Rapid reactions to Vanderbilt’s 17-13 win at Middle Tennessee State.

What it means: The Commodores can play a little bit of football. It will be tough to beat the other teams in the SEC, but Vandy can dig deep and win the out-of-conference games it needs.

What I liked: It is kind of off topic, but it is good to see an SEC team play at a mid-major’s home field. For many Southeastern Conference schools, there are smaller schools that allow a home-and-home schedule where the SEC crowd can easily travel and the lesser-knowns can have a great draw. Missouri traveled to Arkansas State this year. In the past, Mississippi State has gone to Troy and South Alabama and now Vanderbilt has been to Middle Tennessee on numerous occasions. Good for you Commodores.

During the game, it was the final drive to move to a score. The offense moved down the field to a 39-yard run by Ralph Webb for the winning score.

What I didn’t like: Turnovers. No one likes them, but Vanderbilt seemed to like ceasing possession against the Blue Raiders. In three straight possessions surrounding halftime, Vandy threw two picks and fumbled it away once.

Who’s the man?: Ralph Webb. He scored the game winner in the waning moments, but he also picked up yardage all night that the Commodores needed.

Key play: Zach Cunningham stopped MTSU’s Brent Stockstill at the goal line on a fourth-and-goal with 6:09 left in the first half to not only stop a Blue Raider score, but give his offense a chance to move the ball.

The ensuing drive did not yield points, but it did kill the clock as Vandy moved the ball 80 yards and turned it over with less than a minute remaining in the half. The ‘Dores only trailed 6-3 instead of 13-3.

It did allow for the winning score in the second half.

Who’s next?: The Commodores take next week off, then head to Williams-Brice Stadium to take on division rival South Carolina on Oct. 17.