The Missouri Tigers entered Saturday's game against the Vanderbilt Commodores looking for their first conference win as a member of the SEC, but instead the homestanding Tigers ended up with an injury to their starting quarterback and a 19-15 loss to the visiting Commodores.
For the most part, the game between the two conference foes was a low-scoring affair. Missouri could blame that on the injury to quarterback James Franklin, who injured his knee early in the game and was unable to return.
Things changed, however, in the fourth quarter, as the two teams combined for 16 points. Tigers' freshman quarterback Corbin Berkstresser, who was replacing Franklin, struggled mightily before finding his groove late in the game. On the day, the freshman completed just 9 of his 30 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown.
The Commodores capitalized on their opportunities, largely thanks to running back Zac Stacy, who scored Vanderbilt's only two touchdowns and took 29 carries for 72 yards.
Box Score Hero: Tigers running back Kendial Lawrence took 21 carries for 92 yards, good for a 4.4 yards-per-carry average.
Rankings Ramifications: Both teams were unranked and neither are expected to be ranked following Saturday's game. Vanderbilt is still just 2-3 on the season.
But Did They Cover? Missouri, 7-point favorites, were unable to cover the spread, meaning the Commodores did.
For More On This Game: For more on Mizzou football, visit Missouri blog Rock M Nation, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills, SB Nation Kansas City and SB Nation St. Louis. For more on Vandy football, visit Vanderbilt blog Anchor Of Gold, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.
Next Week's Schedule: Vanderbilt will head home to prepare for a matchup against the Florida Gators, while Missouri will stay at home and wait for the Alabama Crimson Tide to come into town.
This story was originally published on SB Nation.com.