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Derek Mason has his first SEC win at Vanderbilt … now what?
By Nick Cole
Published:
It took 12 tries, but Derek Mason finally enjoyed his first SEC victory with a 10-3 win against Missouri on Saturday.
It wasn’t pretty, as two really good defenses tried to prop up offenses so inept that they were barely able to score, but Mason never promised Commodores fans that his brand of football would be stylish.
After a 0-8 performance during his first year in the league, getting that first conference win was his first hurdle to clear in showing both the fan base and the administration that he has not only made tangible improvement in his second season, but that he is the man for the job for the long haul.
Thanks to squandering a winnable game against Western Kentucky in Week 1, the Commodores are unlikely to make a bowl game this season, needing three wins in their final five games to reach the six wins necessary.
So, with that in mind, what is next for the Commodores coach in his quest to show he can adequately replace a coach that won 24 games in three seasons?
Vanderbilt has no gimmes left on the schedule. With trips to Houston, Florida and Tennessee and home games against Kentucky and Texas A&M remaining, the Commodores could very well be the underdog in each contest.
The first words out Mason’s mouth in the postgame press conference following the win against Missouri laid the situation out very clearly:
“We’re going to have to learn how to win ugly. That’s just who we are.”
It takes a coach fully aware of his surroundings to make such a statement.
The Commodores rank among the nation’s best in many defensive categories, such as third-down defense (3rd), red-zone defense (5th), first downs allowed (10th) and points allowed per game (13th).
But starting just a handful of upperclassmen and dealing with a second consecutive season of uncertainty at the quarterback position, Mason understands that the Commodores are at such an offensive disadvantage that the only hope for further progress in 2015 may rest on the shoulders of his elite defense.
“We’re at a point offensively where we’re doing everything we possibly can. Exploring every option,” offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig told the media following Wednesday’s practice. “We’ve got to put ourselves in a position to score more points.”
Kyle Shurmur, a true freshman that is considered by many to be the program’s quarterback of the future, started against Missouri and will continue to see time alongside incumbent Johnny McCrary.
While that could bode well for an improvement to one of the league’s worst scoring offenses (18 points per game), don’t expect his emergence to keep Mason from continuing to make adjustments that disguise and offset the league’s worst red-zone offense and a league-high 11 interceptions thrown.
“From what I’m seeing in this conference, the game will be close,” Mason said on Saturday night. “If you can run the ball, you give yourself a chance.”
So expect him to continue to place an emphasis on controlling the clock, as the Commodores own the second best time of possession in the league and held the ball for more than 38 minutes in the win against Missouri.
While that may not be enough to knock off some high-scoring teams like Houston or Texas A&M, it should be enough to keep them in the picture for most games.
A win at home against Kentucky would be a step in the right direction, and a win against Tennessee to close the season would be a chance to really gain some momentum for what could be a significantly better year in 2016.
“At some point in time, these ‘Dores are going to grow up and you’d better watch out,” an enthusiastic Mason said after Saturday’s win.
That’s the hope, Derek.
Until then, Commodores will have to continue trying to win in ugly and unconventional ways.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
