Some might suggest that Vanderbilt’s 22-17 loss at No. 8 Notre Dame last Saturday was a moral victory, especially for a historically downtrodden program that nearly took down one of college football’s blue bloods.

Derek Mason would disagree with them.

The Commodores coach said during his weekly press conference Tuesday that a moral victory “doesn’t mean anything to us.” That wasn’t the only notable item to come out of Mason’s meeting with reporters — he also wore a mechanic shirt and gave a great line while previewing Vanderbilt’s SEC East tilt against South Carolina.

Now in his fifth season with the Commodores (2-1), Mason is past the point of moral victories. He and his team can pick up an actual win that could help shape the division race when they host South Carolina (1-1) at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.