QB Beau Pribula looks for someone to throw to in Mizzou’s game at Vanderbilt on Saturday. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

NCAA Football1st2nd3rd4thFinal
#15 Mizzou (6-2, 2-2)030710
#10 Vanderbilt (7-1, 3-1)037717

NASHVILLE, TN — The University of Missouri football team contained Vanderbilt star quarterback Diego Pavia for most of the day on Saturday.

But on the play that mattered most, it couldn’t. And with just under two minutes left in the game, Pavia dove over the goal line from 1-yard out to lift the host Commodores to a 17-10 win over the visiting Tigers.

Missouri also had quarterback troubles of its own, as its starter — junior transfer Beau Pribula — suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter that forced him to leave the game and not return. Pribula was carted off the field and rode in a wheelchair to the Mizzou locker room.

Afterward, head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Pribula might be out for awhile.

“Beau has no broken bones but he did have an ankle injury that had to be popped back in,” Drinkwitz said, after the game. “Don’t have a timetable for his return, but it could be a while.”

Mizzou QB Beau Pribula is carted off the field, after suffering an ankle injury in the Tigers’ game at Vanderbilt on Saturday. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

With Pribula down, Mizzou turned to true freshman Matt Zollers — a four-star recruit, who began the year as the Tigers’ No. 3 QB and had only thrown six passes all season before Saturday.

In just under one half of play though, Zollers completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder from Pennsylvania also lost a fumble. But he did drive Mizzou to its only touchdown of the game and had the Tigers in position to possibly tie the game in the final seconds.

Vanderbilt had gone ahead on Pavia’s run and had its defense licking its chops at getting a shot at Zollers. But the freshman moved Mizzou into Vandy’s territory and on the final play, lofted a deep pass toward teammate Kevin Coleman, Jr.

Coleman fought off two Vandy defenders and caught the ball near the goal line. Unfortunately, he was a few inches short of crossing the goal line for a potential game-tying score. Instead, the play was ruled a catch, but the clock ran out before Mizzou could run another play.

“I thought (Zollers) played really big,” Drinkwitz said. “I was really proud of him. I thought he did an excellent job.”

Mizzou freshman QB Matt Zollers fires a pass during the Tigers’ game against Vanderbilt on Saturday. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

Zollers’ first possession resulted in Missouri reaching Vanderbilt’s 11-yard line. It was a 12-play, 37-yard drive wherein Zollers went 4-of-6 passing for 27 yards. The highlight was a 15-yard pass to Josh Manning on 4th-and-4. The Tigers settled for a field-goal attempt, and Robby Meyer missed from 29 yards, but the offense showed some life.

Vanderbilt, now 7-1 overall and 3-1 in SEC play, turned around and scored immediately after that missed field goal. Makhilyn Young sprinted around the right side and scored on an 80-yard run to give Vandy a 10-3 lead.

In response, Zollers led a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie the game in the fourth quarter. He got some help from Ahmad Hardy, who had runs of 17 and 15 yards, and Vanderbilt was flagged for pass interference on an incomplete second-down pass, but on 4th-and-2 from Vandy’s 6-yard line, Zollers hit Jude James for the tying score.

“When they took the lead, to drive the ball down and score, I thought was really impressive,” Drinkwitz said. “The moment wasn’t too big for him. He showed poise in the pocket. He was finding spots. He made accurate throws. He did a really good job.”

Mizzou’s defense forced a three-and-out on Vanderbilt’s next possession, which gave Zollers the ball and the opportunity to take the lead with 11:11 left in the game. The Tigers drove to midfield. Zollers converted a 3rd-and-3 with a 6-yard run.

Once at midfield, Zollers botched a handoff exchange with Missouri running back Jamal Roberts, resulting in Vanderbilt’s C.J. Heard taking the ball and giving the Commodores possession. Outside of a few missed deep passes and throwing into well-covered receivers a couple times, that was really Zollers’ one big mistake.

Members of the Mizzou defense bring down a Vanderbilt ballcarrier during Saturday’s game in Nashville. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

Unfortunately, that mistake was a costly one. Vanderbilt turned that runner into the game-winning touchdown to go up 17-10, a nine-play, 44-yard drive that ate up more than five minutes of game time.

That left Zollers with just 1:52 to try and lead the Tigers to a win. To his credit, he willed them down the field, hitting James for 8 on 2nd-and-5; hitting Kevin Coleman Jr. for 14 on 4th-and-10; hitting Coleman again for 18 after a false start made it 2nd-and-13.

The next play, Zollers was flagged for intentional grounding while taking a sack, setting Mizzou up with 2nd-and-17 on Vandy’s 37-yard line. Two plays later, as time expired, he launched a Hail Mary pass to Coleman — who came down with the catch, a 36-yard completion, but he was not in the end zone, and the ball did not cross the goal line.

“I thought the guys really rallied,” Drinkwitz said. “I think the morale and energy got taken from us on the missed field goal. we had the ball down there twice and came away with zero points, but they fought back and gave us a chance in the fourth.

“Obviously, with those games, they come down to one or two plays, and we were on the short end of it. The 4th-and-1 in the third quarter, the missed field goal in the third quarter proved to be big, then that last play, catching the ball on the one-inch line.”

Mizzou WR Marquis Johnson makes a key third-down catch during the first half of the Tigers’ game at Vanderbilt on Saturday. (Photo: Cedric Williams)

Mizzou is now 6-2 on the season and 2-2 in SEC play. The Tigers would probably need to win all of their remaining games to have any shot at making the playoffs.

Next week is a much-needed bye week for Mizzou. Their next game will come on Saturday, November 7, when the Tigers will host undefeated and No. 3-ranked Texas A&M. Kickoff for that game has been set at 2:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

SCORING SUMMARY

QtrTimeDescriptionMIZVAN
2nd05:11MIZ – Meyer, Robert 39 yd field goal, 13 plays, 69 yards, TOP 07:4803
2nd02:00VAN – Taylor, Brock 38 yd field goal, 8 plays, 55 yards, TOP 03:0633
3rd03:51VAN – Young, Makhilyn 80 yd run (Taylor, Brock kick), 1 plays, 80 yards, TOP 00:13103
4th12:49MIZ – James, Jude 6 yd pass from Zollers, Matt (Meyer, Robert kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, TOP 06:021010
4th01:52VAN – Pavia, Diego 1 yd run (Taylor, Brock kick), 9 plays, 44 yards, TOP 05:101710

2025 MIZZOU TIGERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTVRadioResults
August 28, 2025 (Thursday)6:30 pmHomeCentral ArkansasFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 61-6 (1-0)
September 6, 2025 (Saturday)2:30 pmHomeKansasFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 42-31 (2-0)
September 13, 2025 (Saturday)12 pmHomeLouisianaFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 52-10 (3-0)
September 20, 2025 (Saturday)6 pmHomeSouth CarolinaFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 29-20 (4-0)
September 27, 2025 (Saturday)6:30 pmHomeMassachusettsFaurot FieldTiger Radio NetworkW, 42-6 (5-0)
October 11, 2025 (Saturday)11 amHome#8 AlabamaFaurot FieldABCTiger Radio NetworkL, 27-24 (5-1)
October 18, 2025 (Saturday)6:45 pmAwayAuburnAuburn, Ala. / Jordan-Hare StadiumTiger Radio NetworkW, 23-17 2OT (6-1)
October 25, 2025 (Saturday)2:30 pmAway#14 VanderbiltNashville, Tenn. / FirstBank StadiumTiger Radio Network
November 8, 2025 (Saturday)2:30 pmHome#3 Texas A&MFaurot FieldABCTiger Radio Network
November 15, 2025 (Saturday)TBDHomeMississippi StateFaurot FieldTBDTiger Radio Network
November 22, 2025 (Saturday)11 amAway#14 OklahomaNorman, Okla. / Memorial Stadium11 amTiger Radio Network
November 29, 2025 (Saturday)TBDAwayArkansasFayetteville, Ark. / Razorback StadiumTBDTiger Radio Network