When Missouri took a 33-28 lead at home vs. Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon, it’s hard to blame fans for thinking, “here we go again.” There was still a lot of time left for the Commodores, even after the Tigers drove down the field again following a punt.

Then, when kicker Tucker McCann shanked a 31-yard field goal with 1:48 remaining, the flashbacks to the Kentucky loss on Oct. 27 started coming back in full force. Much like the game against the Wildcats, the Mizzou defense started the final drive by sacking the quarterback, with star defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. dropping Kyle Shurmur for a 7-yard loss.

Then the Commodores hit a couple of big plays to drive down to the Tigers’ 25-yard line with one play left to win the game. As the final pass fell incomplete, everyone — fans, players and coaches — held their breath and looked around.

Unlike the Kentucky game, though, this time no flags were thrown, and the game ended in a huge 33-28 victory for the Tigers. The win clinched a bowl berth for coach Barry Odom’s 6-4 squad, and with two winnable games on the schedule, they could finish 8-4.

After the game, Odom said if the Tigers prepare correctly, every game should come down to the fourth quarter.

Wait, what? I’m sorry, Coach, but if you prepare correctly, games against struggling teams like Vanderbilt (regardless of last weekend’s game against Arkansas) should be well in hand by the fourth quarter.

This was the fourth game in 2018 to come down to the last play for Missouri, and the Tigers are 2-2 in those games — wins at Purdue and vs. Vanderbilt, losses at South Carolina and at home vs. Kentucky. Moving forward, it is not necessary to make sure your opponent has a chance to win late.

I know I mention this a lot, but if the South Carolina and Kentucky games had been managed better, this team could be 8-2 with a chance for a seriously special season in Columbia. Still, if someone had said in the preseason that the Tigers could win nine games this year (the remaining games at Tennessee and vs. Arkansas plus a bowl), most fans would have taken it in a heartbeat.

Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Credit the Tigers defense, which made exactly enough plays to win despite allowing 465 total yards to the Commodores. Meanwhile, the Mizzou offense was perfectly balanced, rushing for 253 yards and passing for 253.

Freshman tight end Daniel Parker deserves a lot of praise for his performance on Saturday, too. Not only did he step in for the injured Albert Okwuegbunam and Kendall Blanton and catch three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown — he did so after converting from his normal defensive line position earlier this year. QB Drew Lock clearly enjoyed throwing to him, and the Tigers needed every ounce of production Parker gave them.

The Tigers might have Okwuegbunam and RB Tyler Badie back next week, but it was nice to see some other guys contribute in their absence. Plus, WR Emanuel Hall took another step forward in his rehab from a groin injury that kept him out of a few games.

Saturday’s win wasn’t pretty, but the Tigers finally caught a break. There are still some important goals within reach, starting with a road trip to a suddenly tough Tennessee squad.