The Commodores hit the road last Saturday and defeated the Kentucky Wildcats by a score of 20-13. With two SEC wins under his belt, Vanderbilt Football head coach Clark Lea looked ahead to the team’s upcoming game against Ball State. When asked about a future matchup with No. 1 Texas, Lea emphasized that his team needs to focus on its upcoming game against Ball State.
“[We’re] back to work [against] Ball State, turning the page,” Lea said. “[It was a] nice road win, but [we] can’t linger on it. Every game is a big game for us; independent of what is beyond and what has happened before, the focus is [on] Saturday.”
During the second quarter of Vanderbilt’s victory over Kentucky, edge rusher Miles Caper was wheeled off Kroger Field on a stretcher after suffering a neck injury. The senior was rushed off to the University of Kentucky’s hospital but returned to the sidelines during the third quarter. When asked about Capers, Lea said he hopes the senior will play against Ball State.
“He’s doing well; he did not practice today [but] he’s day-to-day with a neck strain,” Lea said. “[He’s] listed as questionable, [but we’re] hopeful that he can be with us Saturday.”
Lea further spoke about midseason challenges and praised the team’s resilience and focus. He mentioned quarterback Diego Pavia’s apparent knee injury, which he played through after suffering in the third quarter.
“[It’s the] middle of the season [and we’re] dealing with the wear and the tear of what’s been a physical year so far,” Lea said. “[I] did not see any limitations, and [I’m] not worried about him [Diego Pavia].”
Against Kentucky, the ‘Dores achieved a clutch defensive stop in the fourth quarter to win the game. The team’s two-minute defense was a problem earlier in the season against Georgia State, which resulted in a loss. The Vanderbilt head coach mentioned the growth from the team’s mistakes.
“We’ve grown and matured in our execution of that [defensive] package. Our rush did a nice job,” Lea said. “We learned from that, and credit to the players and the growth they’ve had since that game. Any season is about the evolution of the team.”
Lea expressed both expectations and excitement about the team’s upcoming game. He stated that Week Seven will be challenging in terms of time of possession, something that Vanderbilt used to its advantage against Kentucky (with 34:35 possession). He highlighted that his strategy is to maintain possession and avoid defensive pressure.
“Mike Neu is a coach I have a ton of respect for, and [he’s] a great offensive mind that is going to make it challenging on us,” Lea said. “[Ball State] is among the best in the country in terms of time of possession. We’re going to need to play a physical game this Saturday.”
The Commodores will return to their home turf, facing off against Ball State at 6 p.m. CDT on Oct. 19 at FirstBank Stadium.
