Nov. 27, 2016
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
On campus in Nashville – The power of the moment overwhelmed Derek Mason. Late Saturday night, Vanderbilt’s head football coach wrapped up an on-field interview with SEC Network, let out a primal roar and sprinted to the east side of Dudley Field inside Vanderbilt Stadium. There, Mason’s Commodore football team had already begun to celebrate with thousands of black-and-gold-clad loyalists who lined the edge of the stands. Fans dressed in orange, it seemed, had already vacated their seats.
Mason galloped below his screaming cohorts and held up three fingers on both hands, Vanderbilt’s unofficial “V-U” logo. He raced from one end of the stands to the other, careful not to ignore a single section of Commodore fans. He eventually bear-hugged his wife, LeighAnne; his daughters, Makenzie and Syndey; and Vanderbilt athletics director David Williams in the thick of the crowd. Mason, fired up and euphoric, was in no rush to end this celebration on a chilly November night.
The scoreboard lining the edge of the grandstands gave Mason reason to celebrate: Vanderbilt 45, Tennessee 34. The Commodores had used a strong second half and a potent offense to dispose of the rival Volunteers in both teams’ regular-season finales. For Vanderbilt, the statement win pushed the program to a 6-6 overall record and automatic bowl-eligibility. But to Mason, beating Tennessee meant much, much more.
“You need to fear the V,” Mason said. “Vanderbilt is back. It’s been fun. The journey’s been long. But now, it’s time for us to get back to work.”
Vanderbilt football experienced no fewer than three watershed moments during the 2016 regular season. On Oct. 15, the `Dores beat Georgia, 17-16, for their first SEC road victory under Mason. Last week, Mason’s crew reeled off 38 points and 481 yards of offense in a 38-17 rout of Ole Miss. The win over the Rebels was Vanderbilt’s most prolific scoring output against an SEC foe under the head coach.
But Saturday was different. By upending No. 24 Tennessee, Vanderbilt earned its first ranked victory with Mason at the helm. It assured the `Dores a trip to the postseason for the first time since 2013. Amid the peaks and valleys of a lengthy season, nobody who watched Vanderbilt beat up on its in-state rival on Saturday night questioned the Commodores’ immediate future. This team, with Mason in charge, is far from finished.
“We’ve grown throughout the season,” quarterback Kyle Shurmur said. “Everybody has. It was great to put it all together. I think it showed progress throughout the year.”
That progress was on full display against Tennessee. Vanderbilt reeled off 608 yards of offense, its most in an SEC game since 2006. The Commodores’ 45 points were their most in an SEC game since Nov. 25, 1971, when they put up 49 against Mississippi State. The sophomore Shurmur passed for a career-high 416 yards, and running back Ralph Webb became the `Dores’ new career rushing leader after a 114-yard, two-touchdown night.
ELLIS: Three Thoughts from VUs win over Tennessee
But Vanderbilt did more than just put up points; its defense adjusted against a talented Tennessee offense. Led by quarterback Joshua Dobbs, the Vols held a 31-24 lead at halftime after averaging 9.3 yards-per-play through two quarters. In the halftime locker room, Mason challenged his squad to own the second half. It answered by allowing just three Tennessee points in the final two periods, all while scoring 21 of its own.
Two seasons ago, Vanderbilt finished 3-9 – and 0-8 in the SEC — in Mason’s first year. The `Dores capped 2016 with six victories, including three in league play. Moreover, Vanderbilt has now won three of its last five games against rival Tennessee, but the most recent victory has to be the most impressive of the bunch. These Vols were the preseason pick to win the SEC East and reach the SEC Championship Game. On Saturday, that didn’t seem to matter to Vanderbilt. “Tonight,” Mason said, “the Commodores were the better team.”
In the end, Vanderbilt’s regular season should be remembered as a case study in resiliency. The program began the year by dropping a nationally televised matchup with South Carolina, 13-10, on a deflating Thursday night. The Commodores fell to Georgia Tech, 38-7, two weeks later, and they eventually lost their first two SEC games to Florida and Kentucky, each by a single touchdown. Early on, tangible signs of growth were few and far between.
But by stuffing Tennessee, Vanderbilt proved those setbacks did little more than to motivate an evolving program, one keenly aware of its own potential. The Commodores believed in Mason’s message. That led to two premiere performances against proven SEC programs in Vanderbilt’s final two games. “This group, they’re to be commended on pushing through and really being process-oriented, not goal-oriented,” Mason said. “We talked about the goal, but the process is what carried us through.”
For another 365 days, at least, Vanderbilt is the big dog in the state of Tennessee. But bragging rights isn’t the Commodores’ immediate focus; for now, they must prepare for their first trip to the postseason in four years. That in itself is worth celebrating: Webb, now the most prolific rusher in Vanderbilt history, showed up to his postgame press conference on Saturday night carrying a bowling ball, one embossed with a Star V logo. Why? “We’re going bowling!” Webb said. “I couldn’t ask to do it in a better way, with a better group of guys.”
That group is now the foundation for a brighter future at Vanderbilt. And with Mason holding the reins, the rest of the SEC will witness a few more celebrations inside Vanderbilt Stadium.
“These kids have given us their best,” Mason said. “That’s all we’ve ever asked for.”
