Feeling like the penultimate gut punch to Commodore fans everywhere, Vanderbilt fell to the Auburn Tigers 31-15 on Homecoming. In one of the matchups many believed Vanderbilt could earn a conference win in the preseason, Vanderbilt came out flat in practically every facet of play. The quarterback tandem of Ken Seals and Walter Taylor combined for just 166 passing yards alongside an uninspiring running game. This formula resulted in Vanderbilt’s eighth straight loss, dropping the Commodores to 2-8 on the year and 0-6 in the SEC.
Regardless of the perennial struggle the season has become, Vanderbilt still has two games left to play. Even though bowl aspirations are long gone, the Commodores should aim to replicate a similar result to last year, when they earned two massive wins in their last three games against Kentucky and Florida to give the West End faithful something to be proud of. The first of two final games this year will be a showdown with the South Carolina Gamecocks, who last week beat Conference USA opponent Jacksonville State by only ten points.
With nothing left to lose, if Vanderbilt wants to earn itself a late season moral victory by knocking off an SEC team, capitalizing on these three matchups can give the Commodores a chance. Let’s check them out.
Xavier Legette vs. Vanderbilt’s secondary
Coming into the season, it was believed that gunslinger quarterback Spencer Rattler would be able to lean on standout senior wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr., who had snagged 68 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. However, due to a lower body injury that has nagged the wideout for most of the season, another receiver has stepped into the limelight as the go-to guy. That is none other than fifth-year senior Xavier Legette, a 6’3’”, 227 lb playmaker who has made an impact both as a pass catcher and a kick returner. So far this year, he already has 50 catches for 973 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns, edging ever so close to being only the fifth Gamecock to ever hit the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. If his last outing against Jacksonville State says anything, one in which Legette had 9 catches for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns, Vanderbilt desperately needs to slow him down.
Head coach Clark Lea admitted in Tuesday’s press conference that the Gamecocks’ talent at the wideout position can cause some matchup challenges for the Commodores. But, based on the arguably best performance the secondary has had this season against Auburn, there has been both decent progress and some developed momentum for the back line of the defense. Although Rattler’s arm talent combined with the likes of Legette will present a step-up in terms of a challenge, prior losses against Tennessee, Missouri and Texas A&M show that when Legette isn’t getting the ball, Rattler struggles. What this means for an injury-riddled secondary is that the key to limiting a South Carolina air raid will be to shut down opportunities for passes to get to Legette, putting additional pressure on Rattler to distribute the ball elsewhere.
Vanderbilt’s running game vs. South Carolina’s defense
Week in and week out, Vanderbilt’s running game has faltered at establishing any rhythm. Against Auburn, the Commodores could only amount 100 yards on the ground as compared to the Tigers’ 230, 183 of which came straight from lead back Jarquez Hunter. Most of Vanderbilt’s carries this season have been awarded to first-year Sedrick Alexander and junior Patrick Smith, yet neither have seemed to be able to get it going. The offense has not had a running back hit the 100-yard mark once this season, something Ray Davis was able to achieve five times in the 2022 season. Every week the running game appears to be nonexistent, making Vanderbilt’s offense ― no matter who the quarterback is ― come off as one-dimensional and reliant on moving the ball through the air.
Not being able to reach the 100-yard rushing mark as a team in six out of ten games this season has come about as a culmination of issues, from a poor performing offensive line to the underwhelming play calling. While Vanderbilt has found success in some games by throwing the ball, there has been practically no tone set on the ground. A beacon of hope though comes from the fact that South Carolina has been susceptible to some solid running performances delivered by quality backs like Missouri’s Cody Schrader and Tennessee’s Jaylin Wright. Or more recently, when the Gamecocks allowed quarterback Zion Webb and a running back duo of Ron Wiggins and Anwar Lewis to accumulate 225 rushing yards for Jacksonville State.
Perhaps Vanderbilt could find some success against the Gamecocks by getting Alexander and Smith going early while also slipping in some designed runs for the everso mobile quarterback Walter Taylor.
Vanderbilt’s coaching staff vs. being too conservative
For a team that hasn’t logged a conference win and has suffered eight straight losses, the coaching staff has been immensely conservative in scheming and play calling on both sides of the ball. Regardless of a change at quarterback or injuries across the board, a two-win team should be playing with some sort of a chip on its shoulder, and a coaching staff should encourage that energy by enforcing a more urgent and aggressive playstyle. Instead, when the Commodores’ backs couldn’t be any closer to the wall, the coaching staff remains stagnant.
Lea has emphasized not turning the ball over and fine-tuning the little things, however, a part of this issue with garnering complimentary play has been the conservative play calling of offensive coordinator Joey Lynch. Ultimately, what was believed to be a potentially potent offensive attack in the preseason has shriveled up into a predictable mess. Systematically calling short, “easy” throws and unoriginal rushes behind an already diminished offensive line translates into frequently long third down situations, where Vanderbilt ranks No. 109 in the nation with a 33% conversion rate.
On the other side of the ball, two of the biggest issues the Commodores have had defensively have been stopping the run and generating pressure in the backfield. Vanderbilt ranks tied for No. 111 in the country in rushing defense by allowing 180 yards per game while also ranking in the bottom five of the conference in sacks, which is striking considering how often this defense finds itself on the field. Although the defense has had great moments of forcing turnovers, schematically there is no real identity to this unit. A turnover here and there can not make up for what feels like an uphill battle in which the defense is constantly on its heels.
If Vanderbilt hopes to secure a win, the coaching staff needs to ramp up the eagerness offensively and tenacity defensively. A continually lax and conservative mindset could spell doom for the rest of the season and heat up the seats of the staff going forward. For the Commodores, it should be all-or-nothing Saturday.
Vanderbilt will take on South Carolina on the road Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. CST.
