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College Football
5 biggest takeaways: Vanderbilt will have trouble shaking cellar-dweller label
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Here are five takeaways from Vanderbilt’s Week 2 loss to Ole Miss:
- Derek Mason has a mess on his hands in Nashville. Vanderbilt’s offense is the SEC’s worst through two games and the defense hasn’t fared much better. Any momentum picked up by the program over the last couple seasons left following James Franklin’s departure to Penn State.
- The Commodores don’t have a quarterback. Give the coaching staff credit for sticking with Stephen Rivers throughout Saturday’s loss, but the LSU transfer showed zero poise from the pocket and struggled to make even the most routine of throws. The race remains wide open with Patton Robinette expected to push for playing time next week. Redshirt freshman Johnny McCrary, though talented, isn’t ready.
- When Jerron Seymour returns, Vanderbilt run game will be the team’s strength. Ralph Webb’s had little room to run during the early part of the season, but 5-foot-10, 200-pound ballcarrier from Florida’s averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Seymour scored 14 touchdowns last fall and upon his return, the Commodores will have a quality 1-2 punch in the backfield.
- Hot seat for Karl Dorrell? It’s unfair to place all of the team’s offensive ineptitude on Dorrell’s shoulders, but the outlook’s grim for the Commodores’ first-year coordinator. Vanderbilt’s struggled in the execution department thus far and for the second consecutive game, Dorrell’s unit did not appear ready to perform.
- New-look secondary struggles. Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace completed 76.7 percent of his passes on Saturday, most throws to wide-open receivers in the second level. Vanderbilt replaced all four starters off last season’s team and the inexperience has shown early.
