Neal to Return Against Kentucky

Starting quarterback missed last game with injury

by Chad Bishop

Vanderbilt got some good news this week, head coach Derek Mason confirmed Tuesday.

Quarterback Riley Neal has been cleared to play. The senior suffered a concussion Nov. 2 at South Carolina and missed last week’s game at Florida.

“It helps definitely getting (Neal) back. I think (Neal) gives us a chance,” Mason said. “I think his accuracy and his ability to understand coverage-wise, because of so many reps and because of how he’s played, what he’s done and being in those situations I think he’s more comfortable right now looking at it.”

Neal has thrown for 1,193 yards and six touchdowns this season while completing 58.6 percent of his passes. The team’s opening-day starter was benched Oct. 19 in lieu of Mo Hasan – but Hasan left that game with a concussion of his own.

A Ball State transfer, Neal led the Commodores (2-7, 1-5 SEC) on a game-winning touchdown drive against Missouri and an opening-series touchdown drive at South Carolina.

“He can get to it faster. He can go through his progressions a little faster,” Mason said. “That’s going to be important in this game. Every game is a chess match – this one is going to be a chess match because we know what they do and we got to do a little bit of that ourselves when you talk about being able to extend plays, extend drives and put points on the board.”

Getting Neal back in the lineup should provide a boost to an offense that has been outscored 80-7 in the last two losses. The Dores have also just totaled 223 yards of total offense in those games.

Mason said he recently challenged Neal to push himself much harder as his college career winds down to help move the Vandy offense forward.

“Even watching him (being) out of practice, he was much more intentional about talking to the guys and looking at what we were doing schematically even during (concussion) protocol. He was taking every mental rep,” Mason said. “That was something before for (Neal) that had worked, but this was a different type of workload for him. In this conference, you have to prepare differently. It’s not any place that you’ve been before. Every place in this conference is new and every team that you play is formidable.

“The preparation and sense of urgency has been greater. Much greater since that time. As he has benefited and started to become better he makes us better.”

Coming off a 10-3 season, Kentucky needs to win two of its final three to get back to a bowl game. The Wildcats (4-5, 2-5 SEC) suffered a disappointing 17-13 loss to rival Tennessee last week.

Lynn Bowden took over at quarterback for the Wildcats at midseason after a rash of injuries at the position. Since the move, the  converted wide receiver has become Kentukcky’s leader in rushing (712 yards) and receiving (348 yards), but is 19 of 44 passing for 213 yards.

“It’s going to be a game where we got to be connected as well because they don’t give you very many opportunities with their ability to be able to control the time of possession and that’s really what they’ve been,” Mason said. “With your possession you got to make sure your possessions count. That’s the type of ballgame that we’re looking toward.”


• Vanderbilt and Kentucky will be meeting for the 92nd time in a series that dates back to 1896. The Wildcats have won three straight.

• In 21 career games with Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn has 2,062 rushing yards – the ninth-most in Vandy history. He needs 571 yards (190.3 ypg over the next three games) to finish third all-time behind Zac Stacy (3,143) and Ralph Webb (4,173).

• Vaughn needs two rushing touchdowns to move past Jerry Seymour (19) for third on the program’s career rushing touchdowns all-time list. Zac Stacy (30) is second and Ralph Webb (32) is first.

• The Commodores have been outscored 187-52 in the second half this season and 97-0 in the second half of the last four defeats.

• Vanderbilt senior kicker Riley Guay is nine points from moving into Vandy’s top 10 for career points scored.

• Guay is 19th nationally this season with a field goal percentage of 87.5 percent.

• Lipscomb needs one touchdown reception to pass Dan Stricker (21) for the second-most TD catches in a Vanderbilt career. Jordan Matthews (24) is first.

• Lipscomb’s next reception will move him past Stricker (182) for fifth on the program’s all-time receptions list. Boo Mitchell is fourth with 188.

• Lipscomb is 57 receiving yards from passing Martin Cox (2,275) for fifth on Vanderbilt’s career receiving yards list.

• As a team, the Commodores rank fourth nationally having lost just three fumbles and rank 39th nationally having lost just 12 total turnovers.

• Vanderbilt senior Justice Shelton-Mosley ranks 13th in college football with an average punt return of 10.8 yards.

• Vanderbilt sophomore punter Harrison Smith is 27th nationally with an average punt of 44.1 yards.