The Missouri Tigers will have to wait a bit longer to capitalize on its momentous win over LSU Saturday as its Week 4 opponent, Vanderbilt, will not be able to field the 53 required players to compete this week.

The university said the postponement is “due to the quarantining of individuals with positive tests and those designated as close contacts, along with injuries and opt-outs.”

Vanderbilt played its Week 3 game versus South Carolina with just 56 Scholarship players, a game Vanderbilt lost 41-7 sending the team to an 0-3 start. The Commodores had six players opt-out of the 2020 season leaving the program more short-handed than most in the SEC.

“While we share in the disappointment that this Saturday’s game will be postponed, our program is deeply appreciative of the tireless efforts put forth by student-athletes, university officials, conference administrators and medical experts who have risen to the challenge of helping us navigate these unprecedented circumstances,” said head coach Derek Mason in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our student-athletes will remain a top priority as we continue the season, and we look forward to returning to competition.”

This is the first game affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the SEC. Though Vanderbilt has proven to be one of the least successful teams in the conference, it was truly just a matter of time before the Commodores would disrupt the schedule with the number of players the program was missing. It should be noted, similar to Tennessee prior to the season start, that not all of Vanderbilt's missing players are positive for the coronavirus and that contact tracing plays a big role in the unavailability of players.

This is not the first time a football team in Nashville, Tennessee has affected a league. The Tennessee Titans were the first NFL franchise to disrupt the 2020 season with positive tests among players and tests, postponing its Week 4 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers to Week 7 and leaving its Week 5 game with the Buffalo Bills in constant turmoil. That game is scheduled to be played Tuesday.

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