Vanderbilt is going through a difficult season. After earning trips to bowl games in two of the last three seasons, the Commodores have opened this year 1-5, and they still have matchups with No. 22 Missouri and No. 9 Florida over the next several weeks.

Last Saturday, Vanderbilt lost 34-10 against UNLV. That 24-point loss came in Nashville, and with a 2-4 record, UNLV isn’t exactly a powerhouse Mountain West Conference foe either.

But to Vanderbilt’s credit, the players didn’t stop playing hard during that defeat. Commodores coach Derek Mason pointed out that fact to the media during his press conference Tuesday.

Mason also talked a lot of leadership and accountability.

“I’ve got to be the leader,” Mason said. “Our senior leadership, guys that have been in this program for awhile, I’m going to have to get them to toe the line and continue to pour into the young guys, and the young guys have to be able to listen because the noise is loud.”

Mason also addressed the leadership coming from his assistants, shooting down any possibility of changes to the Vanderbilt coaching staff.

Vanderbilt will host No. 22 Missouri this Saturday.