Dec. 15, 2016
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
On campus in Nashville – Derek Mason closed the 2016 regular season running wild inside Vanderbilt Stadium, knee-deep in a celebration with fans dressed in black and gold. The Commodores had beaten No. 24 Tennessee, 45-34, on Nov. 26 for the program’s third win in the last five games against their in-state rival. The victory capped a 4-2 finish to the season and sent Vanderbilt to a bowl for the first time under Mason.
But Vanderbilt’s marquee wins over Ole Miss (38-17) and Tennessee also shifted the narrative surrounding its 2016 season. The Commodores ended the year as more than just a defensive team, instead using a high-powered offense to surge into the postseason with consecutive upsets.
“I’m proud of this group, because at the beginning of the year, everybody talked about how we couldn’t move the ball, we couldn’t score points,” Mason said following the win over the Volunteers. “All we’ve done these last two games is put up points against pretty good competition.”
That momentum is just what Vanderbilt needs as it prepares for a matchup with N.C. State in the Independence Bowl on Dec. 26. The Commodores are set to face a stingy Wolfpack defense under head coach Dave Doeren. Now they hope to continue their late-season charge on offense all the way to Shreveport.
Second-year offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig said his group found a way to execute at key moments down the stretch.
“It’s just been a matter of staying the course, sticking to what you believe in and continuing to play to the players’ strengths,” Ludwig said. “Our players did a great job of getting better throughout the course of the season. Now you’re just looking forward to capping it off the right way.”
Indeed, Vanderbilt’s offense struggled to find its footing early in the year. It scored no more than 13 points in any of its first three SEC games, all losses against South Carolina, Florida and Kentucky. Following a 26-17 loss at Missouri, the Commodores headed into a Nov. 19 home matchup with Ole Miss averaging just 19.9 points and 322.1 yards (4.9 per play) per game. They were also 4-6 and in need of two wins in their final two games to reach bowl eligibility.
But quarterback Kyle Shurmur, running back Ralph Webb and the rest of Vanderbilt’s offense turned things around at season’s end. They scored a combined 83 points and tallied 1,089 total yards against Ole Miss and Tennessee. The Commodores averaged 7.3 yards per play in those two wins, up from a 4.9 per-play average through 10 games.
The Commodores showed flashes of potential on offense in several other games this season. They utilized tempo in late-game situations against the likes of Auburn, Kentucky and Western Kentucky, and they hung 47 points on Middle Tennessee State in September. But Ludwig said the secret to Vanderbilt’s late-season success was being able to put four quarters together against SEC competition.
“There was a gradual improvement by the offensive unit through the course of the season, but it lacked consistency,” Ludwig said. “What showed up late in the season was a higher level of consistency.”
Vanderbilt’s performance against Tennessee was especially historic. Its 45 points were the most scored against an SEC team since 1971, and its 608 total yards were the most in any game since 2009. Webb became Vanderbilt’s all-time leading rusher with a 114-yard outing against the Vols. Meanwhile, wide receivers Trent Sherfield (a career-high 184 yards) and Caleb Scott (117) became the first Commodore duo to notch 100-yard receiving games in the same contest since 2013.
But a more poised Shurmur was perhaps the primary catalyst behind Vanderbilt’s growth on offense. In matchups with Ole Miss and Tennessee, the sophomore completed 58.5 percent of his passes (38-of-65) for 689 yards and 10.6 yards-per-attempt along with four touchdowns and just one pick. Shurmur threw for a career-high 416 yards against UT, the first Vanderbilt quarterback to toss for 400 yards in more than a decade.
The sophomore said the ‘Dores routinely witnessed their offensive potential in practice. But they finally put the pieces together against Ole Miss and Tennessee. “It’s encouraging,” Shurmur said. “I don’t want to say it’s satisfying, because I don’t think we’re done yet. This program is heading in the right direction and I think we can achieve a lot more. But it’s definitely encouraging.”
Ludwig has watched Shurmur’s maturation since his debut as a freshman in 2015, when he started five games. Now the coach sees a more veteran presence in the pocket for Vanderbilt.
“He’s carrying himself with a different confidence,” Ludwig said. “We pulled him out of a redshirt as a freshman, and he did a decent job. He was still a young quarterback, and that showed early in the year. But the maturity and the confidence level in that position has been a difference-maker for us.”
N.C. State should present a new challenge for Vanderbilt. The Wolfpack finished the regular season fifth in FBS in rushing defense, allowing just 104.7 yards per game. That unit boasts a true game-changer in defensive end Bradley Chubb, who leads the nation in tackles for loss (21). N.C. State’s defense helped engineer wins over the likes of Notre Dame and North Carolina this fall.
But Vanderbilt ended its season looking like a team that can score on any defense in the country. The Commodores will get their chance to add to that offensive momentum in Shreveport.
“I’m so proud of this offense,” Mason said. “I’m so proud of Andy for putting these guys in positions to make plays.”