NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Exactly two weeks before opening its 2024 season against Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt football took the field at FirstBank Stadium for its final full scrimmage of fall camp.
Head coach Clark Lea intentionally scheduled the scrimmage for 11 a.m., matching the kickoff time against the Hokies. With Nashville temperatures reaching the low-to-mid 90s, it was exactly the kind of challenge Lea wanted.
“We went for just over 100 plays,” Lea said. “I love that we got out in the heat today. I don’t know that we won against the heat all the time. Especially defensively in the second half, the offense was able to stay on schedule a little more. But that’s why you scrimmage and that’s why you practice.”
After the scrimmage, Lea surprised his team by giving them Sunday off, in addition to an already scheduled off day on Monday.
“I think our team needs some time here to recover from camp,” Lea explained. “They’re going to get a couple of days off to reset, get their legs back and I’ll be excited to get back with them (on the field) Tuesday.”
Randon Fontenette, who plays the star position in Lea’s defense, agreed with his head coach and defensive coordinator that the defense will continue to look to improve.
“For the most part, we played hard,” Fontenette said. “At times we didn’t execute because of fatigue, but on the whole it was decent. It wasn’t where it needs to be, but it was decent and we’ve got work to do.”
On the offensive side, coordinator Tim Beck is also stressing effort.
“The number one thing we’re looking at when we watch the video is ‘How hard are we playing?'” Beck said. “We’ve got to have our team playing extremely hard. We’ve got to continue to improve and hold each other accountable. We’ve got to work hard at playing hard.”
When the Commodores return to the practice field on Tuesday, the focus will begin to shift to Virginia Tech.
Next weekend, fans have a chance to interact with the team at Dore Jam. The annual event is set for Saturday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m. in the David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center.
One week later, the stakes are real as Vandy squares off with Virginia Tech at 11 a.m. on Aug. 31. Tickets are still available here.
