Quick Take: Vandy looks improved, Robinette likely out with concussion

Just when things started looking up, Vanderbilt faced another unfortunate occurrence. Ahead 14-0, the Commodores’ starting quarterback Patton Robinette left the game to due to a potential concussion. The sophomore landed on his head just before capping off a Vanderbilt scoring drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Duncan.

Robinette threw for 55 yards on 4-of-5 passing before being taken to the locker room for further evaluation. Wade Freebeck– whose redshirt was burned last week– took over in Robinette’s absence.

With the touchdown, Vanderbilt recorded its first score in the opening quarter for 2014. The Commodores were held scoreless in the first in all three games leading up to Week 4.

South Carolina grabbed the momentum after Vandy’s second score and outscored the Commodores 17-0 in the second. However, Vanderbilt’s defense has looked sharp at times, forcing a 2-of-6 efficiency.

In the absence of Robinette, the Commodores will need to focus on a strong rushing attack. At the half, Ralph Webb and Jerron Seymoure combined for 92 yards on 19 attempts.

The Commodores must exploit a weak South Carolina defense and Freebeck must be efficient in his second career game for Vanderbilt to stay competitive. However, the Commodores’ performance thus far has far exceeded expectations facing a highly favored matchup.

Jason Hall

A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky