How Mizzou Matches Up with Vanderbilt w/Graham Baakko of VandyOnSI

Vanderbilt football reporter Graham Baakko offered some inisght on how the Tigers match up with the Commodores.

Sep 21, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) runs with the ball against Missouri Tigers linebacker Chuck Hicks (30) during overtime at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

All eyes will be on No. 15 Missouri and No. 10 Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nasvhille, Tennessee. ESPN's "College GameDay" will set the stage for a game with an inside path to a bid in the College Football Playoff at stake.

Though there's questions around Missouri after an ugly overtime win over Auburn, Vanderbilt is riding the high of a 31-24 victory over then-No. 10 LSU. The Commodores are undefeated at home to begin the season, but the Tigers are looking to ruin that.

To take a look at the challenges Vanderbilt will present to the Tigers, Missouri football reporters Joey Van Zummeren and Michael Stamps spoke to Graham Baakko, who covers the Commodores for VanderbiltOnSI.

You can watch the conversation between the three through the YouTube link above. Here's a taste of the insight Baakko had to offer.

Q: What has led to this turnaround for Vanderbilt, not only in 2024, but the steps even further this season?

Baakko: "I think it all goes back to Clark Lea and just the culture that he's implemented. I mean, yeah, he's had a couple bad years with 2-10, a 5-7 year, but it's really ever since Diego Pavia and all these other guys that he's brought in, they've all just sort of come together with this culture and this belief that Clark Lea has instilled into this team. It's just all sort of come together. And it's great to see, because everyone just has this belief in this standard now that no that no one really attributed to Vanderbilt just a couple years ago, but this team has a standard now, and the standard is competing toward the top of the SEC and getting to the College Football Playoff."

Q: What has Diego Pavia done so well this year?

Baakko: "Man, he's been great ... He hasn't really needed to play hero ball because, you have all these other contributors from offense and then, of course, the defense helping him out where he hasn't needed to play hero ball.

At the end of the day, he's made the plays that he's needed to and all these crucial third down or gotta-have-it type of plays, he's made those plays, whether it's running the ball or passing the ball."

Q: What is an area that you think Missouri may outmatch Vanderbilt or vise versa?

"When I watch Missouri, obviously the first thing that sends out is Zion Young. I watched him against Alabama, a couple weeks ago, that dude was all over the place. I watched him against Auburn last week, that dude, he was all over the place again. So I think that's going to be one of the biggest challenges. And I talked to (offensive lineman) Cade McConnell yesterday during media availability, and I asked him, like, 'Hey, you got a guy like Zion Young, you got a good Missouri defensive line," and Cane McConnell's, like, 'I still feel like we're the best offensive line in the SEC and in the country. '

So, this Vanderbilt offensive line, they're very confident. They don't lose confidence. They don't care who they're playing. They know this is the SEC. They're going to face great players every week. So I do think where Vanderbilt could have the advantage is that they have experience playing against LSU defensive line and Alabama's defensive line already in real time. So they have game-time experience with that.

But then again, with Missouri, I think Zion Young and I think Damon Wilson, I do think if they are able to get going, they could definitely cause some trouble for Vanderbilt offensively."