⚡ CFB Dashboard

Here are answers to some key questions about Vanderbilt football heading into its matchup at Georgia on Saturday.  1. Vanderbilt is coming off its first loss of the season. What were the biggest issues with how the Commodores played at Auburn? Special-teams play and overall offensive consistency. The Commodores—for the second time this year—had a punt blocked and returned for a score, which is somewhat shocking given they've been among the nation's elite special-teams units the last few years. Kicker Brock Taylor also missed a field goal due to an Auburn defender getting a hand on it. Offensively, Vanderbilt just couldn't string together anything with consistency. The Commodores haven't run the ball with any consistent effectiveness all year and, as has been the case in all four games, drew multiple, untimely penalties.  2. I'm sure Georgia fans are excited to "welcome" former UGA commit Jared Curtis back to Athens. What do you make of Curtis' play so far this season? What impresses you, and what needs more work? I'm sure Curtis will get all kinds of Southern hospitality in Athens this weekend!  His play has been kind of what I expected. The talent is elite. There are times he makes NFL-level throws—it's not just arm strength, it's that he also does a reasonably-good job of putting it where he wants it—and has also been the team's best running threat.   There have also been mistakes—a couple of fumbles where he should have been more careful with the ball, not seeing a safety underneath on a throw, not seeing an open man or reading a play correctly—in other words, most of the same things that every freshman quarterback in the history of football has done.  The ceiling is about as high as it could possibly be for a freshman quarterback, but it'll take a lot of work to cut out the mistakes.  3. Vanderbilt has struggled to run the football this year. What do you believe are the biggest issues with the ground game?  A lot of the issues start with Vanderbilt often being behind the chains due to penalties, but it's also not like anything else has gone particularly well. Sometimes there aren't holes of much of a line push. Sometimes there's a crease and a back doesn't hit it.  None of these were particularly issues a year ago, and like other things, I wonder if the absence of Diego Pavia—who was a threat to do anything, any time, anywhere—has hurt this along with everything else.  4. Who are the playmakers around Curtis to pay attention to? Wide receiver Junior Sherrill is, hands-down, the guy. Sherrill has finally seemed to get past a severe case of the drops and is making the kinds of plays he made with Pavia a year ago.  Other than that, nobody's emerged. Running backs Sedrick Alexander and MK Young were good a year ago but neither has done much this year. Big things have been expected of transfer receiver Ja'Cory Thomas, but he's been a non-factor (three catches for 18 yards—all last week) so far.  5. What stands out about this Commodores defense, and who are the names to know on it? It's a veteran group capable of playing well. Vanderbilt gets a respectable pass rush from edge Miles Capers and linebacker Nick Rinaldi, and linebacker Bryan Longwell is a steady presence (he'll probably lead the team in tackles for a third year in a row). Corner Martel Hight has made a ton of big plays in his career and Clemson transfer Ricardo Jones hasn't done much yet but did lead the ACC with six picks last year.  The team's highest-graded defender per PFF, however, is safety CJ Heard, who's improved in his second year as a starter and can also be a difference-maker.  6. Are there any injury situations we should keep an eye on this week? (Note: I'll update this after the Thurs. availability report) Coach Clark Lea said that Curtis was banged up, but I don't see him missing time. Keep an eye on starting center Lyndon Cooper, a veteran who'd be missed if an AC joint that he hurt last week is a serious matter. On defense, starting edge Brian Allen has been perpetually banged up and could be again.  There are some minor injuries to lower-on-the-depth-chart guys, but anything else with starters might qualify as news.  7. What needs to go right in order for Vanderbilt to have a shot at the upset on Saturday? Start faster, find something of a return game, win the turnover battle, play on special teams the way the teams of the last two seasons went and avoid penalties in a way the Commodores haven't all year. Other than turnovers (Vanderbilt is plus-1 there), the rest have been persistent issues. All that basically has to go right for this to even be a discussion, and even then Georgia's at home and a more talented team, so it's not a great outlook going in.  Ever thought about starting a business? Feeling burned out in your career, concerned about job security or capped income? Or maybe you're simply looking to diversify your income, build another business, or create something beyond your W-2. Jordan Black (sponsor of football season at Vandy247), founder of Beyond a W-2, spent 10 years as a public school teacher before becoming an entrepreneur and building a multi-million-dollar franchise business. Today, he helps people explore franchise opportunities that fit their goals, lifestyle and financial situation — without having to create a business completely from scratch. There's no cost to work with Jordan and no obligation. Whether you're looking for a career change, an additional income stream, or simply curious about business ownership, start with a conversation. 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