COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri football looks to extend the nation’s longest FBS win streak Saturday when the Tigers host the Vanderbilt Commodores to open Southeastern Conference play on Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network and Tiger Radio Network.
Winners of their last seven contests, the Tigers (3-0) enter the conference season ranked No. 7 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll.
The Tigers and Commodores will square off to open the SEC season for the second-straight year. Mizzou, which holds an 11-4-1 overall series advantage against Vanderbilt, has defeated the Commodores in each of the last four matchups. MU has claimed five-straight home meetings against VU, which posted its last win in Columbia in 2012.
Missouri concluded its sixth-consecutive unblemished home non-conference slate with its win over No. 24 Boston College last Saturday to eclipse a program record with its 19th straight home non-conference victory.
Saturday’s SEC Network broadcast will feature Taylor Zarzour, Matt Stinchcomb and Alyssa Lang on the call. The game can also be heard on the Tiger Radio Network from LEARFIELD through the Varsity Network mobile app and Sirius XM channel 81.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Vanderbilt (2-1, 0-0 SEC) at [7] Missouri (3-0, 0-0 SEC)
Saturday, September 21, 2024 • 3:15 p.m. CT
Columbia, Mo. • Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium (62,621)
TELEVISION • SECN
RADIO • Tiger Radio Network from LEARFIELD
GAME NOTES • Missouri Notes • Vanderbilt Notes
LIVE STATS • MUTigers.com
TWITTER • @MizzouFootball
INTERVIEWS • Coach Drinkwitz Weekly Press Conference
PROMOTION: Fans Encouraged to Wear Gold
GAME NOTES
The Tigers’ current seven-game win streak, dating back to Nov. 11, 2023, is the longest in the nation (NCAA FBS); it also matches Missouri’s lengthiest streak since 2013 and is tied for the third-longest in program history.
Mizzou’s defense ranks fourth in the nation in total defense (184.0 ypg) and has limited each of its last five opponents to 300 yards of total offense or fewer (since Nov. 24, 2023).
The Tigers’ offense has converted each of its 15 trips to the red zone into points this season and 71-of-73 trips since the start of the 2023 season.
Missouri has yet to allow any points in the third quarter and the Tigers have permitted only seven points in the second half this season; MU’s ‘Death Row Defense’ joins Ole Miss as the only two SEC teams to permit seven points or less in the second half.
QB Brady Cook (7,198) became just the second Mizzou quarterback to record both 7,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards, joining Brad Smith on that elite list with last Saturday’s performance vs. Boston College.
Cook moved into a pair of career top five lists with his 264-yard performance against the Eagles, shifting into fourth in passing yards and tied for fifth in passing TDs (40).
With his 23-7 record on Faurot Field, Eliah Drinkwitz has compiled the best home winning percentage (.767) among all Mizzou football coaches with at least four years at the helm.
MU is riding a string of 15 consecutive weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, marking its longest since streak in a decade.
Mizzou enters Saturday’s game with a 73-25 mark at home when ranked in the Associated Press poll (139-76-1 overall as a ranked team).
TIGERS AND ‘DORES, BY THE NUMBERS
Vanderbilt will be making its 10th visit to Columbia Saturday, looking to stop a five-game slide at Faurot Field.
MU holds a 6-2-1 advantage over the Commodores in those 10 meetings, as well as an 11-4-1 overall edge in a series that dates back to 1895.
Since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012, the Tigers have won nine of their 12 meetings with Vanderbilt, including each of the last four (since 2020).
In three previous games vs. Vandy, QB Brady Cook has completed 54-of-70 pass attempts for 668 yards and six touchdowns.
WR Luther Burden III has been a thorn in the Commodores’ side as well, logging 15 receptions for 206 yards and three TDs, in addition to rushing for a touchdown and registering 46 yards on two punt returns in his two career games vs. Vandy.
Mizzou is 9-0 vs. Vanderbilt when scoring 24 points or more.
MIZZOU IN SEC OPENERS
Saturday’s contest marks the start of Southeastern Conference play for the Tigers, who have gone 4-8 in league openers since joining the conference in 2012.
The Tigers and Commodores will open the conference season for the second consecutive year, following MU’s 38-21 win in Nashville (Sept. 30) to kick off the 2023 SEC campaign.
QB Brady Cook completed a career-high 33 passes for 395 yards and four touchdowns last fall vs. Vandy, connecting with the duo of Luther Burden III (11 rec.) and Theo Wease Jr. (10) a total of 21 times (3 TDs) in the victory.
Mizzou will be looking to go 3-0 vs. VU in SEC openers; the Tigers also claimed a 51-28 road victory over Vanderbilt in 2013.
BLAKE THE MAKE
K Blake Craig turned in yet another strong performance Saturday vs. No. 24 Boston College, converting 4-of-4 field goal attempts to help lift the Tigers to victory and earn SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
The redshirt freshman from Kansas City drilled kicks from 31, 38 (twice) and 56 yards, and successfully booted his lone PAT attempt to remain perfect (12-for-12) on the season.
Craig’s 56-yarder as time expired in the first half marked the longest field goal ever kicked by a Missouri freshman, surpassing Harrison Mevis‘ 52-yarder vs. LSU in 2020.
The kick also tied for the fourth-longest in program history (sharing the distinction with a pair of Mevis 56-yard kicks).
IN THE ZONE
Mizzou has been nearly unstoppable in the red zone, converting each of its 15 trips inside of the opposition’s 20-yard line into points this season.
The Tigers have found the end zone on 11 of those possessions overall (73%).
K Blake Craig has successfully booted each of his three red zone FG attempts (from 22, 27 and 31).
The Tigers red zone offense was one of the nation’s best in 2023, putting points on the board in 56-of-58 (96.6%) trips inside the 20-yard line to rank third among all FBS offenses.
MU converted 36 red zone TDs, while Harrison Mevis booted 20 red zone FGs to rank second among all FBS kickers.
GET YOUR 2024 TICKETS NOW!
A limited number of reserved single-game tickets remain available for the game against Arkansas. Reserved season tickets have sold out as well as single-game reserved tickets for games against Vanderbilt, Auburn and Oklahoma.
Purchase single-game tickets now by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS or buying online.
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