Oct. 25, 2017
Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Pop quiz: Which SEC East opponent owns the longest current winning streak over Vanderbilt?
Answer: South Carolina.
That storyline might be on the minds of the Commodores as they enter Saturday’s matchup with the Gamecocks (3 p.m. CT SEC Network), who have won eight straight in the series. During that span, Vanderbilt has had four different head coaches and beaten every other SEC East opponent at least once.
But any way you slice it, Saturday’s matchup is a chance for Vanderbilt to reverse course on its 2017 season. That’s why history matters little when the Dores hit the road this week.
“We’ve got to go to Columbia, play well and get ready to do exactly what we need to do to compete against South Carolina,” Mason said.
Vanderbilt has had poor luck against South Carolina in recent history, but the meetings have remained competitive on several occasions. Four of the Gamecocks’ eight straight wins have been decided by single digits, including the last two. During last season’s 13-10 Gamecock victory in Nashville, the Commodores held an early 10-0 lead before giving up the final 13 points to South Carolina.
In 2015, Vanderbilt held a 10-6 lead midway through the third quarter before the Gamecocks grabbed the lead on a Pharoh Cooper touchdown catch and cemented a 19-10 win. The Dores likewise held a second-half lead against ninth-ranked South Carolina in their 2012 matchup, but the Gamecocks tacked on 10 fourth-quarter points in a 17-13 victory.
Vanderbilt hopes to close the deal on Saturday, when the Commodores will be fresh off a bye week. The Dores needed a chance to re-energize following a skid of four straight losses – three to ranked foes – capped by a 57-35 loss at Ole Miss on Oct. 14. Mason said Vanderbilt used its bye week to return to the basics and recalibrate its defense for the second half of the season.
“Last week was a good week,” Mason said. “We got back to fundamentals. It was fun. Guys got back to having fun — running to the ball, hitting, tackling. It looked like football, and sometimes that’s what you have to do… We got back to being process-driven.”
The next step in that process takes place at Williams Brice Stadium on Saturday. Vanderbilt began its season 3-0 for the first time since 2011 before its current four-game skid, a run that included a win over then-No. 18 Kansas State. But after facing a gauntlet of ranked foes, the Commodores aren’t slated to face a ranked team the rest of the season. In fact, South Carolina is the only remaining opponent currently receiving votes (two) in the AP poll.
A win over the Gamecocks would cure the Dores of their garnet-and-black ills. It could also propel Vanderbilt into a strong finish to 2017.
“It’s just making sure we stay the course and believe in the process,” running back Ralph Webb said. “…We had some tough games, but we can’t let it distract us. It’s a long season.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.