Nov. 1, 2017
Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nathan Marcus has fond memories of the last time Vanderbilt faced Western Kentucky. In last season’s 31-30 win in Bowling Green, the Commodores rallied from 14 points down to force overtime. Then, Marcus caught the go-ahead touchdown pass on the Dores’ extra possession, the tight end’s first scoring grab of the season.
Vanderbilt secured the win by stuffing Western Kentucky’s two-point conversion attempt on its ensuing touchdown. The Commodores then returned to Nashville on the heels of one of the season’s most dramatic victories.
“That game had a lot of ups and downs,” Marcus recalled. “We didn’t have a lot of success early, they scored, we had trouble getting started. But our rally, we kept putting good plays together. We were able to have enough time to complete the rally.
“We knew they were a good team. But we played until the end.”
Marcus and the Dores hope to channel that same energy in Saturday’s rematch with Western Kentucky (11 a.m. CT on ESPNU). Vanderbilt is also looking to snap a five-game losing streak that extended with last week’s 34-27 setback at South Carolina.
To head coach Derek Mason, the Commodores’ final four games represent a new season.
“This team is moving forward,” Mason said. “We understand we’ve got one this week, and that one is Western Kentucky. We’ve got four games left, and this group’s got to get one so we can get back to doing and being exactly who we are. But I think we’re much closer.”
QUICK HITS: Mason, Dores preview Western Kentucky
Vanderbilt knows not to overlook Western Kentucky. In 2015, the Hilltoppers topped the Dores 14-12 in Nashville after Marcus was stopped one yard short of a two-point conversion with 33 seconds to play, a conversion that would have forced overtime. Last season, Western Kentucky shot out to a 14-0 lead and forced the Commodores to rally for their victory in the second half.
The past is the past, but Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur said he expects Western Kentucky to arrive with a chip on its shoulder.
“This season’s independent from last season,” Shurmur said. “We’ve got different situations now. Last year, that was definitely a huge game for us, but [now] we’re worried about ourselves and what we need to do. They’re definitely going to be hungry after we beat them up there. They’re going to come down here wanting to win.”
Western Kentucky once again boasts one of the more explosive offenses in Conference USA. New head coach Mike Sanford has maintained that trait after taking over for the departed Jeff Brohm, as quarterback Mike White ranks second in the conference in passing yards per game (291) and third in passing efficiency (135.7). White has thrown 14 touchdown passes against six picks.
But Vanderbilt is more focused on itself. Last week against South Carolina, the Commodores committed nine penalties in the first half, which helped the Gamecocks build a 24-13 lead at halftime. Still, the Dores scored a touchdown on their opening drive and rallied to the final possession in a hostile road environment.
Marcus said the Commodores now have a chance to clean up their act against Western Kentucky. And given recent history, they don’t plan to overlook the Hilltoppers.
“On our first drive last week, we came out and scored a touchdown,” Marcus said. “We have to kept putting those drives together. We start strong and finish strong, but we have to have a strong middle of the game. I look forward to doing that this week against a good opponent.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.