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| Missouri safety Braylon Webb forces a crucial fumble late in the fourth quarter to put the Tigers in position to increase their lead. Photo by Danny Webster - Playstation 3. |
FINAL - Missouri 28 (3-2, 1-1), Vanderbilt 20 (2-4, 1-3)
TOP PERFORMERS
QB Franklin (Mizz): 20-of-30, 298 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
QB Carta-Samuels (Vandy): 22-of-35, 294 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
WR Green-Beckham (Mizz): 7 catches, 147 yards, 1 TD
WR Washington (Mizz): 5 catches, 59 yards, 1 TD
WR Lucas (Mizz): 3 catches, 57 yards
S Webb (Mizz): 5 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF
RECAP
Defense has been the laughingstock at Missouri this year. Braylon Webb made sure that changed.
The junior safety has been quiet in every defensive category other than tackling, but Webb forced an Austyn Carta-Samuels fumble with just over a minute to seal a 13-point Tigers comeback by defeating Vanderbilt (2-4, 1-3), 28-20.
"Defense has been a joke this year," Webb said. "We had to change that. Luckily, I made a few plays for us to win and that's all that mattered."
Missouri's offense has claimed the role of 'tone setter' through the first four games of this season. Yet even the hottest quarterbacks have to cool off at some point, which is what happened to Tigers quarterback James Franklin.
One week after dazzling the Arkansas State defense, Franklin got off to a rocky start by throwing two first-half interceptions. Add that with the running game getting off to a difficult start, and the Tigers were down 17-7 at halftime.
Then, Webb stepped up in the locker room.
"I told them that I was done having that pompous ass Carta-Samuels play like he's good," he said. "He's been talking smack all week and he was walking around like he was the Heisman winner. He was making bad throws, we just couldn't make up for those mistakes. We had to."
Carta-Samuels had made headlines this week saying that he was going to "dominate that Missouri Baby Tiger defense." He had almost 200 yards passing in the first half, but was bound to make a mistake at some point. Four passes were dropped by Missouri defensive backs, two by EJ Gaines.
The opportunities were there for the Tigers to realize they could get back in the game. Once the second half started and the Commodores took a 20-7 lead with just over five minutes to play, Webb made his play on 3rd and 11 to intercept a terribly-thrown pass.
Four plays later, Franklin found his favorite target, Dorial Green-Beckham, for a 5-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 20-14. Green-Beckham had another stellar game, catching seven passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, as he continues to climb the top of the NCAA leaderboards.
"That was the turning point," said head coach Calvin Smith on the interception. "After we realized we could capitalize on a turnover, we had all the momentum in the world. I was a man who felt younger than 40 ... 3."
The Tigers defense got into a groove and didn't allow a single point the rest of the way. It took almost the entire fourth quarter for Mizzou to finally capitalize on chances when Franklin hit L'Damian Washington for a 19-yard touchdown with 3:06 remaining to give the Tigers the lead.
Vandy's final chance to win the game was thwarted when Carta-Samuels was hit by Webb and the ball jarred loose, recovered by linebacker Andrew Wilson to the 11-yard line. Running back Henry Josey scored from 5 yards out with 1:10 left to ice the game.
"That was a message to him," Webb said about the hit on Vanderbilt's quarterback. "Come into our house and see what happens."
Time to celebrate in the Missouri locker room will be short lived, because Hell Month has arrived. The Tigers could play four ranked teams throughout the entire month of October, two at home and two on the road.
The first of four will be at home when No. 16 Georgia comes to town. But the Bulldogs have managed to get by without the services of quarterback Aaron Murray due to injury. Murray will be in uniform and ready to go next week.
The senior quarterback and projected No. 1 overall pick in next April's NFL Draft saw his Bulldogs go 2-1 in his absence with an overtime loss to Arkansas on Sept. 21. He was injured during the opening week loss to No. 21 South Carolina, and junior Hutson Mason played well.
Murray returned to the lineup in Saturday's 45-28 beatdown of No. 25 Tennessee, going 24-of-36 for 322 yards and four touchdowns.
"We've got the projected No. 1 overall pick coming in," Smith said. "We know the challenge. I called this Hell Month for a reason. And he's healthy now, too. We've got to be ready. It's time."
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