Head coach Clark Lea addressed the media for his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 4, after Vanderbilt fell to now-No. 13 Texas, 34-31, last weekend. The Commodores’ head coach began his opening remarks by reflecting on Vanderbilt’s second loss of the season.
“I was proud of the way we fought back but was not proud of the way we started [on Saturday],” Lea said. “We’ve had a chance to address that and to move on from it.”
Vanderbilt’s second loss means they are far less likely to advance to the College Football Playoff, with the margin for error for the rest of the season now razor thin. Lea was probed about his team’s faltering playoff chances, and how he feels about the national media “writing off” the Commodores.
“That team that showed up for the first three quarters [against Texas], I don’t know how you don’t write them off. We didn’t play well. I credit Texas for that but also challenge our guys to show up and play Vanderbilt Football this week,” Lea said.
Lea narrowed in on the specific ideas he preaches in practice every day. He emphasized that Vanderbilt’s mission remains the same, and he feels they are still on track to achieve all their goals.
“I told the team today [that] 301 days ago, we pulled our bow back and fired an arrow with the intent of being exactly where we are. Here we are, and we’re aimed right at the bullseye. Now we need to take that arrow and carry it the rest of the way,” Lea said.
The Commodores came into the season with a sense of intentionality — something which Lea is still referencing in November. He teaches that every action they take must be deliberate, thought out and calculated.
“We have been so intentional from Jan. 7, so there’s no reason not to be intentional now,” Lea said. “Let’s lift above the emotions of the moment. Let’s lift above the frustrations of a bad result. Let’s lift above external narratives and say: what is it that we’re going to do? What is our level of suffering we’ll tolerate? What is the level of sacrifice we’ll make to go where we want to go?”
Vanderbilt suffered some uncharacteristic mistakes on Saturday against the Longhorns, including missing several tackles on the perimeter. Defensive coordinator Steve Gregory’s defense is built on physicality, but it didn’t live up to the hype against Texas’s clear talent on the offensive side.
“When you play against good opponents, you’re going to miss tackles because they’re good players,” Lea said. “Missed tackles are often a product of leverage issues or spatial issues. Those are the two things that showed up on Saturday. [We let] the ball run out on a direct line to the sideline and left our feet to try to down the ball on the sideline. That is something that we should never do.”
Tight end Eli Stowers had an impressive performance against Texas, boasting 146 yards and 2 touchdowns for his best statistical performance of the year. The graduate transfer is in his second season with Vanderbilt and has notably improved his blocking this season, adding a new dimension to his ever-growing game.
“He’s going to be a pro for a reason,” Lea said. “He obviously had a huge impact on our game statistically. There’s a tough, physical player who’s really improved in ways that make him a complete player. We know what he can do with the ball in his hands. We know his catch radius, [and] we know his athleticism, but he’s really a kind of a complete package as far as his tight end play.”
The Commodores must now turn their attention to this week’s battle against Auburn. The Tigers have been a historic SEC powerhouse but have fallen short of expectations this season. They come into Saturday having just fired head coach Hugh Freeze, and they have no clear starting quarterback. Lea doesn’t believe Vanderbilt’s game plan should shift massively, though.
“I don’t believe that there’s going to be dramatic shifts. The defensive coordinator, now head coach DJ Durkin, has sat in that seat before. I’m sure [the Auburn players] will be excited to play for their coach in his new role,” Lea said.
Regarding Auburn’s shifting quarterback position, Lea believes the game plan should be focused more on the Tigers’ offense as a whole.
“There’s a real need to understand the skill that surrounds them, and part of their responsibility is the performance of the other 10 guys on the field. Defending this offense is certainly about the quarterback, but how are you going to contain [wide receiver Cam Coleman]? How are you going to limit [wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr]? How are you going to structurally defend the run game? That’s how you understand how their system works,” Lea said.
Lea and his Commodores will attempt to silence national controversy and get back to their winning ways this weekend.
Vanderbilt takes on Auburn at home on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 3:00 p.m. CST.
