COLUMBIA, Mo. >> There are two very different ways to look at seventh-ranked Missouri’s last two wins, a pair of come-from-behind affairs against Boston College and a double-overtime 30-27 victory over Vanderbilt in its SEC opener.

The Tigers were good enough to overcome their mistakes. Or their opponents weren’t good enough to capitalize on them.

Either way, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz still has plenty to clean up before continuing the conference grind against No. 25 Texas A&M in two weeks, and with fourth-ranked Alabama and No. 15 Oklahoma later this season.

Opponents with much more talent, much more likely to bury a team that keeps committing penalties and mental mistakes.

“We have to take a hard look at the Missouri Tigers, and we have to figure out why we’re not executing on third downs, in the red area. Why we’re missing tackles, busting assignments,” Drinkwitz said. “I’m not even kind of worried about Texas A&M. I’m concerned about our team enjoying a win, being 4-0 — which is as good as we can be record-wise, but we’re not as good as we can be playwise. We have to settle in on that and see what we can do to improve.”

The Tigers (4-0, 1-0 SEC) escaped against Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-1) when Blake Craig atoned for three missed field goals by hitting from 37 yards in the second overtime, and Commodores counterpart Brock Taylor missed a 31-yarder to keep the game going.

“What we want is out front of us. That’s the message,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said afterward. “We’re all hurt. We’re all in pain right now. But we’ll deal with that in the next three or four hours.”

What the Tigers want is still in front of them, too, despite all the mistakes that nearly doomed them against a Vanderbilt team that hadn’t beaten an opponent ranked as highly as the Tigers since No. 6 South Carolina on Oct. 20, 2007.