Everything Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea Said After Vanderbilt’s Win Over Missouri

NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt came out on top in what was one of the stranger games of the 2025 college football season thus far. The Commodores managed to pull off a 17-10 victory over No. 15 Missouri in one of the games of the week.

It certainly was far from pretty, but at the end of the day it was the “bend, don’t break” Vanderbilt defense that came up with clutch stops all night long. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea spoke to the media after the game. Here is everything he said.

Opening Statement

“I want to just send our very best to Beau Pribula. I mean, I hated seeing him injured. He's a guy that's been such a playmaker for them. And outside of defending him, he was so much fun to watch on film and so we just hope for the best in prognosis and a speedy recovery and hate to see him down. I thought Matt Zollers came in and did a great, great job in stepping into a tough situation, and that's a credit to Eli. I mean, that's a really good Missouri team. Defensively, they played very well, and they made it really challenging on us, and that was an ugly win. And yet, it was a win, and we're not going to complain about that. We're going to celebrate it, because if you're going to be a great team, you have to find ways to win games like that. We lost time of possession, we were out gained. I think we actually had a higher yards per play average. So there's some numbers there that go in our favor. But I think the biggest deal was they were one for three in the red zone. And so this was a defense that in the second half stepped up when we needed to battle every blade of grass. Even there on the last drive, where we downed the ball somehow, some way before the ball crossed the plane. And just to credit to our defense and the resilience there to find a way to stand tall and win a game. I think offensively, obviously, we struggled to find rhythm. We had the longest gain of the year, MK's run. That was triggered by excellent blocking on the perimeter by our receivers. Both Tristan and Junior had big blocks there, and that's a huge moment. But obviously the play of the day was CJ's turnover. So you fight for every plate of grass, you force them into a fourth down stop, a field goal that hits the upright. Obviously, they scored the touchdown on a fourth down conversion, which credit to them. But the numbers today go against us, except the scoreboard. You got to look at the opportunistic turnover there, where we were able to score a touchdown to finish as an offense. So really proud of our team. I just think, again, to win a game like that against a really good opponent on a day that was really meaningful to us too. I mean, this was a cool day for Vanderbilt football. And we've earned the right to celebrate it. Obviously, we'll turn the page and our focus on Texas tomorrow, but tonight we celebrate.”

As you mentioned, it's an ugly game. This is the kind of game that too often in the past, Vanderbilt would have found a way to lose. Is this a sign of how much maybe this program has grown, the toughness it's got to be able to pull out a win on a day like today?

“I don't want to necessarily comment on the history or the mindset. That kind of stuff to me becomes washed. I think what it says is this is a tough team that has the courage to be resilient and to step into the type of performance we need to win, whatever that performance looks like, and the mission is winning. And we talked about this in our meeting before we came over to the stadium today. I think sometimes we get in these modes where I'm so proud of these guys. I have such respect for them. I'm so grateful to be their coach and to be with them on the journey. But I wasn't going to tell them that tonight didn't matter. This was an important game for us, and we needed to understand that, and the reason we do what we do. The reason this is the 291st day that we have sacrificed and invested and cared for one another is because we have big goals. And so, this team found a way to win, and I think it's a great lesson to them that it can go our way for four quarters. It can go our way for one quarter at the end. And the point is, you step on the field with the attitude, the mindset, and you stay in the present, and good things happen.”

The ability for your team to rise up to a big spotlight game like this and make the plays it had to make in the fourth quarter, you know, taking the ball away, getting in the end zone, that sort of thing. What does that kind of tell you?

“I think it reveals more than it tells. It reveals our character, it reveals our toughness, reveals our commitment, and these are things that didn't show up today. I mean, these are things that have defined 291 days together. And I think we embraced the spotlight, we embraced the stage, and I say that because I felt like in our process during the week, these guys were impeccable. I mean, they maintained a focus. I thought they really were able to ignore the noise, and we handled business through the week, and when you do that, you get opportunities to win games on Saturdays. So I'm proud of this group. I have a ton of respect for them. And again, there's a lot to clean up. I mean, I'm not that imperfect, but sometimes it has to be imperfect. I think we learned something about the character of this group.”

You talked about winning an ugly game. Like sometimes championship teams go through stuff like this. So what type of beauty do you find in an ugly win?

“A lot. And I agree. Obviously, this is one game, and one game won't define us. And I said that last week. But, especially in our league. I mean, Missouri came out of a similar game against last week. This is how it's going to be. And sometimes we're gonna have to outscore the other team. I mean, it's gonna be about one point better, where our score is 40 to 39 or whatever. I mean, today it was a tightly contested game against two teams that were physical and tough and two defenses that were stingy. And we made the play at the end to separate, but we're not getting where we want to go if we don't find ways to win games like this tonight. So again, I thought it was a great moment for us to step up and we did it.”

It was this kind of the defense's game with the way it played out. Did it make a statement you think on that side of the ball?

“Well, it's a team game. And so, yes. I mean, we needed our defense to stand tall today. And I thought in particular, those early drives in the second half. I mean, we were plagued by some three and outs today. I thought field position-wise too, I mean I felt like they had us in the first half pinned. It was just that both defenses were playing well, but we had our backs against the goal line a lot of times on our drives. So there just wasn't a lot of space on the field. And when we came out in the second half, I thought for sure it was going to be about a methodical drive to go score a touchdown. It wasn't. We threw an interception there on third down, and our defense came out and made a stop. We were backed up and had to punt where they got possession at midfield. Defense needed to step up, they did. And so I'm really proud of those guys. They work really hard. Coach Gregory and the defense staff have done a great job. And I said this to the staff, because we always look at the play, the tactics, and say that's a reflection of coaching. But the attitude is that this is about a team that believes in one another. And this team is really tough. And it's about a coaching staff that has built relationships with players that allow them to have impact in those moments. And so I don't think there was ever a second on that field where there was doubt or fear. This was a team that knew that they were going to find the way to win as they had to figure it out, and they did. But the defense was huge and really, really proud of those guys.”

Missouri's the first team this season that's really been able to kind of contain Diego a little bit. What was it that they did that made it so difficult for you all offensively?

“First of all, it's a good defense. And we weren't able to get our run game going. And we got to look at that and just kind of say, hey, where was it played? Where was it, the actual play call? What are the things we can do to help our offense, get that run game going? I want to see Seddy active, obviously MK with the big run, but we need to stay on schedule. Again, I don't have it in front of me, but too many three and outs today. And I mean, they were contesting space. I thought it was a really good throw to Trey on the explosive pass. But our performance on offense runs through Diego, but it starts with the offensive line. And if I were going to say, we have to play a cleaner game up front. And those guys have been so consistent in what they've done to this point. I thought we had some sloppy penalties, and we gave up the sack there early, and there just wasn't quite the space that we're used to having that has allowed Diego to kind of play it as high as the levels. So a lot there, but on the whole it's going to happen. Good teams can complement. A different phase needs to step up, and it was the defense tonight.”

What's today say about what you built, but also about where this whole thing is going?

“There's limitless potential. And we've worked really hard to care about this a lot before anyone else has. But what we built can be sustained. And obviously, we have all the plans and designs to take it further. And it's important that on a day where our program was celebrated, that we recognized, too, that there are things we need to do to keep pushing this forward, and we will. But there are a lot of really good players that are paying attention to what we're doing. And what's always been true about Vanderbilt, since I've been here, is the energy within the program and the people within this program have always made the right impression. And before we had anything else, we had a heartbeat here. And now we've got proof of concept. And so I want to compliment our fans. I want to compliment the students. Obviously, I was able to go over to the gameday set, and what an incredible celebration of Vanderbilt University. I understand we made the field goal, which is awesome. I just felt like they brought it. It was a great crowd over there, so much fun to see this community rally around the football program. The Starwalk today was as good as I've ever been a part of. There was energy in that. It was amazing. The feeling of support. And then the crowd was great too. And that crowd made a difference in the game, so all good things, but certainly opportunities for us to continue to elevate with respect to how we recruit, how we retain, and to keep putting a competitive product on the field.”

What is it specifically about this defensive identity that allows them to perform that way with their backs against the wall there?

I think there's identity, it's DNA. We talk about fighting for every blade of grass on the field. And that's something we trained, that's something we preach, that's something our kids believe in, and it shows up in how they play. And defensive football is about response. I mean, especially when you talk about Red zone performance. A lot of times, you don't like the way the ball has gotten down there, but we've put a lot of effort into training the psychology and kind of flipping it in our minds to say we're going to actually trap teams down there. And when the space is eliminated for them, we're going to take it as our advantage. These guys are incredible with respect to their spirit, their belief and their buy-in to this philosophy. Now, I'll tell you that we still haven't played a complete game as a defense. And so I loved the resilience. I loved the big play by CJ. I think that we could have had a cleaner finish to this game, but we finished. And I also think there's a better performance for us out in front of us. So we have to keep looking for that. I'm really proud of you guys, and I think to your point, this is it reveals their character, it reveals their toughness. It's something we spend a lot of time on.”

In a game where the offense is struggling and even Diego’s not having his best game, what is the value? What value does he bring in helping you through those struggles?

“Well, I said I actually said this to him in the locker room after we broke up, because it's the same thing I told the coaching staff. We wanted to be clean and perfect and we wanted to look impeccable. As a coach, you're just looking for the perfect plays and the perfect calls and the perfect rhythm and all that. The perfect throws. And yet, when it's not perfect and you find a way to win, there's so much to be said about the character, culture, environment of our team, their belief in buying and their relationships, right? It's a reflection of leadership. And so that's a credit to our position coaches. The same goes for Diego. He's one of the leaders on our team as a captain, but obviously he holds so much weight in that locker room and has such an impact on a competitive mindset. And so I think our players have learned a lot from watching him. It's just that it's that eternal belief. It's just every time the ball snaps, it's our opportunity to change whatever momentum's out there. And even when he's not at his best, he has impacted this program to the point where he's still impacting winning. And so I give him a ton of credit for that because on a night like tonight, that is important.”

Just how significant as someone who's invested in him is seeing him have a moment like he had tonight and how much of an impact did that run have on the game as a whole?

“I'm so proud of him. And I mean shoot. We have a team that we talk to all the time, and I think I've mentioned this, but we call ourselves misfits. I mean, all of us have schuff marks. There's not one of us that was wanted anywhere else, you know? It's just just who we are, man. And it's the chip on our shoulder, and I feel so lucky to be in a group that embraces that. And MK embraces that. MK's a guy that 's an emotional and spiritual leader on a team. He's got such a heart, and to see him have these moments. And to your point too, he had the year where he was out and he was having to do the dirty work to get himself back. What a great story. And it couldn't happen to a better person. So really, really grateful to have him here. He's an easy guy to believe in. I'll tell you, my 13 year old, was playing seventh grade football this fall. And we're in training camp. I hope my son has more speed than I do. If he got his genes from his mom, he may, but he doesn't notice yet that we're built like fullbacks, so he wants to be the tailback and that's all good. And after a training camp practice, those are grinding days. I just ask MK if he would mind taking him through some drills, because I want to be a dad, I don't want to be a coach to my kids. I think it's really important, but they look at these guys in the locker room like they're heroes. They look up to them. And MK, I think he said, ‘say less,’ or I forget how he phrased it. But he had such energy and sat out on that field and did drills with my son. And he didn't have to do that, but that's the kind of person he is. And so we're lucky to have a locker room full of those guys. And that's why I feel the gratitude of being in this moment in all these journeys with this team. So thanks for that question and for pointing it out.”