Vanderbilt Football was put on the map this past weekend thanks to its improbable 34-27 overtime victory over the Hokies after entering their season-opener as 13.5-point underdogs.
The Commodores will look to carry that momentum with them into a Saturday nightcap against the Alcorn State Braves (0-1). In order to better understand how both teams match up, let’s first talk a little more about Week One.
Graduate transfer quarterback Diego Pavia led Vanderbilt, going 12-for-16 passing with 190 yards and 2 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 104 yards on 26 attempts, adding another score. Buzz circulated throughout social media as some said Vanderbilt pulled off the best upset of the college football week one slate. As a result, Pavia earned a slew of honors, including SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
Despite going up 17-0 in the first half, the Commodores got into serious trouble late in the fourth quarter. With just minutes remaining in the game, Vanderbilt completely lost its lead when Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones connected with wide receiver Ali Jennings for a 62-yard score. All momentum in FirstBank Stadium had completely shifted in favor of the Hokies.
Pavia had something to prove after that.
With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Pavia marched the Vanderbilt offense 70 yards down the field in less than three minutes. He capped the drive off with an eight-yard passing touchdown to running back Sedrick Alexander to tie the game. When Brock Taylor missed a potential game-winning 43-yard field goal at the end of regulation, that didn’t deter the Vanderbilt offense from doing its thing — running the ball down the defense’s throat.
Vanderbilt needed just three plays to score in overtime after a Pavia four-yard run put it up for good. Flash forward five plays on defense, and the Commodores successfully pulled off the upset over a Virginia Tech team projected by many to be at the top of the ACC this season.
Alcorn State), who got trounced this past weekend by UAB 41-3, will be the Commodores’ next chance to build on their one-win record. The Braves finished last season with a record of 7-4 but graduated quarterback Aaron Allen, who threw for 5400 yards and 32 passing touchdowns in his career at both Louisiana Tech and Alcorn State. The team struggled mightily on offense without their old star quarterback week one, managing only 177 total yards. Here are three key matchups that the Commodores must capitalize on to beat Alcorn State and improve to 2-0 on the season.
Vanderbilt’s secondary vs. the deep ball
Although Clark Lea’s defense was effective against the run, holding the Hokies to just 75 rush yards on a minuscule 2.5 yards per carry, it got burnt for 322 passing yards. Throughout the course of the second half, Drones threw the ball down the field at will. He found receiver Stephen Gosnell on 26, 29, and 44-yard catches, and the aforementioned bomb to Jennings gave the Hokies the lead late in the fourth quarter.
While Alcorn State hasn’t offered much to be desired in the air department — passing for just 60 yards against UAB — the Commodores need to be wary of the deep ball. Busted coverage occurred multiple times against Virginia Tech, especially on short crossers and one-on-one matchups down the field.
Vanderbilt’s offense vs. ball safety
Even in a blowout loss, Alcorn State’s defense took advantage of every fumble opportunity, collecting two against UAB. This brings us to Vanderbilt, who fumbled three times against Virginia Tech but was lucky enough to recover all three — this won’t always be the case in its difficult schedule. Since the Commodores bring a dual-threat quarterback and a significant bevy of run-pass options into their playbook, protecting the ball should be its first priority. In close games, like against Virginia Tech, fumbles could cost Vanderbilt.
Despite a 38-point loss, Alcorn State’s defense boasts a couple of standout players, highlighted by defensive back Markel McLaurin. McLaurin recovered a fumble and nabbed an interception against UAB. Alcorn State proved last week, even against a much better team, that it still knows how to force turnovers with fumbles. Vanderbilt had 48 rushing attempts against Virginia Tech, and rushing will remain an important part of its playbook, meaning it must protect the ball. This weekend offers a perfect opportunity for Vanderbilt to start. After all, SEC opponents will not offer the Commodores the same grace as Virginia Tech.
Diego Pavia vs. Alcorn’s weak defense
Last week, Vanderbilt averaged 15.8 yards per completion. While this is a great number Diego Pavia only had 16 pass attempts. This led to a modest 190 pass yards on the day, compared to Virginia Tech’s 322 passing yards. When Pavia was airing the ball out, Vanderbilt’s offense looked much more potent. Pavia connected with Quincy Skinner Jr. for a 14-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and on the game-tying drive, Pavia went 3-for-3 with 43 yards and a touchdown. The offense looked explosive when Pavia had a chance to stay in the pocket and find his receivers. Vanderbilt will get a chance to practice this against Alcorn State’s objectively weaker defense.
Alcorn State’s defense allowed UAB to put up 41 points and 517 total yards. Fumbles were the only highlight in the Braves’ otherwise lackluster defensive performance. Vanderbilt, assuming it can keep turnovers to a minimum, should dominate offensively. Alcorn State also failed to record a sack against UAB, meaning Pavia should have all the time he needs to let routes develop and dominate through the air.
If Vanderbilt can continue to execute well, the Commodores should have no problem improving to 2-0 on the season. The ‘Dores will take on Alcorn State on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. CDT at FirstBank Stadium.
