Vanderbilt wins slugfest against Missouri football team

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Ralph Webb rushed for 99 yards and scored the game's only touchdown, leading Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason to his first Southeastern Conference win in 12 tries with a 10-3 victory over Missouri on Saturday.

Vanderbilt (3-4, 1-3 SEC) was powered by a defense that held Missouri to 188 total yards and 10 first downs. Missouri (4-4, 1-4) suffered its third straight loss.

Missouri drove to the Vanderbilt 13-yard line late in the game before turning the ball over on downs with five seconds left.

Vanderbilt (38:24) nearly doubled Missouri's (21:36) time of possession.

Vanderbilt freshman Kyle Shurmur made his first career start in place of redshirt-sophomore Johnny McCrary, who has thrown 10 interceptions, the most in the Southeastern Conference. He completed 10 of 20 for 89 yards before being relieved by McCrary.

Drew Lock threw for 108 yards and Andrew Baggett kicked a 35-yard field goal for Missouri.

Webb's 1-yard run on third-and-goal gave the Commodores a 7-0 lead with 4:44 left in the first half. His touchdown capped a 72-yard, 11-play drive.

Charles Harris' backside sack of Shurmur and Sam Bailey's fumble recovery at the Vanderbilt 21-yard line with 2:06 left in the first half set up Missouri's first score.

Four plays later, Baggett's 35-yard field goal cut the Commodores' lead to 7-3 with 49 seconds remaining in the half.

Missouri missed a chance to narrow the gap to one when Baggett's 47-yard field goal attempt bounced off the left upright with 26 seconds left in the third quarter.

McCrary returned at quarterback late in the third quarter and Vanderbilt extended its lead to 10-3 on Tommy Openshaw's 40-yard field goal with 9:12 left.

Vanderbilt missed a chance to increase its lead to 13 when Openshaw's 32-yard field goal attempt bounced off the top of the right upright with 1:58 left.

The game started with a controversial play on the opening kickoff when Missouri's John Gibson fumbled after a hard hit by Vanderbilt's Khari Blasingame and the ball was recovered by the Commodores' Josh Smith at the Tigers 9-yard line.

A replay appeared to show Gibson's knee wasn't down, but the officials ruled there was no fumble after a review, drawing boos from the crowd.