Vanderbilt Football earned a massive win on Saturday, defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies 34-27. While the Commodores’ pass rush did an excellent job of keeping opposing quarterback Kyron Drones in check, the offense still had to carry its weight. With the help of sophomore running back Sedrick Alexander and New Mexico State transfer quarterback Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt did just that.
Although Pavia was efficient and relatively productive through the air, Vanderbilt’s passing attack this weekend was nothing to write home about. The Commodores won this game because of their lethal running game, accounting for 181 yards on the ground compared to the Hokies’ mere 75. Tim Beck, Vanderbilt’s new play-caller, was creative in his approach to carving up the Hokies’ defense.
Head coach Clark Lea brought in Beck for his balanced offensive approach.
“[I] wanted a coach with a history of a game-control offense, an effective red zone attack, [capable of] establishing the run [with] an explosive downfield passing game [and] a quarterback-friendly system,” Lea told The Tennessean last winter.
Beck’s offense accomplished all of these goals in Week 1. Vanderbilt scored points on all five red zone drives while committing zero turnovers the entire game.
No success was greater than the way that Beck utilized the run. Using read options, RPOs and designed QB runs, he paved the way for Vanderbilt to upset an ACC contender.
Despite the small sample size, it’s clear that the Commodore rushing attack has come a long way since last season. Vanderbilt averaged 3.8 yards per attempt against the Hokies, a half-yard improvement from last season’s average. Furthermore, Vanderbilt earned just 69 first downs on runs last year in contrast to 11 in just Week 1 — putting it on track for a hypothetical 132 this season. While it has only been one game, the Commodores’ improvement on the ground is not to be understated.
This production is not necessarily a surprise to Vanderbilt fans. Pavia was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation last year with the Aggies, and many expected him to improve even more in 2024. While Virginia Tech boasts an impressive defense, returning 9 of 11 starters from 2023, its ability to stop the run is not its strong suit. It allowed 149.3 rushing yards per game in 2023. In a preview of the 2024 season, The Hustler’s editorial staff accurately predicted that Vanderbilt would need to take advantage of the run game defense to pull off an upset.
An overtime thriller and unexpected win were exactly what Vanderbilt needed to kick off its season, but one win only goes so far. For the Commodores to gain bowl eligibility, they will almost certainly need to defeat all three out-of-conference opponents they are scheduled to face — in addition to pulling off a couple of SEC victories. To do this, they will need the run game to continue with its effectiveness and will be relying heavily on the aforementioned Alexander and Pavia.
Can’t stop Sedrick
As the title suggests, the Hokies had a tough time containing Alexander. He ran for nearly 400 yards last year as a true freshman, leading all SEC first-years. His highly-anticipated sophomore season kicked off with flashes of excellence, as he accounted for 69 yards on the ground on just 17 carries — an efficient 4.1 yards per attempt. The stat sheet alone does not do justice to Alexander’s performance against Virginia Tech. To truly see the mark he made on this game, let’s turn to the film.
Alexander got things going early with a first-down rush less than two minutes into the game, breaking a few tackles along the way. His best play of the game came a quarter later when he easily cleared Virginia Tech safety Mose Phillips III on a superhuman hurdle attempt. Just a play later, fans saw Alexander’s incredible balance on display as he stayed up and netted a positive rush after nearly being tackled in the backfield. Later in that same drive, he ripped off his longest rush of the game for 13 yards to bring Vanderbilt inside the 10-yard line. His efforts soon paid off, as he ran for a touchdown on the next play, which put Vanderbilt up 17-0. Alexander also caught a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to keep the ‘Dores alive — the same one that would send the game to overtime.
The most impressive output from Alexander’s big day was his ability to absorb contact from defenders. Standing at 5’9” and 199 lbs, he isn’t necessarily a physical specimen expected to bounce off of tackles. However, his strength, coupled with solid speed and agility, make Alexander a tough matchup for defenders to take down.
Poised Pavia
Pavia’s confidence and poise under pressure against Virginia Tech set the stage for the Commodores to complete their fourth-quarter comeback. He was a force on the ground last year, rushing for 851 yards and 6 touchdowns on 158 carries. Pavia came to Vanderbilt with Beck hoping to build off of his production from 2023. So far, he has lived up to that expectation. The one-two punch of Alexander and Pavia, especially through this option, will pose issues to opposing defenses all season long.
Pavia had an absolute field day on the ground through the use of read options, designed quarterback runs and just scrambling out of the pocket. He added 104 yards on 26 carries while punching in the game-winning touchdown in overtime. The read option was incredibly effective against Virginia Tech’s middling run defense, which was evidenced by Pavia’s 27-yard carry at the start of the third quarter.
Pavia became more willing to step out of the pocket in the second half as his receivers struggled to gain separation. He scrambled for chunk gains and gained first downs on three major plays as the game reached its final moments. Pavia’s playmaking and improvisation played a large part in Vanderbilt’s upset.
Pavia’s ability to read shifts in the defensive line, along with Alexander’s ability to make defenders miss, should set Vanderbilt up to ground and pound all season long.
Vanderbilt will look to stay hot on the ground as it prepares for its matchup against Alcorn State on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. CDT at FirstBank Stadium.
