.

“I didn't think our pad level was right. Didn't think our footwork was very good. We weren’t staying square, we were crossing over, so our second step wasn't where it needed to be. Our hands weren't in the right placements. We looked timid, like we weren't sure why we were running certain plays.”

Though the Auburn defensive line presented a much bigger challenge than Vanderbilt's, Missouri's offensive line returned to a much-better form against the Commodores. Hardy had plenty of space to run on carries, both inside and outside the tackles. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

Seeing how Missouri looks to involve the run game to take pressure off Zollers, while also playing defenses that will likely focus even more now on defending the run, will be an interesting challenge for the Tigers.