Nov. 4, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt got back to its winning ways against Western Kentucky on Saturday.
The Commodores got help from a handful of playmakers and limited the Hilltoppers’ high-powered offense in the second half to secure a 31-17 win in Nashville. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for Vanderbilt.
Here’s how it went down on West End:
WHAT HAPPENED: Vanderbilt scored on its opening possession to take a 7-0 lead, but Western Kentucky used a bit of trickery to score on a double pass and tie things up. With the game later knotted at 14-14, the Commodores rolled downfield in the final minute of the second quarter and took a 21-14 lead into halftime on a Trey Ellis touchdown catch from Kyle Shurmur. Vanderbilt’s defense then turned on the heat in the second half, stifling Western Kentucky to just a field goal the rest of the way.
TURNING POINT: With Vanderbilt holding a slim 21-17 lead in the third quarter, receiver Trent Sherfield turned into a dangerous ball-carrier. He took a handoff from Shurmur and scampered 45 yards for a touchdown, pushing the Dores ahead 28-17 with 48 seconds left in the quarter. The score gave Vanderbilt a double-digit cushion for the first time in the game.
HELMET STICKERS
WR Trent Sherfield (Vanderbilt)
Sherfield was electric in more ways than one on Saturday. The senior wide receiver found the end zone on a four-yard pass on the Dores’ first possession and tacked on another with his rushing score in the third quarter. He finished with a team-leading 82 receiving yards and added his 45-yard scoring run for good measure.
LB Charles Wright (Vanderbilt)
Wright recorded two sacks of WKU quarterback Mike White to notch his third multi-sack game of the season. The redshirt junior helped spearhead a nice day for Vanderbilt’s defense, which recorded six sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
WR Trey Ellis (Vanderbilt)
Sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time. Ellis hauled in his first-career touchdown pass when a Shurmur pass bounced off the foot of a WKU defender and into the hands of Ellis, who slid into the end zone in the second quarter.
GIVE ME THE NUMBERS
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Western Kentucky points in the second half. The game was tied, 14-14, before Vanderbilt scored just before half to make it 21-14. But the Commodores’ defense helped provide a cushion by limiting the Hilltoppers to just three points after the break. Despite quarterback Mike White throwing for 324 yards, the Tops stumbled to -6 rushing yards.
174
Rushing yards for Vanderbilt’s offense. The Commodores found success in the run game for the third straight week. After running for 295 yards (4.9 per carry) during its last two games, Vanderbilt ran 35 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns against Western Kentucky. Senior Ralph Webb led all players by notching yet another 100-yard game with 104 yards on 23 carries.
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Penalties for Vanderbilt. The Commodores limited the flags on Saturday, one week after committing nine for 90 yards in the first half against South Carolina. That allowed Vanderbilt to find a groove on offense and stay aggressive on defense.
WORTH NOTING: With two rushing touchdowns, Ralph Webb set a new Vanderbilt record for career total touchdowns (31). He passed former Commodore running back Zac Stacy to achieve that mark.
WHAT’S NEXT: Vanderbilt welcomes Kentucky to Vanderbilt Stadium next Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. The game will broadcast on SEC Network.
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
