NASHVILLE – Commodore fans littered the practice field inside Vanderbilt’s indoor practice facility on Sunday night when head football coach Derek Mason took the stage at the school’s bowl celebration event. As Mason spoke with microphone in hand, several of Mason’s players looked on alongside Vanderbilt chancellor Nick Zeppos, athletics director David Williams, members of the Spirit of Gold marching band and several hundred fans decked out in black and gold.
Earlier Sunday, Vanderbilt had accepted an invitation to the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl, where it will face Baylor on Dec. 27 in Houston. Mason told gathered fans that the Commodores’ goal is clear heading to the Lone Star State.
“This football team has been challenged with the simple idea that we’re going down there to win,” Mason said.
Vanderbilt (6-6) ventures to its second bowl game under Mason, one of just two VU coaches to take the program to multiple bowls. The Commodores last reached the postseason in 2016, falling to NC State in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. On Sunday, Mason said his team “forgot to play football” in its last bowl matchup.
The Dores don’t plan to let that happen in Houston. Now they covet a chance to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2013.
“It would mean a lot,” senior defensive lineman Dare Odeyingbo said. “Everyone wants to be a winning team.”
Taking this Bowl Party to Houston! #AnchorDown
Meet you there!
? | https://t.co/nrFmIBPL96 pic.twitter.com/niApK7YG5B— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) December 3, 2018
Fortunately for Vanderbilt, it is playing its best football heading to the postseason. The Dores won three of their last four games in the regular season to achieve bowl-eligibility, including a third straight win over Tennessee for the first time since 1926. Senior quarterback Kyle Shurmur, redshirt junior tight end Jared Pinkney and junior cornerback Joejuan Williams helped lead the Dores in the season’s final stretch, where Vanderbilt averaged 39.7 points in three wins over Arkansas, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Asked on Sunday if the Commodores hosted a watch party to learn its bowl destination, Shurmur laughed. “No, we had practice.” Mason and his players praised the benefit of a team’s allotted 15 bowl practices, which bolster the depth on the Commodores’ roster ahead next spring. That’s a valuable asset for a team riding momentum as it prepares for Houston.
“I think we’ve got a good mindset going in,” Shurmur said. “We’ve got a close team and we really enjoy playing ball together.”
In the Texas Bowl, the Commodores face a Big 12 opponent for the first time since they beat No. 18 Kansas State, 14-7, on Sept. 16, 2017. Baylor makes the short drive to Houston on the heels of its own 6-6 season that saw it notch conference wins over Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. The Bears, in their second season under coach Matt Rhule, bounced back from a 1-11 finish last season to reach a bowl in 2018.
No matter the opponent, Mason told fans in attendance on Sunday that Vanderbilt is not satisfied with reaching a bowl game. Now the Commodores plan to finish the job and return to Nashville with seven victories, a winning record and a jolt of confidence heading to 2019.
“We’re excited about going to a bowl game,” Mason said. “You’ve earned that. Now what you’ve got to do is go down and win. We need to win and we look forward to the opportunity to compete against a 6-6 Baylor team. Both teams are vying for a winning season, so let’s go.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
