Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) gets into position during the third quarter at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Overachievers collide when Georgia Tech, Vandy play in Birmingham

A pair of teams vying to put a stamp on overachieving campaigns will meet as Georgia Tech squares off with Vanderbilt in the Birmingham Bowl on Friday in Birmingham, Ala.

Georgia Tech (7-5) is appearing in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since an 18-year run from 1997-2014, and a win would give the Yellow Jackets consecutive bowl wins for the first time in 20 years. For a Georgia Tech program that endured a 14-32 stretch from 2019-22, this season has given Yellow Jacket fans a reason to believe a resurgence is near.

After knocking off No. 10 Florida State in the season opener, Georgia Tech climbed into the AP Poll for the first time in nine years. Although it was a short stay in the rankings, head coach Brent Key’s team piqued the nation’s interest again in November, when it took down undefeated No. 4 Miami, 28-23.

The Yellow Jackets had another chance to shake up the college football landscape against then-No. 7 Georgia, but blew a late 14-point lead en route to an eight-overtime defeat.

Now with one more opportunity against the Southeastern Conference, Key thinks the bowl organizers nailed this one on the head.

“We’re excited to go over to Birmingham and play a really good opponent,” Key said. “I think this is a really good matchup. When you look at bowl games, that’s what you look for, the matchups. And I think they got this one right.”

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King’s 1,910 passing yards and 22 total touchdowns (11 passing, 11 rushing) have steadied the offense throughout the year, but the Yellow Jackets will be without their leading receiver, Eric Singleton Jr., who entered the transfer portal after the regular season and signed with Auburn on Monday.

Starting defensive lineman Romello Height also transferred, meaning a next-man-up mentality will be in order for Key’s squad.

“One person is not going to make a difference as far as rotational depth,” Key said. “We’re going to continue to coach the guys that are here, and prepare them not only for this game but for the rest of their careers here at Georgia Tech.”

Singleton paced Georgia Tech with 754 receiving yards to go along with four total touchdowns, while Height tallied 2 1/2 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.

It wouldn’t have surprised many college football pundits had Vanderbilt missed the postseason for a sixth straight year. The Commodores (6-6) were predicted last by a wide margin in the SEC preseason poll coming off last year’s winless conference slate.

However, the program’s historic season can now be punctuated with its first bowl win in 11 years, thanks to a shocking Oct. 5 victory over No. 1 Alabama, along with its first win all-time at Auburn.

Led by head coach Clark Lea, the revamped Commodores see a similar program on Friday in Birmingham.

“Georgia Tech is a team I’ve taken notes on as Brent has built that program up,” Lea said. “What an incredible transformation they’ve had; so much respect for them. … This is our 10th bowl game in 134 years, it’s a chance for our first winning season since 2013. You’re going to have two teams that play a physical brand of football, two head coaches that care deeply about the institutions we represent.

“These are two teams that are going to fight for a win and I don’t think it gets better than that.”

The Commodores are led by quarterback Diego Pavia, who had 2,133 passing yards and 17 touchdowns in the air, paired with 716 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State — and New Mexico Military Institute at the juco level — won a court ruling last week that granted him a seventh year of eligibility in 2025.

–Field Level Media

Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) reacts to throwing a touchdown pass against the LSU Tigers during the first half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Vandy pining to play upset track for No. 8 Tennessee in Nashville

Stakes are off-the-charts when No. 8 Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 Southeastern Conference) heads three hours west to face Vanderbilt (6-5, 3-4) in Nashville, Tenn., in the annual in-state rivalry game.

The Vols scored a 56-0 pasting of UTEP last Saturday, but the best part of their week centered around scoreboard watching.

Tennessee, ranked 11th in last week’s College Football Playoff rankings, counted three teams ranked higher in the Top 25 — Indiana (fifth in last week’s rankings), Alabama (seventh) and Ole Miss (ninth) all lose — to open the path for the Vols to climb.

The Vols moved up four spots in Tuesday’s rankings, all but guaranteed a playoff berth with a win over Vanderbilt, in a game in which they’re 11-point favorites.

But a history lesson will help the Vols understand the minefield that is SEC road games this season.

Alabama and Ole Miss were double-digit road favorites at Oklahoma and Florida, respectively, and boarded their planes home with losses and a heaping helping of humble pie.

The Commodores have already won three times as double-digit underdogs — Virginia Tech, Alabama, at Kentucky — and also pulled an upset as a 7 1/2-point underdog at Auburn.

The Commodores can clinch their first winning season since 2013 with a victory on Saturday, one that would have a defining depth to Vandy in a momentous season under coach Clark Lea, a fullback for the Commodores in 2002-04. The Vols won all three games against Vandy when Lea suited up.

“The unique thing about this game is that it’s extremely personal to me, because I grew up in this city, I grew up following the program, I played in this program — as did (defensive line coach) Jovan Haye, as did some of our other staff members,” Lea said.

Tempo is a tug of war each side wants to gain control of in the first quarter.

The Vols average 74.1 plays per game, while Vanderbilt averages 61.0. The Vols’ defense is on the field for 65.7 plays while Vanderbilt’s averages 61.3 snaps.

That’s a difference of 17.5 snaps between the teams. Lea has been clear in talks with his team and beyond that he believes controlling tempo will be critical Saturday.

“For us offensively with where our program is right now, possession is the No. 1 priority,” Lea said. “We want to maintain possession of the ball, we want to extend drives, and that means multiple first downs and being able to flip the field and play a field-position game. So what we can’t have is three-and-outs and pre-snap penalties that set us back, which happened twice against LSU.”

Vanderbilt has turned it over just six times, which ranks second in the country. It has also excelled on special teams, where it ranks first in the country according to Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings.

The Commodores’ plan also includes getting everything they can from dual-threat quarterback Diego Pavia, who’s been playing at less that 100% for weeks.
Pavia has 2,029 yards passing, 16 touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed 165 times for 671 yards and six scores this season.

Points and yards will be tough to come by against the Vols, who rank fourth in the country in scoring defense (13.09) and sixth in total defense (284.3).

“We have to be at our best on Saturday,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said on Monday. “You can look at how (Vanderbilt has) performed throughout the course of the season, how they’ve played at home, statistically what they’re doing in all three phases. You’ve got to understand you’re going to get their best and their best is really good.”

The Vols’ talented defensive line, led by Walter Camp player of the year semifinalist James Pearce Jr., will make containing Pavia a priority. Vanderbilt’s last two opponents, LSU and South Carolina, got constant pressure on Pavia even if the sack totals didn’t show it.

Tennessee’s offensive game plan will be no secret: play fast and run Dylan Sampson (231 carries, 1,307 yards, 22 touchdowns) often. Sampson has rushed for over 100 yards in seven of the Vols’ eight games vs. Power 4 opponents, and registered 92 yards rushing against Oklahoma.

Heupel is 3-0 vs. Lea in the series, winning those games 45-21 (2021) 56-0 (2022) and 48-24 (2023).

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) passes against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

South Carolina aims to continue dominance in series vs. Vandy

South Carolina will look to build on its momentum Saturday afternoon when it visits Vanderbilt for a Southeastern Conference matchup in Nashville, Tenn.

The Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3) totaled 530 yards in a 44-20 home upset of then-No. 10 Texas A&M last week.

Vanderbilt (6-3, 3-2), meanwhile, clinched bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018 with a 17-7 win at Auburn.

Now, the Commodores will try to snap their 15-game losing streak in their annual series with the Gamecocks.

Vanderbilt scored at least 27 points in its first five games this season but hasn’t eclipsed 24 in its last four. That said, the Commodores have won three of those games.

“They’re doing the things that teams have to do in order to win football games,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said of the Commodores. “I know they’re leading the league in time of possession, so they’re keeping the ball. They’re second in the SEC in turnover margin. They’re leading the league in not turning it over. They’re the least-penalized team in the SEC. So they’re doing a great job of not losing football games, playing winning football, finding ways to get games to the fourth quarter, and then finding a way to win it in the fourth quarter.”

The physicality of SEC football has started to take a toll on quarterback Diego Pavia and running back Sedrick Alexander. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said he’s scaled practice back accordingly.

“I thought our team played really hard in the game (against Auburn) … the passion, the effort, all if it was there,” Lea said of Saturday’s win. “I was really proud of that. But I also saw a team that you could just sense the lag effect of a really physical season.”

South Carolina presents plenty of physical challenges, too.

That starts with a star-studded defense, including defensive ends Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart, linebacker Demetrius Knight, safety Nick Emmanwori and defensive back Jalon Kilgore for a unit that ranks 16th nationally in total defense (304.6 yards per game).

Defending 6-foot-3, 242-pound Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers can be a headache, too. The redshirt freshman has improved as a passer and ran for a career-high 106 yards and a touchdown vs. Texas A&M.

The Gamecocks also received a season-best game from Raheim Sanders, who had 236 yards from scrimmage on 25 touches (20 rushes, five receptions) last Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) scrambles against the Texas Longhorns  during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt vie to fluster Auburn

Vanderbilt will make a second attempt to become bowl eligible on Saturday afternoon when it visits Auburn.

The Commodores (5-3, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) saw their three-game winning streak snapped in a 27-24 defeat against then-No. 5 Texas last Saturday.

Auburn (3-5, 1-4), in turn, halted a four-game losing streak with a 24-10 win at Kentucky on Saturday.

The Tigers recorded a 31-16 victory over the Commodores last season in Nashville in large part due to Jarquez Hunter, who rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

But the game at the forefront of this week’s conversation is Auburn’s 2023 contest with New Mexico State that came two weeks later.

In that game, Diego Pavia — who is now Vanderbilt’s quarterback — completed 19 of 28 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns and added eight carries for 35 yards. Tight end Eli Stowers had four receptions for 48 yards and a score in a 31-10 win for the Aggies.

Those two are now starring for the Commodores, whose coach, Clark Lea, designed his 2024 offensive strategy around the players. Joining Lea in Nashville are the same coach (Jerry Kill, now an offensive analyst) and offensive coordinator (Tim Beck), who engineered last year’s upset.

“I’m sick of seeing that quarterback. I’ve had enough of him,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said jokingly when referring to Pavia on Monday. “He moves and makes plays and is savvy and is smart and tough and again makes everybody do their assignment on every single play or you get burned.”

That’s a potential nightmare for Auburn, which ranks 125th nationally in turnover margin (minus-9).

Still, the Tigers’ defense has overcome much of that, allowing an average of 19.5 points per game (26th nationally).

“Defensively, they’re fast and physical and they cover you up,” Lea said. “Their forced incompletion rate is among the best in the country. It’s a group that plays with an identity, plays with an edge. Space will be hard to come by. We’ve got to create it.”

–Field Level Media

Quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) dives as he's tackled by cornerback Martel Hight (25) of the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Commodores defeated the Wildcats 20-13 at Kroger Field Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024 in Lexington, Ky.

Vanderbilt vies to pick up more steam in encounter vs. Ball State

Vanderbilt will look to build on rare momentum when it faces Ball State on Saturday night in a non-conference game in Nashville, Tenn.

The Commodores (4-2) followed a stunning upset of top-ranked Alabama with a 20-13 win at Kentucky last Saturday.

Vanderbilt, which did not trail in either game, has three upsets over Power 4 teams as double-digit underdogs this year. A 34-27 overtime win over Virginia Tech on Aug. 31 was the other upset.

The Commodores, who finished 2-10 last season, now will be in the unfamiliar position of being a heavy favorite over the Cardinals (2-4), who recorded a 37-35 victory at Kent State last Saturday.

Vanderbilt dual-threat quarterback Diego Pavia has completed 69.1 percent of his throws for 1,116 yards and 10 touchdowns while running for 388 yards and two scores this season.

Pavia has helped the Commodores extend drives and enjoy a sizable advantage in time of possession.

“We need at least two first downs in a series to feel like we’re playing within our strategy,” coach Clark Lea said. “That involves staying ahead of the chains and getting into third-and-manageable. The runs that were 2 and 3 yards needed to become 5 and 6 yards, and they did against Kentucky. Avoiding third down becomes a really important way to extend possession of the ball. That’s through both design and execution.”

Keeping Pavia healthy could be a challenge. He went to the injury tent twice against Kentucky and returned with a knee brace for the first play of the fourth quarter.

Ball State, meanwhile, has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 46 points a game and 504.2 yards per contest. But there were bright spots in the Kent State game, including a three-sack performance from linebacker Brandon Berger.

The Cardinals present more of a challenge offensively. They’re averaging 27 points and 339 total yards per game this season.

Quarterback Kadin Semonza and tight end Tanner Koziol connected eight times for 43 yards vs. Kent State.

“The qualities that he brings from a leadership standpoint, he’s the same every day,” Ball State offensive coordinator Jared Elliott said of Koziol.

Vanderbilt lost starting defensive end Miles Capers during the first half of the Kentucky game with a neck strain.

On Tuesday, Lea said Capers was questionable for Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Vanderbilt Commodores    Miles Capers during the Vanderbilt Spring Game at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville , Tenn., Saturday, April 16, 2022.

Spring Game004

Vanderbilt DE Miles Capers stretchered off field vs. Kentucky

Vanderbilt defensive end Miles Capers was taken off the field via stretcher during the second quarter against Kentucky on Saturday night.

Capers took a shot to the head after colliding with a teammate on a 6-yard rush by Wildcats running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye with 10:33 remaining in the first half. He was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a local-area hospital, where he was reportedly in stable condition.

Prior to exiting the game, Capers had three tackles.

Capers, a senior, entered Saturday with 22 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble in five games (all starts) this season.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA;  Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) passes the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Resurgent Vanderbilt poses tough test for Kentucky

Two teams coming off monumental wins will meet Saturday night in Lexington, Ky., when Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt in a Southeastern Conference clash.

Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1) scored the biggest win in program history last Saturday, shocking then-No. 1 Alabama 40-35.

Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia was 16-of-20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 56 yards. Vanderbilt didn’t turn the ball over and held it for just over 42 minutes.

Kentucky (3-2, 1-2) stunned then-sixth-ranked Ole Miss 20-17 in Oxford, Miss., in its most recent game Sept. 28.

Quarterback Brock Vandagriff (243 yards, one touchdown) had his best game in his first season with the Wildcats, and the defense held the Rebels to 353 yards.

Both teams also have felt the sting of disappointment.

For Vanderbilt, that came in a 36-32 loss at Georgia State on Sept. 14.

“We’ve got to double down on our technique, double down on what we do regardless of who we play because everybody is going to play hard no matter what the type of game it is,” Commodores running back Sedrick Alexander said.

Kentucky has come a long way since losing 31-6 in its conference opener to South Carolina on Sept. 7, and Wildcats coach Mark Stoops acknowledged this week to reporters that Vanderbilt has, too. The Commodores haven’t had a winning season since 2013.

“Coming into this press conference, I don’t have to work about selling Vanderbilt anymore and telling you how good they are, how good (coach) Clark Lea has done,” Stoops said, referencing the Commodores’ big win.

Vanderbilt’s offense vs. the Wildcats’ defense will be the strength-on-strength matchup everyone wants to see.

Kentucky has allowed an average of just 13.4 points per contest, ranking 11th nationally.

The Wildcats feature standouts across the field, including 6-foot-6, 345-pound defensive tackle Deone Walker, experienced edge players in D’Eryk Jackson (a team-leading 26 tackles) and J.J. Weaver (three sacks), along with cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who had a pair of pick-6s against the Commodores last season.

Alabama never solved Vanderbilt’s option-based plays last week and also had trouble with shovel passes to tight end Eli Stowers (25 catches, 333 yards), who’s also thrown a touchdown this season.

Kentucky receivers Dane Key, Barion Brown and Ja’Mori Maclin could cause issues against a defense that’s had trouble with athletic wideouts.

However, the Wildcats have allowed 15 sacks and thrown four interceptions, which could be an issue against a defense that forced two turnovers (one, a Randon Fontenette pick-6) vs. Alabama.

–Field Level Media

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne (1) runs the ball against Vanderbilt during the first quarter at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.

Auburn cruises to 31-15 win over Vanderbilt

Jarquez Hunter rushed for 183 yards and had two long first-quarter touchdown runs, helping visiting Auburn open up an early lead it never relinquished in a 31-15 win at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.

Auburn (5-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) quarterback Payton Thorne passed for 194 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Vanderbilt (2-8, 0-6) totaled just 266 yards of offense, played two quarterbacks and didn’t go over 100 yards of total offense until just under four minutes remained in the third quarter.

The Commodores were 2 of 14 on third downs and were sacked five times.

After Vanderbilt was flagged for pass interference on third down, Thorne hit a wide-open Rivaldo Fairweather for a 53-yard touchdown to put Auburn up 24-7 with 13:36 remaining in the third quarter.

After another of Vandy’s seven punts, the Tigers tacked on more when Thorne hit Jeremiah Cobb with a shovel pass for a 5-yard score with 9:44 left in the third.

Vandy got its first offensive touchdown when Ken Seals found freshman Junior Sherrill across the middle for a 30-yard score that preceded Jayden McGowan’s 2-point conversion rush.

The Commodores forced a punt and drove to the Auburn 11. But a sack pushed Vandy back, setting up an unsuccessful fourth-and-15 with 5:48 left in the game.

Auburn’s Nehemiah Pritchett intercepted Seals with 1:50 left.

The Tigers had 226 yards to Vandy’s 93 in taking a 17-7 halftime lead.

Auburn’s Hunter ran through a gaping hole between center and left guard, dashing 67 yards for a touchdown exactly five minutes in on the Tigers’ second snap.

Hunter later found a hole on the right side of center, broke a few arm tackles and rumbled 56 yards for another touchdown at 3:01 of the first.

Vandy finally got on the board when Bryce Cowan jumped a Thorne pass at the Auburn 4 and easily scored with 12:15 left in the second quarter.

The Tigers had first-and-goal from the Vandy 3 inside the first half’s final minute. But a personal foul pushed Auburn back and eventually forced Alex McPherson’s 32-yard field goal with 20 seconds left.

Vanderbilt has now lost eight straight.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne (1) rolls out to pass against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn hopes offense builds on progress vs. skidding Vanderbilt

Auburn hopes to inch closer to bowl eligibility when it visits Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.

The Tigers (4-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) had their best offensive performance in league play in last Saturday’s 27-13 win over Mississippi State. Quarterback Payton Thorne was 20 of 26 for 230 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Running back Jarquez Hunter had 170 yards from scrimmage (144 rushing, 26 receiving) on 19 touches.

Coach Hugh Freeze had rotated quarterbacks, but Robby Ashford had less involvement in the offense (no pass attempts, two rushes for 8 yards) than in any Auburn game this season.

“Offensively, it was our best-balanced performance, for sure,” Freeze said. “It was good to see our receivers make some plays and our quarterback play with some confidence.”

This week offers a chance at continued improvement for Auburn. Vanderbilt ranks last in the SEC in total defense (436.8) and scoring defense (34.2).

But offense was also a problem for Vandy (2-7, 0-5) in last week’s 33-7 defeat at Ole Miss.

It appeared that quarterback Ken Seals — who began the season as the backup, but had started the last three games — had won the job, but coach Clark Lea pulled Seals for Walter Taylor in the first half before returning briefly to Seals, then back to Taylor.

Taylor threw the first 12 passes of his career, completing four for 38 yards, and was intercepted once.

Lea’s hope was that Taylor would boost the team’s struggling rushing attack (92.8 yards per game, 3.4 yards per carry). The 6-foot-7, 235-pound sophomore had team highs in rushes (20) and rushing yards (59) last week, and scored the team’s only TD.

This week’s depth chart has the pair listed as co-starters, with Seals listed first.

“As far as this Saturday, I don’t know if I would be a good coach if I discussed the plan,” Lea said.

The Tigers have been solid defensively, ranking sixth in the SEC in scoring defense (22.5) and 10th in total defense (368.4).

–Field Level Media

Sep 30, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins (4) runs the ball  during the first half against the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

No. 12 Ole Miss guarding against upset when Vanderbilt visits

No. 12 Ole Miss hopes to take another step toward playing for a conference title when it hosts Vanderbilt on Saturday in Oxford, Miss.

The Rebels are riding a three-game winning streak, the most recent victory being last Saturday’s 28-21 win at Auburn.

While Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) has primarily been known more for its offense under Lane Kiffin, the Rebels held Auburn to 275 yards a week after limiting Arkansas to 286. It’s the first time Ole Miss has held consecutive SEC opponents to fewer than 300 yards since 2009.

The Rebels, 24 1/2-point favorites over Vandy, trailed the Commodores at halftime last season before a second-half explosion keyed a 52-28 win in Nashville. Kiffin, addressing the issue of how to keep his team from becoming complacent as a heavy favorite, referenced that game as well as Virginia’s upset of North Carolina as tools the Rebels are using to combat that.

“We showed them some upsets that just happened, especially a really big one over in the ACC,” Kiffin said. “These guys were beating us at halftime last year. We’ve got a lot of work to put in, a lot of work to do, so it’s a lot more about us than who we’re playing.”

Ole Miss averages 39.7 points and 480.1 yards per game, with quarterback Jaxson Dart (1,840 yards passing, 346 rushing, 19 total touchdowns) leading the way. The improved health of wide receiver Tre Harris (102 of his 469 receiving yards last week) and tight end Caden Prieskorn (63 of his 125) has made the Rebels even more dangerous.

So has the re-emergence of preseason All-American Quinshon Judkins, who has recovered from a slow start to amass 366 of his 567 rushing yards over Ole Miss’ three-game winning streak.

Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-4) comes off a bye week in the midst of a difficult six-game skid. Last time out, the Commodores gave No. 1 Georgia a brief fourth-quarter scare before falling 37-20 in Nashville.

Turnovers — an SEC-leading 14, with a league-worst nine interceptions — have plagued Vanderbilt this season.

But the Commodores have started to get that under control as coach Clark Lea made Ken Seals the starting quarterback the last three games. In them, Seals has passed for 740 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.

“We’re going to stay the course with Ken,” Lea said. “We appreciate how he’s taken care of the ball. We’ve seen enough in the last few weeks to see Ken has stepped forward with confidence.”

Seals could use some help from the running game, which gained 18 yards on 15 carries vs. Georgia.

Perhaps the team’s biggest problem has been defense. The Commodores have allowed 437.5 yards and 34.4 points per game and a 50 percent conversion rate on third down (57-for-114).

Secondary health has been a part of that. All five of Vandy’s starting defensive backs have missed time with injury.

This week, Lea termed starting safeties De’Rickey Wright and CJ Taylor as “questionable” and “doubtful,” respectively. Starting cornerback BJ Anderson is again out, while starting cornerback Martel Hight (who missed the Georgia game) is back this week.

–Field Level Media