Vanderbilt Football is coming off a much-needed bye week after heartbreaking losses to Georgia State and No. 9 Missouri in Weeks Three and Four. The Commodores’ fanbase was filled with hope and optimism after an upset win over Virginia Tech in Week One but have since plummeted back to reality. The Commodores have a 2-2 record — right where most people predicted they would be at this point in the season.
Much was revealed in Vanderbilt’s recent losses: its run defense looked sloppy and the secondary was burnt by explosive plays. Not to mention that its offense went ice-cold for quarters at a time. It begs the question: Can Vanderbilt really compete in the SEC, or is it further behind than people thought? This weekend’s game against No. 1 Alabama will be extremely telling.
Diego Pavia — firmly at the helm of new offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s offense — will need to muster up some magic if he wants to compete with the new top-ranked team in the country. Still, there are a handful of question marks across the field for Vanderbilt, and its resilience after two difficult losses will be on full display this weekend. The Commodores fell to the Crimson Tide, 55-3 in 2022 — the last meeting between the two teams — but are now facing a new Alabama led by head coach Kalen DeBoer. Let’s take a look at what the Black and Gold need to do better this go-around.
Tim Beck’s creativity vs. Alabama’s defensive schemes
Anyone who’s watched Vanderbilt Football this season knows that Beck runs a creative offense. He puts trickery and deception on a pedestal and trusts Pavia to make the right decisions post-snap. The run-pass and read options are common calls in the Beck playbook — he wants to keep opposing defenses guessing and catch teams off-guard. He and head coach Clark Lea believe this is their ticket to winning games in the SEC, and it’s been an effective strategy thus far. Vanderbilt operates at a clear talent deficit compared to its SEC counterparts and therefore must gain chunk yardage through unconventional methods. All of this creativity centers around one man: Diego Pavia. His ability to read secondaries and find gaps in defensive lines allows him to expose weaknesses in teams — as we saw against Virginia Tech. He isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder on the run or drop a quick pass to a receiver or running back on the edge. Beck also isn’t afraid to go deep into his bag of tricks and use other players as quarterbacks, as seen by Eli Stowers’ touchdown pass to Cole Spence against Alcorn State. These plays, while risky, can be highly effective.
Beck will need to open up the playbook against Alabama. Alabama’s defense, led by linebackers Jihaad Campbell and Deontae Lawson, is physical and fast and the Crimson Tide have allowed just 15 points per game through four contests. However, defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s group showed some weakness in the second half against Georgia, when they allowed the Bulldogs to storm back after building a comfortable 28-0 lead in the first half. Beck will need to catch Alabama sleeping to get points on the board.
Ryan Williams vs. Vanderbilt’s secondary
This matchup could have included all of Alabama’s wide receivers, but Ryan Williams is too special not to single out. He carried the Crimson Tide’s offense in its win over Georgia this past Saturday, picking up 6 receptions for 177 yards. The 17-year-old phenom has been the talk of college football this week. His elite playmaking skills, quick hands and lightning speed make him a matchup nightmare for any defensive back in the SEC. He has 462 total receiving yards this season, over 300 more than Germie Bernard, Alabama’s second-leading receiver. Williams is a threat on either side of the offensive line, and many have already compared him to former Alabama receiver and current NFL player DeVonta Smith.
Ryan Williams and Alabama’s entire receiving core will cause all sorts of issues for Vanderbilt’s secondary on Saturday. Vanderbilt’s cornerbacks were a concern in fall camp, and they haven’t shown much improvement since then. This room gave up a number of explosive plays to Missouri and Georgia State, particularly in crunch time when it mattered most. Martel Hight, Tyson Russell and Kolbey Taylor now anchor this room, and the onus will fall on them to compete with Alabama’s high-level athletes. Vanderbilt knows that its cornerbacks will get burnt by Williams and Co. during this game, but mitigating the impact of these plays will be crucial.
Jalen Milroe’s legs vs. Vanderbilt’s run defense
Jalen Milroe is a true dual-threat quarterback: He can hurt defenses on the ground and through the air. While Williams and Alabama’s receiving core are serious threats, Milroe will run straight past Vanderbilt’s defensive front if Lea isn’t careful. Milroe possesses a keen ability to read opposing linebackers and take off running if the play requires it. He rushed for more than 75 yards in three of four games and had 117 yards on 16 carries against Georgia. Milroe has one of the best deep balls among all college quarterbacks, but it’s his speed that could ultimately kill the Commodores.
Vanderbilt’s run defense was abysmal against Missouri in Week Four. It allowed Nate Noel to rush for 199 yards on 24 carries. The run game beat the Commodores, and Missouri’s offensive line made Vanderbilt’s defense look small and disorganized. The Commodores only had to worry about one main rushing threat two weeks ago, but they will now face a two-headed monster: The combination of Milroe and running backs Justice Haynes and Jam Miller threatens to wreak havoc on Lea’s defense.
Vanderbilt will need to play physically at the line of scrimmage to stop this rush attack. Glenn Seabrooks III has been one of the most efficient first-year linemen in the country and defensive tackle Yilanan Ouattara — according to Lea — has shown some serious improvement in practice. Vanderbilt’s linebackers are one of its strengths, led by Langston Patterson and Bryan Longwell. If Vanderbilt can find a way to stop the run, it will force Milroe to live (or die) by the passing game.
Vanderbilt will host Alabama on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 3:15 p.m. CDT in FirstBank stadium.
