In a get-right game on Saturday, the Mizzou Tigers got right.

Mizzou improved to 4-3 with a dominating 41-0 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, a game that needed to be lopsided for the Tigers, who were the better team and needed to show it.

It was a better outing than 2 weekends ago, when Mizzou traveled to the other Columbia and slipped by a South Carolina team that was without a head coach and 3 starters in the secondary.

But against Vandy, Mizzou did their job and controlled the game from the opening kickoff.

The defense, led by none other than Nick Bolton — who racked up 9 tackles — recorded 10 tackles for loss and 4 sacks and pitched a shutout while never letting Vandy, who finished with just 196 yards, even sniff a score.

Mizzou’s offense totaled 603 yards, and quarterback Connor Bazelak went 30-of-37 for 318 yards. Larry Rountree III finally got going in the run game with 160 yards and 3 touchdowns, while wideout Tauskie Dove looked more like a go-to receiver as he hauled in 8 catches for 62 yards after coming into the game with 12 receptions.

Now the Tigers turn their attention to the team they were originally scheduled to play on Saturday: Arkansas.

This year’s Battle Line Rivalry will have a little extra meaning to the Mizzou fan base, as the Tigers’ former head coach, Barry Odom, is Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman’s defensive coordinator. Last season, Odom was coaching his alma mater. Now he’s tasked with stopping his old team and sticking it to Jim Sterk and the administration that fired him.

Odom has done wonders in Fayetteville, turning a unit that finished last in the SEC in scoring defense last year (36 points per game) into a respectable group this season, giving up 30.9, which ranks 9th in the conference.

Against Vandy, Mizzou got 2 starters back on the O-line in left guard Xavier Delgado and right tackle Larry Borom, and 2 on the D-line in Markell Utsey and Kobie Whiteside. Having those 4 back in the fold helps depth on the front lines, which will be needed against Arkansas.

Mizzou fans will hope the defense continues its hot streak against Feleipe Franks and Co. after holding South Carolina to 10 points and shutting out Vandy. Yes, both those teams are struggling, and Arkansas will likely score more than they did, but no one can deny Mizzou is playing tough defense.

Another part of Mizzou’s defensive effort on Saturday was the pass rush — it finally got home. The Tigers recorded 4 sacks as Bolton, Tre Williams, Trajan Jeffcoat and Darius Robinson each had 1. That has to feel good for a unit that came in with just 10 on the season. And it should help build confidence heading into a game against a Razorbacks team that has given up 25 sacks this season, the most in the SEC.

Mizzou’s offense finally broke out and hit on all cylinders, as it should have against the 2nd-worst defense in the SEC. The Tigers were balanced, throwing for 380 yards and 1 score while rushing for 223 and 4.

Backup running back Tyler Badie, one of the most electric runners on the team with the ball in his hands, had his coming-out party. Badie caught 7 passes for 102 yards, doing most of his damage out of the backfield. Of course, Mizzou fans will want to see that against a defense that isn’t Vandy’s.

Arkansas will likely try to lean on Franks’ arm next week. The Razorbacks pass for 252 yards per game, and Franks is completing 68 percent of his throws for 2,017 yards and 17 touchdowns against just 4 interceptions. Mizzou’s pass defense is giving up an average of 227 yards. Corners Ennis Rakestraw and Jarvis Ware could be busy in the Tigers’ secondary in that one.

Mizzou has owned this rivalry game lately, winning the past 4. With Odom calling the plays for the Razorbacks D next week, can the Tigers get their 5th in a row?