If there were such a thing as Comeback Player of the Year in the Southeastern Conference, James Franklin would be the unquestioned midseason frontrunner.
Things we learned
From Georgia's thrilling Aaron Murray-led overtime win to Jameis Winston's throttling of Maryland, here are the things we learned from college football's sixth weekend. **More ...**
The Missouri senior quarterback threw four touchdown passes against Vanderbilt on Saturday to lead a 51-28 road win over Vanderbilt. He has 13 touchdown passes this season for the undefeated Tigers (5-0), the only unbeaten team in the SEC East. Franklin completed 19 of 28 passes for 278 yards without an interception against the Commodores, who feature two NFL prospects in the secondary in cornerback Andre Hal and safety Kenny Ladler.
On Franklin's third score (video below), he beat Hal on a touchdown pass to Marcus Lucas, throwing into a very small window with Hal unable to break up the pass from behind.
Franklin picked up another 63 rushing yards for 341 yards in total offense.
Last year, Franklin had shoulder, knee and head injuries that sidelined him in some games and hampered his effectiveness in others. This season, he has been far more effective, completing 67 percent of his passes with a TD-INT ratio of better than 4-1. On Saturday, he distributed completions to six different receivers.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.