The Vanderbilt Commodores and their SEC East foe Missouri Tigers will meet for the 11th time on Saturday inside Nashville’s Vanderbilt Stadium. The Tigers enter the contest, winners of five straight games, including two SEC contests. The Tigers currently sit atop the SEC East standings and are ranked #22 in the national polls. The Tigers hold a 7-3-1 advantage in the series with Vanderbilt and won last years meeting 33-28 in Columbia, Missouri. The Commodores will be in search of their first SEC win and their second win of the 2019 campaign.
Offensively
The Tigers are led offensively by Clemson graduate transfer quarterback Kelly Bryant. Bryant has started all six games for Missouri, completing 65% of his passes for 1,575 yards and twelve touchdowns. The duel threat Bryant has also rushed 57 times for 226 yards and one touchdown. At running back, the Tigers lean heavily on junior Larry Rountree. Through six games, the veteran running back has toted the rock 103 times for 573 yards and seven scores. Catching the ball, Missouri has several outside threats. Leading the way is senior Johnathon Johnson. The Memphis native has caught 25 passes for 275 yards, but has yet to find the end zone. Arkansas graduate transfer Jonathan Nance has caught thirteen balls for 250 yards and three scores. Perhaps, Missouri’s biggest threat in the passing game is tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. The junior is one of the best tight ends in the nation and is showing it through six games with sixteen receptions for 240 yards and five scores. On the offensive line, the Tigers feature three upperclassmen (left tackle Yasir Durant, center Trystan Colon-Castillo, and right guard Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms) and two sophomores (right tackle Larry Borom and left guard Case Cook).
Defensively
Missouri’s defensive unit is anchored by sophomore linebacker Nick Bolton. Bolton leads the Tigers in tackles with 46 (31 solo, 15 assisted), and two interceptions. Junior safety Tyree Gillespie 24 (eighteen solo, six unassisted) tackles, has also added a sack and three passes broken up. Sophomore linebacker Cameron Wilkins nineteen (fifteen solo, four assisted) tackles, and junior safety Joshua Bledsoe nineteen (seventeen solo, two assisted) tackles, are also forces on the Tigers defensive unit. Along the defensive line, Missouri is led by juniors Kobie Whiteside nine (eight solo, one assisted) tackles and Akial Byers nine (six solo, three assisted) tackles.
Special Teams
Missouri is one of only a few college football programs that use the same player as a placekicker and punter. Senior Tucker McCann handles both of these duties for the Tigers. In six games McCann is 11/14 on field goals, with a long of 52. Missouri has only punted 24 times with only one touchback allowed and no blocks allowed. The Tigers use junior running back Dawson Downing on kick returns and senior defensive back Richaud Floyd on punt returns.
Offensively
The Tigers are led offensively by Clemson graduate transfer quarterback Kelly Bryant. Bryant has started all six games for Missouri, completing 65% of his passes for 1,575 yards and twelve touchdowns. The duel threat Bryant has also rushed 57 times for 226 yards and one touchdown. At running back, the Tigers lean heavily on junior Larry Rountree. Through six games, the veteran running back has toted the rock 103 times for 573 yards and seven scores. Catching the ball, Missouri has several outside threats. Leading the way is senior Johnathon Johnson. The Memphis native has caught 25 passes for 275 yards, but has yet to find the end zone. Arkansas graduate transfer Jonathan Nance has caught thirteen balls for 250 yards and three scores. Perhaps, Missouri’s biggest threat in the passing game is tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. The junior is one of the best tight ends in the nation and is showing it through six games with sixteen receptions for 240 yards and five scores. On the offensive line, the Tigers feature three upperclassmen (left tackle Yasir Durant, center Trystan Colon-Castillo, and right guard Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms) and two sophomores (right tackle Larry Borom and left guard Case Cook).
Defensively
Missouri’s defensive unit is anchored by sophomore linebacker Nick Bolton. Bolton leads the Tigers in tackles with 46 (31 solo, 15 assisted), and two interceptions. Junior safety Tyree Gillespie 24 (eighteen solo, six unassisted) tackles, has also added a sack and three passes broken up. Sophomore linebacker Cameron Wilkins nineteen (fifteen solo, four assisted) tackles, and junior safety Joshua Bledsoe nineteen (seventeen solo, two assisted) tackles, are also forces on the Tigers defensive unit. Along the defensive line, Missouri is led by juniors Kobie Whiteside nine (eight solo, one assisted) tackles and Akial Byers nine (six solo, three assisted) tackles.
Special Teams
Missouri is one of only a few college football programs that use the same player as a placekicker and punter. Senior Tucker McCann handles both of these duties for the Tigers. In six games McCann is 11/14 on field goals, with a long of 52. Missouri has only punted 24 times with only one touchback allowed and no blocks allowed. The Tigers use junior running back Dawson Downing on kick returns and senior defensive back Richaud Floyd on punt returns.
