2026 Vanderbilt Football Mailbag #5: Answers to Your Questions

Letters… we get letters… we get stacks and stacks of letters…

We can win with our freshman quarterback. We cannot win having punts blocked for an opposing team touchdown. Or running fale punts where only the punter knows its a fake. My question is, How can we stop doing stupid stuff?

PatrickSawyer: I … don't know. The "don't beat yourself then let Pavia Curtis go win it" game plan SHOULD still be in use. They seem to have lost their "do not commit dumb penalties" and "block everyone on special teams" situation sheets though. It is weird and confusing development.

Cole Sullivan : Look, these boys didn't come to Vandy to play school. Wait, some of them did? Oh, then why aren't they getting more un-stupider?…

Really, I don't know. Sometimes you're just gaffe-happy and I think that's just something we have to live with this year.

Andrew VU '04: Seeing as the only members of the team with fully developed frontal lobes are the coaches, they've got to be on top of ironing out our dumb-fuckery. Here's the thing, though. If all the "stupid stuff" was just rooking mistakes by a talented freshman QB, it would be much more forgivable than what it has been. To add to your list of special teams dumb-assery, I'm still not loving Beck's play-calling this year.

p.s. The phrase "stupid stuff" had this song playing in my head the entire time I was answering. Sure, the song is "morbid stuff," but other than the first syllable, it's the same, right?

I think it is generally assumed that losing Diego was the biggest loss in the off-season. What would you rank as the next biggest loss? Stowers, Tre Richardson, offensive line turnover (Henderson and Glass probably being the most important), or something else?

Tom Stephenson: It's probably the offensive line turnover, because this offensive line ain't it. Regardless of what you think about the skill players, this offense looks a lot different if Sedrick has room to run.

PatrickSawyer: Stowers or Richardson. Probably Richardson once Spence is back in full action. The lack of a real, defense-worrying deep threat is a problem. Curtis with his arm could take deep shots even with little time and let a speedster like that run under it. Stowers did drag a lot of attention, too.

Cole Sullivan : Stowers. He would open up a lot on plays he was never even going to be a threat in. There's a reason he is riding the IR in Philadelphia right now. He was fantastic at positioning himself around the ball and hauling things in when you were out of other options, which would be great for a quarterback whose finesse is still not quite finely tuned.

Andrew VU '04: Tre Richardson. Could you imagine what the cannon arm on The Courtesy Bear could do with a speed merchant like 3 son of Richard? Sure, you'd still need people to block for him, but we'd be seeing a hell of a lot fewer stacked boxes with the over-the-top thread of Thrice Dick's-child.

Other than Curtis, who is one player on the offense who needs to start becoming a difference maker for this team to have any chance at another win this year? Who needs to step up on defense to move the het-o-meter in a positive direction?

Tom Stephenson: I'm pretty much giving up on the offensive line, so I'm with Patrick and I'll say anybody in the WR room. In the modern game you just can't have an offense with one guy who can catch passes.

Defense? Yeah, I'm not sure what Outtara has been doing for a guy we were pretty excited about.

PatrickSawyer: Any WR or TE. Just need anyone except Sherrill to spread defenses out. I think spinning it as needing someone to step up to have any chance at another win is overly negative. Arkansas is still bad. State is literally just a QB. And I'm still not sold on Florida…or maybe Ole Miss used all their juice against Lane.

Defensively, maybe Outtara or Seabrooks. The edges have been decent enough. The interior rush has been lacking when not provided by LBs or Safeties. The real "fix" is more 2 or 3 guys to be just a tick better. Hight seems slightly off, and Ricardo Jones is clearly still settling in to the system.

Cole Sullivan : On offense, we really need Conner or Brown catching more balls if we are going to have a chance at scoring big if at all on some of these more fearsome SEC defenses. On defense, I think it's Ricardo Jones that I saw allow a few too many big plays in the Wolfpack Heart Attack game. He clutched up a little near the end, and he picked the ball 6 times last year, but so far this year he has not been able to put anything together. I don't even necessarily need him to be a difference maker, I just need him to make his tackles more consistently.

Andrew VU '04: On offense, Cheryl has been okay, but needed to level up to dominant for this offense to work. Other than that, pick an offensive lineman. On the other side, The Great Muppet Capers has stepped up time and time again. I'll agree with Patrick. The Outer Limits needs to eat more and clog up both arteries and running lanes.

It seems to me that the fake punt failure and the play calls getting to the huddle late are clearly coaching problems. The blocked punt and the failure to make a first down after first and five might also be coaching related. Do you think the coaching staff is capable of effectively addressing these issues and if they can adjust the offensive play calling to align with Curtis's skill set?

PatrickSawyer: I have no idea why plays are slow to come in. Curtis looks cool and calm doing almost everything. Let it rip.

The special teams disasters are just unfathomable.

Cole Sullivan : Yes, they are capable of it. Will they live up to their full potential? Change the logo.

Andrew VU '04: You certainly cannot have the "put them in position to punt" coaching philosophy and allow that to happen on two punt plays. Yeah… it hasn't looked great. I will say that part of the offensive coaching weirdness was the ridiculous QB competition farce from the spring until week 3 of the season. That Kill/Beck/Lea didn't plan the entire offense around our very own Nuke LaLoosh, or at least get him the football equivalent of Crash Davis… yeesh.

We've floated that Lea caught lightening in the bottle with Pavia, but what if it was Coaches Kill and Beck who did so with the offense? Between them (allegedly) pushing Blaze over Curtis and the playcalling in these first 4 games, were they Pavia merchants?

Tom Stephenson: I am not sure how after two games with a five-star quarterback starting for them you come to the conclusion that they were Pavia merchants. I mean, if they legitimately could only do what they did with Pavia and can't get that much out of a five-star NFL talent, yeah, fire them.

PatrickSawyer: A true freshman adjusting to the SEC (both starts were technically P4 opponents) after playing low level high school football. He's adjusting well, but it is a playbook that relies on the QB making 3 or 4 reads, whether those are in the option, RPO, or passing game, so it is a lor to digest and process. I think we are going to see the offense and Curtis continue to bloom together as the season progresses.

Cole Sullivan : I think Pavia was more important than the coaching staff that accompanied him (just like I think Brady was more important than Bellichick), but just like one of an exquisite wine and well-aged cheese tastes better than the other, the sensual delight of the two is maximized only once paired. Pavia and Beck and Kill all brought out the best in each other, truly greater than the sum of their parts. Maybe they can capture lightning in a bottle again (do you think they would reuse the same bottle, or try a new one? The former, you know it works. The latter, hey maybe the old one broke from all that lightning rattling around inside.) and if they can't, scraping a few wins together may be all we would get with anyone else in their positions anyways.

Andrew VU '04: What if it was all the "Party Rock" Juju from Pavia's brothers? I do think Pavia made their system hum, and further, defenses have adjusted to said system. Have you seen the Eagles' OC Sean Mannion repeatedly trying the "WR orbits around the QB while in motion and catches a screen pass" play to Makai Lemon this year? It's literally averaging negative yards… and they keep calling it! Feetball is a game of constant adjustments. Beck/Kill/Lea must counter. If you can't make a young Josh Allen fit into your offense, you change your offense to fit young Mr. Golden Arm.

Are we getting close to the "wait till basketball season" mindset?

Tom Stephenson: Well, at least we're not in the "wait 'till baseball season" mindset like we were for most of the Drew and Stackhouse eras…

…but also, yes, wake me up when we beat someone of note.

PatrickSawyer: Nah. I need more Curtis. Whatever the team and season may be, he is appointment viewing.

Cole Sullivan : Yes but not because we are suffering as much as usual but instead because our basketball teams are supposed to be just that good.

Andrew VU '04: No, and not just because we all have already seen a weird sunny outdoor game where we whupped up on the University of Virginny Wahoo-Cav-Happy Papis. I'm struggling to see more than 1-2 more wins this year, but I'm still looking forward to seeing how Curtis grows up against tough competition (you know, as long as Beck takes the training wheels off the offense). I've said it all year, but only because it's true. Expect growing pains with a side of Baby Josh Allen magic. If that's not exciting, then you got real complacent real quick after one 10 win season, i.e. Brigadoon #2.

That said, this year's Shooty Hoops team could be really special. Baseball's got some really interesting freshmen coming in, too. Lots to look forward to. Hail Pinman.

For the fourth straight game, the team looked unprepared to do the simple things and against an SEC foe, it cost them. Is it possible that Diego Pavia's leadership and skill overcame the deficiencies of the coaching staff, or is this years team just meh?

For the fourth straight game, the team looked unprepared to do the simple things and against an SEC foe, it cost them.

Is it possible that Diego Pavia's leadership and skill overcame the deficiencies of the coaching staff, or is this years team just meh?

Tom Stephenson: This year's team is just meh, because actually while the pre-Pavia Clark Lea teams had problems, "unprepared to do the simple things" was generally not one of them. In fact, one of the first things I noticed in Lea's first season (at least, one of the first things I noticed that was a positive ) was that the mental brain farts that characterized the Derek Mason era were very quickly gotten rid of.

PatrickSawyer: I do not think Pavia made the punt and FG units block better. And I doubt he made DBs not blow a coverage or 3 per game.

Cole Sullivan : Pavia and Stowers provided sources of unyielding grit and unbound peace to the team: we are not the same without them on the offense every single down, even apart from what they provide just as athletes. I also think our team this year is just generally younger than the teams of recent past. We are still pretty "meh" but I think this team goes undefeated against any of Derek Mason's team except maybe the furste

Andrew VU '04: All things are possible. Except that one thing Meatloaf won't do for love. And cold fusion. And time travel (backwards… I've been doing forward time travel my entire life). What was I talking about? Oh yeah, it's both a rebuilding year and a "reconfigure the offense to best fit your new Rocket-Armed Wunderkind" year. I'm not entirely putting them in position to punt on the season, but you don't lose Vanderbilt's first ever Heisman Finalist and not notice it—even if the Boy Wonder taking over the jerb has more physical gifts. We're too meh on the lines—especially offensive—to be competitive in the SEC this year. That has to change by next year. Barton Simmons make the money printer go brrr and whatnot.

PatrickSawyer: Arkansas is 1. I do not know about the other 2. They need Kentucky and/or Florida to have their clock strike midnight. Maybe Ole Miss stays flat, but they will be coming off a bye. Mississippi State is still just a QB, sooooo you never know. And THEM could be a hate-fueled opportunity.

For the record, I am not predicting 6, but I'm not giving up on it.

Andrew VU '04: Honestly, I don't. Sorry Santa, but Auburn was a "must win" on my list to get to bowl eligibility. Can we upset someone? Certainly, but at the moment, the only winnable games look like 10/17 vs. Arky and 10/24 at The Wedding Jerseys, but that's only true if we're still healthy after potential demoralizing beatdowns in the coming weeks to Ugga and Ole Piss.

Which of these is more likely true? We win that game with Berlowitz at QB The OL needs to eat more purple food This team will get much better as the season goes on

This team will get much better as the season goes on

Tom Stephenson: #3 is the only one of these that even makes sense, so it's that.

PatrickSawyer: Three is absolutely true. Two is beyond my understanding. One is … no.

Andrew VU '04: Well it's certainly not #1. Not sure what purple food means in this context, but sure. Unless it's a weird sex thing. As for point #3, yeah… I'll go with that. Young teams do tend to grow as the season progresses. Might not result in any upsets, but I fully expect Curtis to turn into a Josh Allen butterfly eventually, and offensive lines do some times need time to gel. I've already seen improvement from the defense.

How much of that game result was due to the amount of spinach the team ate/didn't eat prior to the game? Feel free to interpret as literally or metaphorically as desired. Also, favorite recipe involving spinach?

How much of that game result was due to the amount of spinach the team ate/didn't eat prior to the game? Feel free to interpret as literally or metaphorically as desired.

Also, favorite recipe involving spinach?

Tom Stephenson: I'll eat creamed spinach all day. The team clearly does not. Are we thinking they get stronger after eating spinach, Popeye-style?

PatrickSawyer: Creamed spinach is elite. I also regularly eat spinach on sandwiches. I am intentionally ignoring whatever spinach voodoo you are referencing.

Andrew VU '04: Would you agree that our offensive line, running game, secondary, and punt unit have looked… anemic? Know what's high in iron? Spinach.

As for my favorite "throw a crap-ton of spinach in it and pretend it's health food" recipe, I've got to go with Italian Wedding Soup. The recipe is basically just make meatballs; brown them in some olive oil in a dutch oven; remove meatballs when cooked; cook down chopped carrots, onions, and celery for like 10 minutes in the oil and meatball fat; add crushed garlic, crushed red peppers, basil, and oregano; add 2 quarts chicken stock/broth; bring to boil; throw meatballs back in; throw in a hand pulled rotisserie chicken; knock down to a simmer; add a box of ditalini (or tiny soup pasta of your choice); and then add a whole bag of spinach in the final five minutes of simmering. It should take like 90 minutes in total. It's damned delicious.