NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tyler Badie rushed 31 times for a career-high 254 yards and two touchdowns, Harrison Mevis booted three field goals to run his string of consecutive makes to 19, and Keke Chism caught a 45-yard “Hail Mary” touchdown pass from Connor Bazelak on the last play of the first half to lead the Missouri Tigers (4-4, 1-3) to a 37-28 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-7, 0-5).
Saturday marks Mizzou’s first SEC victory of the season and it’s first true road win since a 38-17 decision at Florida on Nov. 3, 2018.
Badie ran his career rushing total to 2,125 yards, becoming the 18th Tiger to run for more than 2,000 yards. He also caught eight passes for 40 yards. His 254 yards were the fifth most in a single game in Missouri history.
After Vanderbilt closed to within 30-28 with 3:11 to play, and with Bazelak on the sideline with an injury, Badie broke the Commodores’ collective backs when he broke down the left sideline for a 73-yard gain to the Vandy two, where Bazelak’s replacement, freshman Tyler Macon, scampered in for a two-yard touchdown, his first as a Tiger. It was the longest run of Badie’s career.
Mizzou put the victory away with 1:31 to play when Martez Manuel picked off a deep pass by Mike Wright and the Tigers ran out the clock.
The Tigers jumped out to a 10-0 first-quarter lead, scoring on their first two possessions. Mevis delivered a 46-yard field goal on the opening possession and Badie rushed for a 13-yard touchdown the next time Missouri touched the football.
MU was poised to expand that lead further moments later when walk-on Stephen Benson blocked a Vanderbilt punt deep in Commodore territory at the 15-yard line. But Bazelak’s pass down the middle intended for Barrett Banister, was intercepted by Max Worship at the 2 and returned 11 yards.
Vandy needed just three plays to negotiate 87 yards, the big play being a 69-yard run by Wright to the MU 7. He then flipped a seven-yard scoring pass to Cam Johnson to get the ‘Dores on the board.
Early in the second quarter, Wright led Vanderbilt on a 84-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard TD run by Patrick Smith to give the Commodores a 14-10 lead.
Just before Chism’s heroics, Vanderbilt faked a 52-yard field goal but Jaylon Carlies snuffed it out and dropped kicker Joseph Bulovas for a five-yard loss. With 15 seconds left, Bazelak whipped a 11-yard pass to Banister and a six-yarder to Badie to set the Tigers up for Bazelak’s last second heave.
Missouri upped its lead to 24-14 early in the third quarter on a 59-yard drive. After converting on a fourth-down play, Badie got his second score on a 15-yard jaunt to the endzone.
But Vandy came right back. Wright ran 70 yards on a quarterback draw down to the five-yard line, then pitched a shovel pass to tight end Gavin Schoenwald for a touchdown that made it 24-21.
MU marched back down the field and appeared to get a touchdown on a 18-yard run by Michael Cox, but it was negated by an illegal block, and the Tigers settled for a 32-yard Mevis field goal.
Later in the fourth quarter, after Bazelak was injured, Macon ran six yards to set Mevis up for another field goal, this one of 52 yards that made the score 30-21. It was Mevis’ sixth of 50+ yards, tying the school record.
The Commodores weren’t done. They drove 75 yards to score on a Wright-to-Johnson pass of six yards to close to within 30-28, but that’s when Badie, Macon and Manuel closed the deal.
The Tigers rolled up 502 yards of total offense (284 rushing, 218 passing) to Vanderbilt’s 380 (258/122). Bazelak was 22-of-28 for 218 yards, one touchdown (the 20th of this career) and one interception.
Mizzou travels to Athens, Georgia next week for a Nov. 6 matchup with the nation’s top-ranked team, the Georgia Bulldogs. Game time and television coverage will be announced Sunday by the SEC.
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