Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea texted a request to Missouri counterpart Eli Drinkwitz earlier this season.His ask: Could the Tigers stop scoring so much?On Saturday, Lea and his players will have a direct say on the matter as the 10th-ranked Commodores host the No. 15 Tigers in a Southeastern Conference showdown in Nashville.A sellout crowd is expected at FirstBank Stadium and the contest has attracted the attention of ESPN’s “College GameDay” pregame broadcast.”We’ve created a great platform for the program,” Lea said.Vanderbilt (6-1, 2-1 SEC) continues to climb the rankings and expand its profile behind versatile quarterback Diego Pavia, a Heisman hopeful who rushed for two scores and passed for another during last week’s 31-24 win against then-No. 10 LSU.A New Mexico State transfer, Pavia has passed for 15 touchdowns, just five fewer than his debut season with the Commodores in 2024, while averaging a career-best 8.6 yards per attempt.He also has stayed clean, getting sacked five times in 183 dropbacks compared with 18 in 298 last season.Vanderbilt also ranks fourth in FBS with 6.3 yards per carry.”I do think we have the best tackles in the SEC and the country,” Vanderbilt offensive lineman Cade McConnell said.Missouri (6-1, 2-1) is eyeing its first road win against a Top 10 foe since beating seventh-ranked Georgia on Oct. 12, 2013.Saturday marks the first time the two programs have met as ranked teams.
