All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football at Missouri: 10 keys to the game

By Caleb Calhoun

Nov 28, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general fish eye view of the field before the game between the Missouri Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general fish eye view of the field before the game between the Missouri Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 10
Next
Sep 11, 2021; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz looks on from the sidelines during the third quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2021; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz looks on from the sidelines during the third quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /

9. Pressure with both teams at 2-2 in a swing game

It’s underrated how big of a deal this game is. Tennessee football and Missouri both want to be bowl eligible by the end of the year. However, they have both lost toss-up games already that could stand in the way of that.

The Vols are 2-2 with an expected loss to the Florida Gators but a tough, close loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers. They only had four circled wins and one likely win at the beginning of the season, so losing a game like Pitt requires them to beat Mizzou on the road or upset the Kentucky Wildcats or Ole Miss Rebels to reach bowl eligibility.

Meanwhile, Mizzou was hoping to take another step under second-year head coach Eliah Drinkwitz. However, touchdown loss at Kentucky and at the Boston College Eagles really puts this team behind the 8-ball. The North Texas Mean Green, Vanderbilt Commodores and South Carolina Gamecocks are the only likely wins left on their schedule as well.

Simply put, this game could decide who is bowl eligible and who isn’t. The question then becomes this: Who handles the pressure better? Mizzou would seem to have more pressure since they aren’t dealing with a first-year head coach, but does that urgency benefit them? It’s hard to tell, but it’ll be a key Saturday.

Home/Vols Football