This wasn’t a great win for Vanderbilt, but it was a game they couldn’t afford to lose. Credit Derek Mason and his staff for putting their team in a position to achieve bowl eligibility this season. There’s still work to be done, but winning this game was a huge step forward. Ke’Shawn Vaughn was the start for the ‘Dores in this one. He carved up the Arkansas defense for 172 yards rushing on just 26 carries. That took a ton of pressure off of Kyle Shurmur and the passing game. He responded with an efficient outing of 13 for 19, for 192 yards and two touchdowns.
The Rebels got an extra week to lick their wounds after a fairly one-sided loss to Auburn. It could turn into a blessing in disguise for Ole Miss though. Getting an extra week to prepare to host South Carolina gives this team a real chance to spring an upset. Remember, Ole Miss needs one more win to secure a .500 or better record. Beating South Carolina at home would secure a quality season for the Rebels.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, everything was going great for Missouri. They led Kentucky 14-3 and looked well positioned to pull off a big home upset. Then, everything started falling apart for the Tigers.
The closing moments of the game were particularly painful. Missouri got flagged for pass interference in the end zone on the last regularly scheduled play of the game. Then, Terry Wilson broke their hearts with a touchdown pass on the last play of the game. Add it all up and it was a massive missed opportunity for the Tigers.
It’s no surprise that Missouri struggled to run the ball against Kentucky, but Drew Lock’s ineffectiveness was unexpected. He only managed to throw for 165 yards in this game. NFL scouts, and his current coaches, would have hoped for a better performance.
Will Muschamp continues to hold a magical hex on Tennessee. His team’s narrow 24-24 win in Columbia runs his winning streak as a head coach against the Volunteers to seven. This wasn’t a dominating effort by the Gamecocks though. If they really want to be considered one of the best teams in the SEC, they need to hammer teams like this at home. Instead, they did just enough to get by. Some might credit South Carolina for grinding out a win, but we think it’s more appropriate to ding them for an uninspired effort against mediocre opposition.