Missouri Tigers beat visiting Vanderbilt on missed field goal in double-overtime

It took four quarters and two overtime periods, but in the end, No. 7 Missouri prevailed against unranked Vanderbilt.

The Commodores were a 31-yard field goal away from sending the game to triple-overtime, but Vandy kicker Brock Taylor missed it wide, and the Tigers survived 30-27.

Missed field goals attempts highlighted a back-and-forth showing between the Southeastern Conference foes, with Mizzou kicker Blake Craig (three) and Taylor (two) combining for five flubs.

Craig missed field goals of 24, 40 and 46 yards, while Taylor shanked a 50-yarder before missing the potential game-tying kick.

In the end, though, the Tigers survived thanks to a career day for Nate Noel and a defense that stepped up when it mattered most.

On a third-and-2 early in the third quarter, Noel ran through a gaping hole up the middle, only the black-and-gold end zone in front of him. The Appalachian State transfer was eventually brought down from behind at the 3-yard line, but only after a 64-yard carry, his longest of the day.

Noel finished Saturday’s double-overtime win over Vanderbilt with a career-high 199 rushing yards on 24 carries. His 64-yard pickup in the third quarter was followed up with a 3-yard touchdown run up the middle by Noel’s backfield partner — Marcus Carroll.

It was Missouri’s first touchdown since the Tigers scored on a 20-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Luther Burden III with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter and gave the host team a 20-13 lead midway through the third period.

For much of the game, it was seemingly Noel alone keeping Missouri’s offense afloat. Outside of Cook’s deep touchdown pass to Burden on the offense’s first play of overtime, the senior quarterback was inconsistent. He finished with 226 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Noel’s performance on the ground against Vanderbilt was similar to that of Tyler Badie’s day versus the Commodores in 2021. Badie racked up 254 yards and two touchdowns in that game, single-handedly leading the Tigers to a 37-28 win over Vanderbilt. Noel’s day was not quite as prolific, but it was still a memorable one.

Noel didn’t have a lot of help on the offensive side of the ball, but the Tigers’ defense did its part in sealing the win over the Commodores.

On perhaps the biggest snap of the game for the defense, the unit stepped up. Vanderbilt, on Missouri’s 32-yard line, faced a third-and-8 with just over three minutes left in regulation. Pavia took the snap and fired, only to find the outstretched hand of defensive tackle Chris McClellan, who swatted the pass down. The head’s-up defensive play forced Vanderbilt to attempt a 50-yard field goal, which Taylor missed.

Missouri’s defense wasn’t perfect. MU allowed a pair of Commodore touchdowns but responded well to both.

With the game tied at 7 early in the second quarter, Vanderbilt was marching down the field again. The Commodores had scored on their previous drive via a 65-yard connection between quarterback Diego Pavia and freshman receiver Joseph McVay, a result of what appeared to be a busted coverage by Mizzou’s defense.

MU answered Vanderbilt’s touchdown with one of its own — the 20-yard catch-and-run by Burden — but the Tigers’ defense, on the ropes for a second straight drive, needed a big play. On third-and-3 on Missouri’s 4-yard line, Pavia kept the ball and found no place to go but backward.

Edge rusher Zion Young gave the Tigers’ defense the big play it needed, stuffing Pavia for a loss of five yards and forcing Vanderbilt to settle for a field goal, which gave the Commodores a 10-7 lead with 13:27 remaining in the second quarter.

Following a third-quarter drive in which Vanderbilt stormed down the field and tied the game at 20 on an AJ Newberry 4-yard touchdown run, the Tigers’ defense forced a three-and-out on its next drive. On third-and-4, linebacker Chuck Hicks exploded into the backfield and sacked a scrambling Pavia for a loss of 12 yards.

It was Hicks’ first sack since Missouri’s 2023 regular-season finale against Arkansas, and it forced Vanderbilt to punt from its own 14-yard line.

Outside of the two touchdown drives, Missouri’s defense was sound, keeping the Tigers in the game while the offense failed to muster much momentum.

Missouri’s defense forced punts on six Vanderbilt possessions, including one with five remaining in the first half that set up one of Craig’s three field-goal makes — a 23-yard chip-shot that tied the game at 10-all. Craig also made goals of 54 and 37 yards, the latter of which proved to be the game-winning score in the second overtime.

The Tigers have the first of their two bye weeks this coming week before facing their first road test when they match up against Texas A&M at 11 a.m. Oct. 5 in College Station.

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