Oct. 15, 2016
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
ATHENS, Ga. – All season long, Vanderbilt had been so close. But the Commodores finally broke through with a defining win on Saturday.
Vanderbilt (3-4, 1-3 SEC) went into Sanford Stadium and escaped with a marquee 17-16 victory over Georgia (4-3, 2-3), the first road win over an SEC team in head coach Derek Mason’s three-year tenure. Here are three thoughts from the ‘Dores’ big-time victory over the Dawgs:
1. Zach Cunningham capped a big day with the game-sealing play.
Cunningham, Vanderbilt’s All-SEC linebacker, put up a career day on defense against Georgia. But no moment was more impactful than the one that ultimately decided the game.
As the Commodores led 17-16 with one minute to play, the Bulldogs drove into Vanderbilt territory with an eye on field-goal range. An incomplete pass on third down from quarterback Jacob Eason to Michael Chigbu set up fourth-and-one for Georgia. If the Dawgs converted, a fresh set of downs would allow for a shot at a field goal, or more. Otherwise, Vanderbilt would likely run out the clock for the win.
That’s when Cunningham stepped up. He stopped the ensuing fourth-down run by Georgia receiver Isaiah McKenzie just short of the sticks, forcing a turnover on downs. The Commodores survived Athens as a result, and Cunningham had no doubt he’d made the game-sealing play. “When I made the tackle,” Cunningham said, “I immediately knew I had him behind the line.”
Cunningham’s late-game stop was the cherry on top of a career day for the linebacker. He notched a career-high 19 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and added one pass breakup. The junior’s performance paced Vanderbilt’s defense on a day when it couldn’t afford not to show up.
“Zach Cunningham, what a performance,” Mason said. “Nineteen tackles, that’s unbelievable he plays that way. That’s just who he is.”
2. Vanderbilt stopped the run, and it paid off.
One week after giving up 258 rushing yards against Kentucky, Vanderbilt’s run defense stood up against Georgia. The Bulldogs’ stellar rushing tandem of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel managed just 81 yards on 29 carries, or 2.8 yards-per-carry. That total was a major drop-off from the 326 rushing yards Georgia reeled off against South Carolina a week ago.
“I thought we did a good job of looking to stop the run and try to make these guys play left-handed,” Mason said.
Vanderbilt hoped its run-stuffing defense would force plays from Eason, a true freshman quarterback. For most of the afternoon, Eason made the most of his opportunities; he finished with 346 passing yards and completed 27 of his 40 attempts. But the Bulldogs’ weren’t at full strength without their potent rushing attack, and the Commodores’ defense worked hard to smother Chubb and Michel at the line.
For Vanderbilt, this was a team effort. “It was everybody doing their job,” safety Ryan White said. “Front seven standing their gaps, safeties rolling up and corners rolling up.”
3. This was Mason’s biggest win as head coach at Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt ventured to Athens with an 0-3 record in SEC games this season. But that record was a bit misleading: the ‘Dores had lost that trio of games by a combined 17 points. On Saturday the program managed to finally break through on a big stage, notching Mason’s first road win over an SEC team as a head coach.
While Mason has coached in big games during his winding coaching career, the third-year head coach recognized the significance of beating Georgia. “It’s the biggest win that I’ve had probably in my career, because I’m the head coach,” Mason said. “I’m not an assistant coach. This is a win that I think can help move this program forward.”
That’s the plan for the Commodores as they look to build of this performance, which solidified the program’s direction under Mason. And that plan isn’t lost on Vanderbilt’s locker room.
“We’re fighting for him all the time,” running back Khari Blasingame said of his head coach. “He’s our dude.”