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Missouri Hail Mary falls 1 yard short in wild end-of-game sequence vs. Vanderbilt

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz10 hours agoNickSchultz_7
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Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) passes during the third quarter against the Vanderbilt Commodores at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Forced into game action after Beau Pribula’s injury, Missouri true freshman Matt Zollers stepped up and looked to deliver a game-tying Hail Mary as time expired vs. Vanderbilt. He completed the pass – but it fell one yard short.

Zollers reared back and fired a pass toward Kevin Coleman Jr., looking for a miracle. Initially, the officials ruled it an incomplete pass as time expired, but later went to the replay monitor to review.

They overturned the call to a completed pass. However, it was one yard short of the end zone, meaning Vanderbilt held on for the 17-10 victory at FirstBank Stadium.

Pribula went down in the third quarter of Saturday’s Top-15 matchup in Nashville. He was immediately loaded onto a cart and placed in an air cast. He will undergo an MRI on Sunday for a dislocated ankle, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, though he did not break any bones.

That meant Zollers entered, with just six pass attempts to his name to start his freshman season. He was impressive in the second half, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. He showed strong poise in the pocket and nearly delivered a touchdown to give Mizzou a chance to tie the game. By landing a yard short, it sealed the Tigers’ second loss of the year. They are now 6-2 overall and 2-2 in SEC play.

Missouri and Vanderbilt sat tied at 3-3 at halftime as scoring came at a premium. Makhilyn Young then broke free in the third quarter to put the Commodores out in front, taking a handoff 80 yards for a touchdown to make it a 10-3 game.

But Zollers and Mizzou didn’t go away quietly. He connected with Jude James for a six-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, bringing it back to a 10-10 tie. Less than a minute later, though, Diego Pavia entered the chat. He punched in a 1-yard touchdown run with 5:10 left to put Vanderbilt ahead once again, 17-10.

From there, Missouri tried to stay in it, but ultimately came up short. Vanderbilt then improved to 7-1 overall and 3-1 in SEC play with Thursday’s victory, which came with plenty of pomp and circumstance. ESPN’s College GameDay was on campus Saturday morning as the excitement continues to build around the Commodores as the calendar prepares to flip to November.