Vanderbilt isn't taking moral victories home from Missouri, but takes hope

Clark Lea's team was hurt on Saturday.

The fourth-year head coach's group pushed No. 7 to the edge, but came home to Nashville on Saturday empty handed. Vanderbilt was in Saturday's game in a way that few externally expected, but for Lea that wasn't good enough. So close and better than expected won't do it for him.

He has a higher standard.

“I don’t like that perspective," Lea said when asked if Saturday's loss was an indicator of positive trajectory within his program. "We’re gonna form our opinion around the standards we measure ourselves to."

Lea views that standard simply. Vanderbilt will have to win to hit it.

Regardless of the 18.5-point spread and its gaffe in Atlanta the week prior, Vanderbilt held a level of belief heading into Saturday that it could go in to Columbia and take down Eli Drinkwitz team.

“We know we have a good team," Lea said. "We battled hard but it’s not good enough. For us, we want to look at the standards we have a program and reach towards those."

As a result of its belief, Lea's team got on the plane hurt. It also walked up the thin stairway with hope as a result of its performance on Saturday, though.

It has reason to think 'if we can play like that in a place like that against a team like that, then we're capable of something.'

Saturday's performance has sparked something within Vanderbilt's locker room.

“It’s a little bit of hurt but I’d say it’s more motivation," Vanderbilt linebacker Bryan Longwell said. "We’re excited to see where we can take this and we’re just more motivated than ever."

That motivation doesn't have to alter what Vanderbilt's on-field product looks like. It just has to clean it up.

Vanderbilt is seven points and likely 10 or so plays away from a 4-0 record. If it's disciplined enough it's a team that's capable of punching above its perceived weight.

Its players can feel that.

“We’re an inch away from coming over the hump," Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia said. "Last week lost by single digits, this week we lost by single digits and we just gotta get over the hump."

Vanderbilt has shown its improvement in its mind. It's feels as if tangible results indicating that are "right there," too.

Now it has to go and get them in a way that many externally don't feel it can.

Don't count Lea in that camp, though.

"I believe in our team," Lea said.