Mizzou RB Cody Schrader had 123 rushing yards and scored a touchdown in last week’s win over Memphis. (Photo: Thomas Grove)

Mizzou Football – Gameday Info
Game No. 5 – #23 Missouri (3-0) at Vanderbilt (2-3)
Date/Time – September 30, 2023 – 11 am
Location – FirstBank Stadium — Nashville, TN
Broadcast – SEC Network
Live Stats – Mizzou Live Stats

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

NASHVILLE, TN — The University of Missouri Tigers will begin play in the Southeastern Conference this weekend, when the team treks down to Vanderbilt for its league opener.

The Tigers have begun the 2023 season better than anyone could have hoped, as the club enters SEC play with a 4-0 record. Mizzou has also caught the attention of NCAA football national poll voters, who picked the team as the 23rd best unit in the country in this week’s poll.

Mizzou is coming off a pair of thrilling wins, one two-weeks ago against then-No. 15 Kansas State, and a victory last week in St. Louis against previously unbeaten Memphis.

The Tigers will be hosting a huge matchup against No. 13 LSU next week and are hoping to come into that meeting with a still unbeaten record.

Vanderbilt will head into Saturday with a 2-3 record. The Commodores have wins over Hawai’i and Alabama A&M, but losses against Wake Forest, UNLV, and last week against Kentucky (45-28).

Down in Nashville, fans of the ‘Dores were thinking this might be the year the team finally makes it back to bowl eligibility. Vanderbilt hasn’t been to a bowl game since 2018. But with losses already against Wake Forest and UNLV — teams Vandy was expected to defeat — and a tough remaining schedule, the Commodores might have real trouble getting to six wins.

A win against Mizzou would go a long way to getting Vanderbilt back to where it hoped it might be. So Saturday’s game will be a big one for fans down south.

Players to Watch: Mizzou’s offense has been explosive the last two weeks. The Tigers have scored 64 points and totaled nearly 1,000 yards of total offense.

QB Brady Cook has been at the center of that, with 697 passing yards, four touchdown passes, a touchdown run, and no turnovers the last two weeks. For the season, Cook is sixth in the SEC in passing yards (1,073) and second in QBR rating (185.23).

RB Cody Schrader, who had 123 yards and the game-clinching touchdown last week, is the SEC’s leading rusher with 403 yards and two touchdowns.

But the big star has been WR Luther Burden, who’s had three straight 100-yard receiving efforts, including last week’s 10-catch, 177-yard night in his hometown of St. Louis. For the year, Burden leads the SEC in receptions (32), is third in total yards (504), and has three touchdown catches.

Freshman WR Marquis Johnson, whose nickname is “Speedy”, caught a 76-yard bomb for a score last week, which left head coach Eli Drinkwitz talking about how the team needs to get him the ball more.

“Yeah, we probably don’t throw him the ball enough that’s what I think,” Drinkwitz said. “I mean, the sucker is fast as lightning and he is making some tough catches. So, we’ve got to continue to find ways of getting vertically down the field.”

Vanderbilt QB AJ Swann is having a fine season. The sophomore is second in the SEC with 1,290 yards and 11 TD passes. He also leads the league with seven interceptions.

Vandy’s WR trio is also excellent. The group features Will Sheppard (27 catches, 345 yards, league-best six TD catches), London Humphreys (12-299 3TDs), and Jayden McGowan (23-295).

Up Next: Mizzou will host its SEC home opener next Saturday, October 7, at Faurot Field against LSU. Kickoff time is set for 11 a.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN.

Vanderbilt will play at Florida next week. That game is at 3 p.m. and will be on SEC Network.

When Missouri Has The Ball

Missouri’s Offense vs. Vanderbilt’s Defense

When Vanderbilt Has The Ball

Missouri’s Defense vs. Vanderbilt’s Offense

2023 MISSOURI TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTVRadio
September 30, 2023 (Saturday)3:00 PMAwayVanderbiltNashville, Tenn.Tiger Radio Network
October 7, 2023 (Saturday)11:00 AMHomeLSUFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
October 14, 2023 (Saturday)TBAAwayKentuckyLexington, Ky.Tiger Radio Network
October 21, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeSouth CarolinaFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 4, 2023 (Saturday)TBAAwayGeorgiaAthens, Ga.Tiger Radio Network
November 11, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeTennesseeFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 18, 2023 (Saturday)TBAHomeFloridaFaurot FieldTiger Radio Network
November 24, 2023 (Friday)3:00 PMAwayArkansasFayetteville, Ark.CBSTiger Radio Network