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Vanderbilt Report Card: ‘Dores improving, suffer big loss to South Carolina
By Jason Hall
Published:
Vanderbilt falls to 1-3 after a 48-34 loss to No. 14 South Carolina in Nashville. Here’s how the Commodores graded at several positions.
OFFENSE: C-
Vanderbilt saw its most impressive offensive showing of the season. After being shutout in each first quarter of their first three games, the Commodores jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first on Saturday. Patton Robinette showed poise before suffering a concussion on Vandy’s second scoring drive. Ralph Webb also continued to see solid numbers at running back, ending with 97 yards on 19 carries. However, Vanderbilt failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities and couldn’t find enough consistency to regain momentum.
DEFENSE: D+
Vanderbilt’s defense played solid through three quarters. But, the fourth quarter was their ultimate downfall as they allowed 21 points facing a 27-24 deficit. The Commodores defense also allowed South Carolina to go 7-of-12 on third downs and holding a 31:02-28:58 advantage in time of possession.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A+
There isn’t much else you can say about Darrius Sims’ performance on Saturday. Sims finished with 217 yards and two touchdowns on three kickoff returns, which included an opening return of 91-yards. His 100-yard return in the third quarter helped Vanderbilt cut its deficit to 24-21 and stay in the game before a big South Carolina rally in the fourth.
COACHING: C
Derek Mason had his team prepared for a tough matchup on Saturday. Facing an overmatched South Carolina, Mason’s team played inspired and came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. However, Mason did have some questionable play calls, including opting to kick a field goal on he goal line while down by 10. Still, Mason managed to keep Vanderbilt in connection much longer than anyone would have expected, which does deserve some credit.
OVERALL: C-
Vanderbilt’s loss is far from an impressive outcome. However, when considering how heavily favored South Carolina was added to how poorly the Commodores have looked this season, the ‘Dores do deserve some credit for staying with South Carolina through three quarters. Vanderbilt is far from an SEC contender, or even the team James Franklin coached last year. However, they are much better than the lost cause we saw in Week 1 against Temple. The Commodores are steadily making improvements and should continue to do so moving forward.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
