NASHVILLE – The final box score didn’t tell the full story in Vanderbilt’s matchup with Ole Miss.
But as Commodores’ head coach Derek Mason was quick to point out, the final score did.
“You can look at the stats, but like I’ve always told people, stats lie,” Mason said. “The only stat that really matters is the W.”
In the most important category of all, Vanderbilt came out on top on Saturday. The Commodores survived an epic SEC clash by topping the visiting Rebels, 36-29, in overtime at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Dores improved to 5-6 overall (2-5 SEC) and will face rival Tennessee next week with bowl eligibility on the line.
In beating Ole Miss, Vanderbilt likewise shook a monkey off its back. The Dores had grown accustomed to deflating losses by slim margins, losing to Notre Dame, Florida, Kentucky and Missouri each by 10 points or fewer. Finishing games remained an ever-present struggle for the Commodores.
But against Ole Miss, Mason saw the kind of fight he’d always expected from his program.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to find a way to win,” Mason said. “This team finally dug deep.”
Vanderbilt showed its resiliency early on Saturday. After falling behind 13-0, the Dores scored 19 unanswered to take a 19-13 lead. That became a refrain for Vanderbilt against Ole Miss; each time the Rebels threatened, the Dores landed a counterpunch.
The Commodores found their backs against the wall at the end of regulation after Ole Miss’ Luke Logan hit a 32-yard field goal with 40 seconds left to tie the game, 29-29. The game went to overtime, where Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur found receiver Kalija Lipscomb for the go-ahead score. Ole Miss appeared to have answered on a Jordan Ta’amu touchdown pass to A.J. Brown on third down, but official review ruled the catch incomplete. That left the Rebels with one final shot at a touchdown on fourth down.
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But that’s when the Commodores stood the tallest. Ta’amu’s pass attempt to DaMarkus Lodge was swatted down by Vanderbilt cornerback Joejuan Williams, cementing a huge victory for the Dores.
“Great play,” Mason said. “Good football from Joejuan.”
Added Williams: “I knew they were running fades all day. Coach Mason put me in the right position.”
Afterward, Shurmur described the win as a “breakthrough” for the Commodores. This season, Vanderbilt had held leads against Florida and Missouri before ultimate falling short in losses. A failure to finish had long lingered in the Dores’ locker room, much to the team’s dismay.
“We’ve had a lot of close games this year,” defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo. “We’ve been talking all year about finishing the game. A lot of fourth-quarter leading, and we lose the lead. We’ve been preaching all year to really finish games.”
Mason said Vanderbilt’s narrative flipped by beating Ole Miss – just in time.
“I think it made the statement it should make,” Mason said. “This football team has been close, extremely close. Sometimes you knock on the door and nobody answers. Tonight we knocked, and opportunity came our way.”
Now the Commodores are knocking on the door of the postseason. They welcome rival Tennessee – a fellow 5-6 team – to Nashville next Saturday (3 p.m. CT SEC Network). Winner goes to a bowl game. The other misses the postseason entirely. For Vanderbilt, this season has been defined by a one-game-at-a-time mentality. But with one game remaining, everything is on the line for the Dores.
“The Vols are coming to town,” Mason said. “We both understand what’s at stake. So, lets play ball.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.