WELCOME BACK TO PREGAMIN’ HERE’S YOUR JAM OF THE WEEK
NEED TO KEEP THOSE VIBES SKY HIGH THIS WEEK
Rock M-ixology
We’re back on the cocktail grind this week, folks!
Just to be transparent, I haven’t been mixing myself as many cocktails these days. Not only am I trying to watch my weight, I’ve needed to maintain late night working hours which aren’t exactly conducive with mid-week drinks. Still, I feel as if I owe it to you, the loyal readers, to find tasty recipes to enjoy.
So let’s get thematic. Vanderbilt call themselves
the Commodores, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me given how obscenely landlocked Nashville is. But we’ll roll with it. Who are Commodores mortal enemies? Pirates, at least according to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. So let’s crack out the rum and make some good, old-fashioned grog.
4 oz water, 1 oz dark rum, 1 oz lime juice, 1 oz brown sugar
Dissolve brown sugar in 1 oz of hot water. Add rest of ingredients and shake over large ice cubes. Strain over pebble ice and enjoy
I swapped out two ingredients in this recipe, opting for my Havana Club Añejo Clásico and trading the brown sugar for some Demerara Gum Syrup. I think it helps a lot with the consistency of the cocktail, and I’d highly recommend getting that (or regular Gum Syrup) if you can find it.
And I’ll be real with y’all: I think this might be the best thing I’ve ever made. I pounded the first glass and loved it so much that I was in the kitchen making another in 15ish minutes. The basic recipe makes playing around with the basics easy — you can opt for whatever type of rum you prefer — and it’s a crowd-pleaser. In the future I’ll probably add a few drops of saline to make the citrus pop a bit more, and I’d like to try this out with some funky Jamaican rum as well.
- If you missed True’s column earlier this week on Mizzou’s history with College GameDay appearances, go give it a read. It’s got some good trivia bits and bobs!
- Vanderbilt is ranked in the Top 10 of the country for the first time since the 1940s, and they have a chance at reaching their highest ranking ever this season. The ‘Dores peaked at No. 7 in the country in October 1937, a season which they ended at No. 12.
- Before he was a Heisman candidate, Diego Pavia attended the New Mexico Military Institute where he led the Broncos to a National Junior College Athletic Association Championship. They didn’t cross paths, but another former Bronco was busy starring in his umpteenth Wes Anderson film that same year: one Owen Wilson, who attended the school after being expelled from his previous institution for cheating.
- Clark Lea isn’t just a talented head coach. He was a multi-sport athlete in college, when he played football for two years at, you guessed it, Vanderbilt and baseball for Belmont (don’t look up his stats, they will sort of invalidate this trivia point.)
Last week might have been the single most stressful Mizzou game of the past few years… but the good Tigers won! Looking back, what was your favorite moment of the game?
Josh Matejka, Deputy Site Manager: I wrote about this, so… here you go.
True Deck, Staff Writer: I was on the fence about whether it was the Zion Young hot mic or the Josiah Trotter leap on the last play of the game. I’ll settle on Young. That was priceless, reckless and most importantly, paid off.
Sammy Stava, Staff Writer: We have to go with Zion Young on the overtime coin toss, right? Just hilarious — and good that he backed it up. And Drinkwitz celebrating with Truman after the game. Most importantly, a win is a win — and it’s some payback from the 2022 loss at Jordan Hare.
Last week continued a slightly worrying string of performances on the offensive side of the ball. What’s going on for the Tigers with the ball?
Josh Matejka: It does sort of feel like Beau Pribula has taken a step back. To be fair, he’s seen some much better defenses, and it was always unlikely he was going to maintain the sky high standard of the first few games. But the Tiger offense runs best when Beau is comfortable, accurate and keeping the ball safe.
True Deck: I don’t want to be the one to say it, but I’m going to be the one to say it. Beau Pribula looks scared in the pocket. The rest of the offense is functioning really strong, if Beau can get comfortable in the pocket, that could be the last step.
Sammy Stava: It all starts with the quarterback. Beau Pribula has the talent, and we’ve seen him make some plays, but he’s got to limit the mistakes. If his decision making improves, this offense will flow a whole lot better.
Diego Pavia gets the headlines for Vanderbilt, but Clark Lea has built a talented, cohesive team in Nashville. What’s the most impressive part of Lea’s rebuild to you?
Josh Matejka: Eli Drinkwitz went over this in his mid-week presser. Vanderbilt is more than just Diego Pavia: They’ve got some dudes on this team. That Clark Lea was able to get those guys to Vandy — either through the portal or through recruiting and development — is massively impressive given the school’s academic standards and lack of high level football history.
True Deck: In a world where the transfer portal and NIL is so so important, it’s still the blue bloods and the top tier programs that get the big bucks. Even with that, Vanderbilt has been able to turn it around. It would’ve been easier with the payroll of Ohio State but the Commodores still got the rebuild done.
Sammy Stava: Vanderbilt has turned into a good story last season to legitimate CFP contenders this season, and it’s good to see Clark Lea build this program. The most impressive thing is that Vandy is a tough job, and he’s brought the Commodores to national prominence in the toughest conference in college football.
PICK ‘EM! Vanderbilt has stayed as a slight favorite all week, so Mizzou is going into this one as the ‘dog. Can the Tigers pull off the upset and get on the track toward a CFP berth?
Josh Matejka: I’ve maintained the same stance over the past few weeks: If not now, when? The Tigers are probably the better team, but Vanderbilt has the better quarterback and is at home. It evens out in a way. I think Mizzou learned a lot last week about winning on the road, and I think those lessons pay off quickly. The Tigers win what the English call a “squeaky bum” game, 23-21.
True Deck: This one is tough. Diego Pavia is really, really good, but I think that Ty Simpson is better. That being said, I think the rest of the team takes care of business. I’ll take the Tigers straight up, 28-24.
Sammy Stava: Say what you want about Auburn, but winning a night game on the road at Jordan Hare Stadium is still tough to do. Obviously, Vanderbilt is going to be a tough out — but playing an afternoon road game in Nashville shouldn’t be daunting for Mizzou. The Commodores have the better quarterback in Pavia, but the Tigers have the better overall talent on paper. Eli Drinkwitz and the boys find a way to get it done, 24-20. MIZ.
