NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As the calendar turns to October, the Commodores hope that signifies the beginning of stringing a number of wins together to put itself in position to make the postseason once again under head coach Derek Mason.
Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2 SEC) has just three games this month, but two of those are at home and the other – this weekend’s trip to Ole Miss – comes against a league rival Vandy has had some recent success against. If ever there were a moment to continue recovering from an 0-3 start, it’s now.
“Got to continue to work on the things that lead to good winning football – and right now we’re just a team on a journey,” Mason said Tuesday.
Coming off a 24-18 win Saturday against Northern Illinois, Vandy has a solid idea of who it is, who it has been and who it could become. The Dores have struggled against the pass and in the red zone while allowing 39 points per game. They’ve also had a relatively tough time rushing the ball, scoring inside the opponent’s 20 and putting offensive points on the board.
But Vanderbilt has also faced two top-four teams and a Big Ten Conference squad on the road. The win over Northern Illinois marked the beginning of a stretch against opponents who may not present nearly as a big of a challenge.
If Vandy makes improvements to its main areas of concerns along the way, it’s reasonable to expect victories to follow.
“We just have to focus on the things that matter for us,” Mason said. “I saw glimpses on Saturday of some solid football at times. On the offensive line I see us continuing to jell and work hard to get better. In special teams there were some bright spots there, just in terms of kicking.
“I saw a defensive football team move in the right direction at the start of this ballgame, but we still have to learn how to play a 60-minute ballgame. Got to continue to tackle.”
Ole Miss rebounded from a 15-10 loss to Memphis to begin its season. But the Rebels (2-3, 1-1 SEC) have dropped two straight – a heartbreaking, last-play loss at home to California and a blowout beating at home against Alabama.
Last week, head coach Matt Luke’s team turned to John Rhys Plumlee at quarterback, and while the freshman was only 10 of 28 passing for 141 yards, he did rush for 109 yards on 25 carries.
Vandy won last year’s matchup 36-29 in overtime and the year before that the two teams combined for 92 points.
“We’re going into it thinking we’re gonna have to put up points. You gotta score to win ballgames,” Vanderbilt senior wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb said. “But our defense has been growing week-to-week, so we’re gonna put our best foot forward, offense, defense and special teams and we’re gonna try to play a complete ball game.
“Every week is a good opportunity to get the ball rolling. It’s an opportunity to go 1-0. Ole Miss is who we have this week, so we’re focused and preparing for them. They’re a good ball club, they have talent and skill so we’re gonna have to play a very good game.”
After this weekend’s trip to Oxford, Mississippi, the Commodores return to Nashville for a pair of home games against UNLV (1-3) and Missouri (3-1, 1-0), respectively. A bye week precedes the start of the all-important month of November.
