Despite walking away with a win against Ball State last weekend, No. 25 Vanderbilt’s performance left much to be desired. The Commodores scraped by the Cardinals with a 10-point victory in a game in which they were favored by 27.5 points. Head coach Clark Lea reflected on the team’s mindset heading into Ball State and the energy — or lack thereof — they brought to the field.
“I talked to the team yesterday [and] it’s the balance between expecting the win and being entitled to the win,” Lea said. “I think that has an impact on energy. Energy isn’t always the spirit to celebrate. It’s also the energy to focus and to execute and to be detailed. I felt like on Saturday, we left it [to] chance.”
Lea stressed that Vanderbilt needs to focus on being the more physical team on the field against No. 5 Texas.
“It’s all about Vanderbilt football — playing at our highest level and putting up our best performance of the season,” Lea said. “We’ve got to stick to our identity: running to win, limiting points on defense, attacking and protecting the ball. Those will be the things to unlock success.”
Lea didn’t hold back when discussing key strategies his team would employ against Texas, emphasizing vice-tackling and compressing space along the perimeter. He was candid about Vanderbilt’s defensive shortcomings, pointing out the critical need to shut down explosive plays. Offensively, he stressed the importance of creating space to open up opportunities for Diego Pavia.
“Anytime you’re dealing with the level of skill that will be on the field for their offense, it’s going to be about vice-tackl[ing] and compress[ing] space on the perimeter,” Lea said. “Obviously, we have to force them to go the long way, and we can’t allow for explosive touchdowns.
“In terms of our offense, it’s how we find the space and create the space,” Lea continued. “[We need our] front five [to] work together to create movement and a quarterback and receiver corps that are opportunistic with these spaces in the secondary, and, you know, we’d love nothing more than to make this a really ugly game that comes down to time possession and creating extra opportunities.”
Lea also gave an update on defensive edge Zaylin Wood’s ankle injury, confirming that the coaching staff is prioritizing his recovery. Wood will sit out the Texas game to ensure he’s back to full strength down the road. As for the challenge Texas presents — especially coming off a loss to Georgia — Lea made it clear: Vanderbilt will need to set the tone early and dictate the energy.
“Texas is [a] playoff-caliber [team], and we’re going to have to prepare to defend their system no matter who’s taking the snaps,” Lea said. “Their offense doesn’t shift much depending on the quarterback. But Texas’s speed and intensity; that’s where they’re unique.”
Lea elaborated on the Longhorns’ offense, highlighting the complexity and speed at which they operate. He also addressed Texas’ two threatening options at quarterback in Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. He claimed that he was more focused on the scheme than which quarterback would be starting, highlighting that they have similar play styles that both fit into head coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense.
“Obviously, both quarterbacks have played. They’ve got an injury history there and you just never know. There are subtle differences in the style of the two guys,” Lea said. “The speed on the field, it’s unique. [Sarkisian] [has] a way to use shifts, motions and formations to create space for those guys.”
Lea delved further into Texas’s strategy, touching on its quick-timing throws and its ability to create space through different formations. He emphasized the need for Vanderbilt to stay patient on defense, forcing Texas to snap the ball repeatedly and eventually wear the Longhorns down.
“We’ve been a game-control offense. We’ve been a point-for-the-patient defense that’s been opportunistic with turnovers, and we’ve been a special teams group that’s flipped the field and won the field position battle,” Lea said. “That’s not always the most attractive style of play, but that is what works for us, so we have to really stay committed to that. Anything we do this weekend that unlocks success is going to be found within that identity.”
Vanderbilt will face Texas on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 3:15 p.m. CDT in FirstBank Stadium.
