NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt defense has stepped up through two games in 2018. Its running backs have shown out in a pair of wins.
But one factor of the Commodores’ early success has seemingly avoided recognition: an efficient Kyle Shurmur at quarterback.
“I thought Shurmur did a great job all day long really directing traffic,” head coach Derek Mason said on Saturday. “That’s who he is, that’s what he does.”
As Vanderbilt cruised to a 41-10 win over Nevada on Saturday, Shurmur once again displayed the poise a senior quarterback should. He completed 23-of-32 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Commodore offense amass 468 yards of offense and average 6.4 yards per play against the Wolf Pack.
Shurmur’s performance coincided with a strong day for Vanderbilt pass-catchers. Junior Kalija Lipscomb caught a career-high 10 passes for 85 yards and tied another career-high with two touchdown catches. Meanwhile, tight end Jared Pinkney led the Dores with 98 yards and caught four passes. In all, Shurmur connected with eight players for catches, but the senior’s longevity with Lipscomb and Pinkney appeared to pay off.
“I have good chemistry with a lot of guys,” Shurmur said. “Obviously Jared and Kalija have been here the longest. Over time, chemistry takes time to develop.”
In the thick of several narratives surrounding Vanderbilt’s first two wins, Shurmur has played like the senior he is. The quarterback has completed 33-of-49 passes for 428 yards and four touchdowns in two games. That’s good for a 67.3 completion percentage. Moreover, he has yet to commit a turnover this season.
Moreover, Shurmur has continued to climb the Commodore record books early in 2018. Against Middle Tennessee, Shurmur moved into second place in career touchdown passes; he now has 44 after Saturday and needs just 15 the rest of the year to take over sole ownership of No. 1 from Vanderbilt legend Jay Cutler. Shurmur’s production in the win over Nevada made him one of five Vanderbilt quarterbacks to surpass 6,000 career passing yards.
But Shurmur’s numbers haven’t prevented the Dores from struggling to start fast on offense. They scored just seven offensive points in the first half against MTSU and didn’t score any points Saturday in the first quarter vs. Nevada. “I just think as a whole all of our guys need to play to our potential,” Shurmur said.
That potential will be put the text next week. Vanderbilt ventures to Notre Dame next Saturday for a nationally televised matchup in South Bend. The Fighting Irish entered Week 2 ranked No. 8 in the country, and a strong performance on the road could help set the tone for the Commodores’ upcoming SEC slate.
That success will largely depend on Shurmur continuing his own string of success. But despite the numbers, the senior sees much more from Vanderbilt’s entire offense going forward.
“We’ve underachieved the past two games,” Shurmur said. “I think we’ve left a lot of good football out there. Everybody agrees we can play better. That’s good moving forward. We know we left opportunities out there. That will motivate us moving forward.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
