Lessons in Vanderbilt Football: Ole Miss

Last week's game was brutal. Ole Miss was in firm control throughout the first half then disaster struck at halftime to turn it from a dominant win into a downright ass kicking. Vanderbilt was being beaten by a Top 10 Ole Miss team coming off a big loss then a bye week, so it was somewhat expected they would come out hot and firing. The embarrassing and infuriating part was how Vanderbilt was doing mind-numbingly stupid things to make their lives so much easier. Before I give away everything, let's get to it…

Discipline is killing this team. Penalties happen. A linebacker is going to get a hand high and accidentlly snag a facemask. A DB or OL will slip and have to hold to avoid a big play against. False starts, other procedural penalties, and after-the-play personal fouls cannot happen. Vanderbilt had 3 false starts, 1 illegal shift (2 nd player went in motion before 1 st was fully set), and 2 personal fouls. Clinton Azubuike got involved in a scuffle between a DB, who should also have been penalized, and a Vanderbilt WR late and was flagged. That turned 2 nd and goal at the 2 into 2 nd and goal at the 17 that eventually was a FG. Jaylon Stone headbutted an offensive lineman after a 3 rd down stop and turned a FG attempt into a TD. That was an 8-point swing in the first 3 drives. It should have been 10-7 to end the first quarter, not 14-3.

Discipline goes beyond penalties, and the attention to detail is lacking in other ways. It was most obvious in the end-of-half sequence that gifted Ole Miss 14 points to turn a 28-3 lead into a 42-3 blowout. First, Jared Curtis did the most "I was playing at Nashville Christian this time last year" thing possible by scrambling around back at the Vanderbilt 5 with only 43 seconds left in the first half. He got loose with the ball and was hit hard enough to jar the ball out and send it bouncing towards the end zone for an Ole Miss TD on the recovery. Evan Hampton compounded the issue by attempting to return the ensuing kickoff and fumbling at the Vanderbilt 17. Ole Miss converted for another TD. Both mistakes were made by freshmen, but the coaches are responsible for making sure they are aware of the situation and know this is NOT the time to take risks.

Junior Sherrill deserves more respect as a WR1. He is not as explosive or terrifying on a play-by-play basis as some elite WRs, but he makes plays when called upon. He had his worst game of the year with "just" 5 catches for 55 yards. Still, that accounted for 16% of Vanderbilt's total offense. He did get some help from another WR in this game.

The OL has to sort some issues out. Beyond the penalties, it is so disjointed. They are struggling to identify and pick up blitzes and stunts. I do wonder if some of that is coming from the QB's inexperience. They are doing a piss poor job in run blocking, too. Averaging 2.8 yards per carry against a defense that, even after that performance, is averaging 4.3 yards per carry against. Between penalties and not consistently moving the ball on the ground, they are making their own lives miserable by getting into 3 rd and longs.Lyndon Cooper is obviously playing injured and is often in and out of the game. Gunner Givens is out today, too, and has been one of the worst culprits on penalties, so it will be interesting to see if his replacement can stake a claim to the job.

On special teams, the kicking specialists had a good evening, but the kick returners had issues. Brock Taylor made a 45-yard FG. Tyle Ebel also unleashed the rocket leg. His punts went 59, 48, 64, and 62 yards. The returns were 11, 13 (plus 5 for an illegal formation), 26 (negated to 13 by a hold), and a bounce-and-bobble fair catch. Averaging 58.3 yards per kick and netting 49.0 yards is how you flip field position. Hampton had the biggest return game gaff, but Dontae Carter also let a kickoff go over his head and bounce straight up at the 2. He had to field it and only returned the ball a few yards. Again, details. He has to make sure that ball is going into the end zone instead of being a bit lackadaisical.

Jared Curtis had a slightly below average game per QBR (47.2), but he got very little help. The freshman was 19 of 32 for 222 yards with 1 TD and 2 interceptions while being limited on the ground to just 2 yards from 6 attempts. Both interceptions went off both hands of his intended targets, so neither of them was on him. He was feeling pressure a bit early yet looked hesitant to tuck the ball down. His knee bruise may have influenced that. The tape should provide him with some learning experiences, and nothing was bad enough to think it was going to be a trend. Coming into the game, he was 2 nd in the SEC for air yards per pass attempt at 10.4. He is putting the ball downfield consistently and throws a very catchable, accurate deep ball. The intermediate timing routes are the biggest opportunity for improvement, but the OL needs to give him more chances for rhythm.

The pieces besides Sherrill in the passing game may be finding their niches. In a game where the offense really struggled, Ja'Cory Thomas had 3 catches for 60 yards, including a TD. At least two, if not all three, catches were 1v1 sideline throws. He is a problem for a lot of CBs at 6'3 and 215 pounds. Curtis has the ability to put dimes up for him to go get where even if Thomas does not have burner speed to separate, he has the height and vertical to win contested catches, just like the TD where the CB was flagged for DPI. Walter Taylor also had 2 catches for 40 yards with both coming on deep over routes where he got behind LBs and in front of safeties while crossing the field. He presents a big target at 6'7 and has good speed for that height. Cole Spence had a pair of catches for 27 yards, too, even with the drop-turned-interception. In all, 9 players were credited with a reception, and 8 of them caught a pass beyond the LOS. They may not find a great sidekick for Sherrill but having a host of players making small but important plays throughout the game would be nice, too.

Was any hope for the defense misplaced? Or maybe they were not as bad as the 52 points looks? They are really responsible for 38 points. You could maybe even argue about it being 34 since 1 TD drive was a a single play from 35 yards out. That is likely a FG anyway. Allowing 38 to Ole Miss is not … awful. It would be bang on their average (38.8), which was raised by the 52 points they scored against us. Being average on defense would be … fine. Arkansas's average for the season is 19.3.

Fold or refocus? After a significant loss that felt promising at Georgia, the team played one of their worst games and nuked almost every bit of optimism in the fan base. Clark Lea said they have implemented new in-practice penalties for procedural penalties. That is nice, but I am skeptical it fixes the overarching discipline issues. Today would be a good time to show some intelligence and focus.

Is the season sunk, or can a hog roast be a modicum of hope? Arkansas is bad. Bad enough for Vanderbilt to be favored by 5.5 points. That spread has crept down from earlier in the week, which is concerning. Vanderbilt needs to show improvement that can predict future success, not just eek out a win. This is by far the easiest opponent left. Florida has been scuffling but is playing Texas moderately close. Mississippi State is get walloped by LSU, but they have been dangerous plenty often and are without star QB Kamario Taylor. Taylor should be healed by the time the Commodores head to Starkville. Handling business today then heading to a Kentucky team that looks surprisingly strong before the bye week is a critical stretch for any bowl hopes.