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    • Luther Burden, kicking injured Commodores
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    Luther Burden, kicking injured Commodores

    Vaseline Posted on

    Vanderbilt Football came close to snapping a 17-year streak of 27 games lost against AP Top 10 opponents.

    But the streak will instead be extended to 28, as the Commodores (2-2, 0-1 SEC) lost, 30-27, in double overtime, to Missouri (4-0, 1-0) on the road. The two teams combined to miss five field goals, with the Tigers missing three and Vanderbilt missing two.

    Sure, the Commodores played a lot better than they lost to Georgia State a week ago, but moral victories don’t count toward bowl tournament play. Vanderbilt needs a few surprises to get there.

    Here are three overreactions from the game:

    Vanderbilt is missing a player who resembles Luther Burden

    Players like Diego Pavia and Eli Stowers are significant upgrades over what the Commodores previously had at the skill positions, but Missouri’s star wide receiver Luther Burden can open up games.

    Even with a relatively mediocre game, Burden had six catches for 76 yards, averaging nearly 13 yards per catch, and he also had 30 punt return yards.

    Burden was a five-star recruit. Vanderbilt has never signed a five-star recruit.

    Pavia performed admirably, but yards were not easy to come by for the Commodores. In the first overtime, when the Tigers scored on a touchdown pass to Burden on one play, Missouri showed what an impact one offensive star can have.

    Fumbles and penalties are a big problem for Vanderbilt

    Pavia deserves credit for being in position to fall on several fumbles this season, but botched handoffs and pitches have been a major problem, costing yards even when they don’t result in turnovers.

    Then there are the penalties. Defensive penalties were the biggest problem against Georgia State, but offensive penalties were the most costly against Missouri. In total, Vanderbilt committed eight penalties for 93 yards, while the Tigers committed three for 33 yards.

    NEW COMMIT Vanderbilt Football’s first 2026 commit is quarterback Michael Mitchell

    Kicker Brock Taylor is a concern in decisive situations

    Brock Taylor is without a doubt an upgrade from what the Commodores have had in the past at the kicking level, as he set the school record with a 57-yard field goal just before halftime.

    But Taylor has had three chances to make game-winning shots — a game-winning field goal against Virginia Tech, a potential game-tying field goal against Missouri and then the potential tying goal in overtime — and he has missed all three.

    Part of that is because Vanderbilt trusts Taylor more than other kickers have in the past. But Taylor will have to execute his kicks in key moments to become the weapon he’s designed to be.

    Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.

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