Sept. 24, 2016
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The game ain’t over until it’s over. That much Vanderbilt learned on Saturday night.
The Commodores (2-2, 0-1 SEC) rallied from an early 14-0 deficit to survive Western Kentucky (2-2, 1-0 C-USA), 31-30, in overtime. Vanderbilt sealed the win by tipping and intercepting the Hilltoppers’ two-point conversion attempt in the extra period.
Here are three thoughts from Vanderbilt’s thrilling come-from-behind victory:
1. Vanderbilt’s defense wasn’t perfect — but it was when it counted.
The Commodores didn’t exhibit the kind of stingy defense that has defined the Derek Mason era in Nashville. Western Kentucky rang up 501 yards of offense (6.9 per play) and recorded 27 first downs in the loss. For much of the night, WKU quarterback Mike White picked apart the ‘Dores’ secondary, and the Hilltoppers found ways to successfully run the ball, as well.
But in the final moments, defense won the game for Vanderbilt. After the ‘Dores scored in overtime to go up 31-24, White hit tight end Shaquille Johnson on WKU’s ensuing possession to bring his team back, 31-30. The Hilltoppers only needed an extra point to force double-overtime.
But WKU head coach Jeff Brohm opted to go for the win with a two-point conversion. That’s precisely when the ‘Dores’ defense delivered; defensive lineman Nifae Lealao tipped White’s pass attempt just outside the end zone before safety Ryan White scooped up the ball. The interception cemented Vanderbilt’s victory.
On a night in which the Commodores struggled to slow Western Kentucky’s attack, Mason’s unit knows it did just enough to secure an important victory in the end. “Defensively, we leaked a lot of oil in this football game,” Mason said, “but we came up big when we needed to. And that was important.”
2. The ‘Dores found their offense in second half.
Vanderbilt’s offense started slowly on the road against Western Kentucky. It managed just 84 yards in the first half, including just five total yards in the first quarter. Webb had just 32 yards on 12 carries at the break, and quarterback Kyle Shurmur had completed just seven passes for 54 yards. Vaderbilt didn’t look like it could keep up with the Hilltoppers, who had amassed 248 yards to build a 14-7 halftime lead.
But the Commodores’ offense refused to fold. Instead, it “came alive in the second half,” said Mason. Vanderbilt finished with a season-high 389 yards of offense (5.5 per play), reeling off 305 of those yards after the break. It also finished 8-of-16 on third downs.
Still, the play of Vanderbilt’s quarterback might be the most telling development from Saturday night. Shurmur led four second-half scoring drives, including a seven-play, 75-yard drive in the final minute of regulation to force overtime. In the end the sophomore set a career-high with 249 passing yards (on 18-29 passing), and his 66-yard pass to Caleb Scott in the second half marked Vanderbilt’s longest offensive play of the year.
“Kid’s a stud, man,” receiver C.J. Duncan said of Shurmur. “There’s no other way to say it.”
The passing game has been a thorn in Vanderbilt’s side for much of September. But none of the Commodores seemed surprised by Shurmur’s emergence against the Hilltoppers, which should bode well for the future. “Kyle’s very mature,” Webb said. “He’s blossomed from when he stepped on the field his freshman year. It’s about belief and mindset, just having the will to win.”
3. A road win is a major building block for Derek Mason.
This time last week, Vanderbilt had returned to Nashville on the heels of another disappointment on the road. The Commodores’ 38-7 loss at Georgia Tech had dropped the program to 1-10 in road games under Mason. If the ‘Dores hoped to take the next step in 2016, they knew they’d eventually have to win away from West End.
On Saturday, Vanderbilt got the monkey off its back. A Western Kentucky-record 23,674 fans packed Houchens-Smith Stadium hoping to witness the demise of an SEC program. Instead, the Commodores maintained their composure despite an early deficit. Now this program has proven it can survive hostile environments, particularly after the heartache that followed Georgia Tech. That’s important as the ‘Dores venture into the thick of an SEC schedule.
“I think it was a good momentum swing for us to play Georgia Tech at their place and come back and get this [win] that we needed,” Lealeo said.