The answer: Multiple blown pass coverages, a leaky run defense and poor tackling, undisciplined play that included a number of personal foul penalties, sub-par special team play, questionable coaching decisions and at least one poor officiating call.

The question: How do you hand the Southeastern Conference’s only winless team in league play its first victory?

That was, in short, the story in Vanderbilt’s 26-17 loss to Missouri at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday afternoon.

Yes, it was that ugly.

The Commodores gave up pass plays of 43 and 82 yards, were shredded for 154 rushing yards by a freshman, committed seven penalties for 80 yards, lost the turnover battle 2-1, punted on a fourth-and-3 from the Missouri 42, failed to convert a fourth-and-2 at the Missouri 19 when a running back missed an open man on a pass, gave up a late-game touchdown on what may have been an uncalled pass interference, and managed just two touchdowns and a field goal against an injury-riddled defense that entered Saturday giving up 30.4 points per game.

Missouri quarterback Drew Lock was 22-of-37 for 294 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Damarea Crockett added 20 carries for 154 yards and a score, as the Tigers won for the first time in six SEC contests.

The Commodores dug an early 19-0 hole, but appeared poised to climb out of it.

With the Tigers leading 19-17 with 5:26 left in the third quarter, Lock fumbled a snap on a first-and-goal play from the VU 1 that safety LaDarius Wiley recovered.

Four plays later, Vanderbilt had a first down at the Tiger 48.

But after a 2-yard scramble by Shurmur, a sack by Missouri defensive end Charles Harris, a delay of game penalty and a 6-yard run by Ralph Webb, VU was punting from its 38.

That punt, and a holding penalty, pinned Missouri at its 15.

However, 13 plays later, Missouri had a touchdown, thanks to a drive that included a face-mask penalty on Wiley, a hold on cornerback Tre Herndon and a pass interference penalty on Herndon (declined) where Missouri wide receiver J’Mon Moore shoved Herndon out of the way to get space on a 4-yard scoring pass from Lock.

That last score came with 8:39 left, and the Commodores were effectively done.

VU’s next two drives resulted in three-and-outs. On the one following that, Shurmur threw two incompletions and was sacked twice, as VU turned the ball over at its 2 and Missouri ran out the game clock.

After Missouri’s Johnathon Johnson returned a punt 18 yards to the Vandy 35, the Tigers marched six plays and scored when Damarea Crockett banged over from four yards out on the right side. The Tigers held a 6-0 lead after Tucker McCann missed the point-after.

Vanderbilt drove into Missouri territory on its next drive, but Shurmur was picked by linebacker Joey Burkett and returned eight yards to the Missouri 34 after a throw to an open Jared Pinkney hit Pinkney in the helmet and deflected to Burkett.

Shurmur’s next pick was on him. On a third-and-5 deep within VU territory, he stared down receiver Trent Sherfield, and Missouri defensive back Aarion Penton read it perfectly, intercepting it and returning it 19 yards for a score.

The Commodores got to the Missouri 18 1/2 on the next drive, before running back Khari Blasingame’s pass out of the wildcat fell well short of fullback Bailey McElwain on a fourth-down conversion.

On Missouri’s next snap, quarterback Lock found a wide-open Moore for an 82-yard score, giving the Tigers a 19-0 lead after another missed point-after that VU linebacker Zach Cunningham appeared to block.

Finally, the offense got going on the next drive as Blasingame, one play after Darrius Sims ran for 27, crashed over from four yards out, with Tommy Openshaw’s point-after cutting the lead to 12.

An Openshaw field goal with 3:20 left in the half cut the margin to nine.

Ralph Webb's 1-yard scoring run with 9:39 left in the third quarter cut the lead to two. But the Commodores never scored again.

One bright spot: Vanderbilt’s 411 yards of total offense was its second-best 2016 output. But the ‘Dores, playing with Webb (11 carries, 34 yards) banged up, were unable to sustain any offensive consistency in the second half.

The Commodores also did themselves no favors in field position. Normally-reliable punter Sam Loy hit a number of kicks that were both short and low. Loy averaged 34.6 yards per punt, and Missouri's 47 punt return yards were 24 more than the Commodores had allowed for the season to date.

Vanderbilt falls to 4-6 and now sits tied with Missouri for last place in the SEC East. It finishes its season with home games against Ole Miss and Tennessee.

MO: Damarea Crockett 5-yd. run, Tucker McCann missed the PAT. (6 plays-35 yards, 10:50 left/1st qtr.) MO, 6-0

MO: Aarion Penton 19-yd. interception return of Kyle Shurmur, McCann PAT. (14:08/2nd)

MO: J’Mon Moore 82-yd. pass from Drew Lock, McCann PAT blocked. (1-82, 9:50/2nd)

VU: Khari Blasingame 4-yd. run, Tommy Openshaw PAT. (7-75, 6:24/2nd) MO, 19-7

VU: Openshaw 24-yd. FG. (8-59, 3:20/2nd) MO, 19-10

VU: Ralph Webb 1-yd. run, Openshaw PAT. (10-75, 9:39/3rd) MO, 19-17

MO: Moore 4-yd. pass from Lock, McCann PAT. (13-85, 8:39/4th) MO, 26-17