NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt undeniably had its best offensive game of the season Saturday when it played Ole Miss.
The Commodores totaled season highs with 421 yards and 21 points. They believe that was all a sign of more to come over the next six games of the season.
“We’ve only scratched the surface, I believe,” Vandy tight end Ben Bresnahan said. “Obviously you saw little spurts of it last week where we had the ball moving, but just the continual growth of the offense from week to week with game plans that keep getting better. I think that we’re getting more comfortable in it.”
There were plenty of factors to consider when digging beneath Vanderbilt’s offensive output, according to Bresnahan and wide receiver Cam Johnson.
They pointed to the extra days in which they had to prepare due to a postponement (Oct. 17) and a scheduled bye week (Oct. 24). Johnson noted Saturday was quarterback Ken Seals’ fourth career game. Johnson himself remembered making a productive leap in the fourth game of his own Vandy career.
Bresnahan was mindful that, like most every other program in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the Dores didn’t get a full spring practice in and lost valuable time learning and crafting their new offense under first-year offensive coordinator Todd Fitch. Johnson added that the team’s receivers and tight ends spent extra time with Seals working on routes and timing.
It also helped Vandy faced the SEC’s worst defense in Ole Miss.
“I thought we played better than we have in the past, but I definitely think that we didn’t play as well as we could have,” Johnson said. “I think that the time off was definitely beneficial for us in terms of being able to get timing down. Being able to get our timing down was a huge part of it the last couple weeks.”
Johnson caught a career-high 14 passes last week for 97 yards while Bresnahan hauled in six balls for 72 yards and a touchdown. That duo complemented running back Keyon Henry-Brooks, who ran for 66 yards and grabbed five receptions for 89 yards.
Seals was 31 of 40 for 319 yards and two touchdowns.
The Commodores also went 2-for-2 in the red zone after having gone 3 of 8 in the season’s first three contests.
“I think coming off a game like that, where we felt like we sort of got things rolling a lot better than we have in the last couple games and sort of executed a lot better in the red zone, I think that gives us confidence,” Johnson said. “I think that’s one of the biggest components going into the next game. It’s really helpful.”
Vandy (0-4, 0-4 SEC) now faces a Mississippi State defense at 2:30 p.m. Saturday that is allowing 212.0 passing and 124.2 rushing yards per contest. Perhaps most importantly, the Bulldogs (1-4, 1-4 SEC) have surrendered 29.6 points per contest.
It’s a matchup that would appear to favor the black and gold, but the Commodores won’t be taking anything for granted inside Wade Davis Stadium.
“They are a solid defense,” Bresnahan said. “They give a lot of different looks so we just have to be ready to be able to check and get to the best look that we can get to on whatever specific play we’re running.”
Chad Bishop covers Vanderbilt for VUCommodores.com. Follow him @MrChadBishop.