- My number one takeaway from that game? Vanderbilt is putrid. The Commodores were already the least-talented team in the league, and Saturday they looked like they would rather be pretty much anywhere else. Their defense, in particular, showed zero fight. Mizzou had some running lanes large enough to accommodate proper social distancing between the two offensive linemen on either side. If the school wants to care even an iota about athletics, I have to think Derek Mason is done after this season. All that said, good for Missouri. This is what good teams do to not good teams: start fast and never give them hope of hanging around. In a season where there are no real easy games, you have to take advantage of an opportunity like this. Missouri did.
- As I said at halftime, I’m not sure if it had more to do with Missouri getting a couple players back on the offensive line or Vanderbilt generally not caring on defense, but Missouri’s offensive line looked like a completely different unit than we’ve seen the past couple games. The Tigers got the running game going early, and that opened things up for the entire offense. Excluding sacks, they rushed for 246 yards and nearly seven yards per carry. Today showed why people have been asking for more touches for Tyler Badie, especially in the passing game. I will be very interested to see what he can do in more of a feature role if he returns next season.
- I never felt like Connor Bazelak was playing a great game or made any jaw-dropping throws, yet he finished 30-37 for 318 yards. I think that’s a tribune to Drinkwitz’s play-calling. He did a great job of scheming up quick, stress-free completions that got playmakers the ball with little stress and gave them the ability to run after the catch. I’ll have to see the pass chart to know for sure, but I can’t remember any Bazelak completions that traveled more than about 15 yards downfield. You’d probably like to see Bazelak get a bit more accurate throwing downfield, which could certainly come with time, but in the meantime his strength is clearly getting the ball out quickly and accurately, which the offense today allowed him to do consistently. By the way, heck of a throw by Brady Cook in his first action.
- The defense is looking like last year’s unit. This was a complete domination of Vanderbilt’s offense. Yes, the past two weeks Missouri has played bad teams with questionable levels of motivation. But entering those games, both Vanderbilt and South Carolina had been able to move the ball in recent weeks. Vandy threw for 300-plus yards in three of its past four games. Today, it threw for 103. The Commodores punted seven times and never really even looked like a threat to score. Like pretty much everyone in modern football, Missouri has been susceptible to really good quarterbacks — Mac Jones, Kyle Trask, Myles Brennan. But it shouldn’t face another one of those this season.
- I’m sure those of you watching on TV have been beaten over the head with Sarah Fuller talk all day, but it really was the story of the day. Her actual kickoff to start the second half may not have been anything incredible (I’m sure it takes some time to adjust to kicking a football versus a soccer ball the staff didn’t want to put her in a position to shank one straight out of bounds), but the fact that she became the first woman to ever play in a Power Five football game absolutely is. Hopefully she isn’t the last. Good on the fans in the stands for providing her with a well-deserved ovation.
- Missouri is over .500. That is a sentence I never expected to type this season. Well done, Eli Drinkwitz and staff.
