Ad Disclosure
Vanderbilt has a golden opportunity on Saturday night when it travels to No. 18 Houston. The Commodores, coming off a 10-3 win last week over Missouri, can increase their new-found momentum.
In games against ranked opponents, Vanderbilt hasn’t fared well. In Week 2, the Commodores lost at home to then-No. 10 Georgia 31-14. In Week 4, Vanderbilt lost 27-16 at then-No.3 Ole Miss.
Since 2005, the Commodores have only won six of 37 games against ranked teams.
Under Derek Mason, the Commodores have been outmatched against quality opponents. Their only wins last season came against UMass, Old Dominion and Charleston Southern. This year, they have picked up victories over Austin Peay, Middle Tennessee and a Missouri team that hasn’t scored a touchdown since Oct. 3.
Judged last in the SEC in recruiting by 247 Sports with the nation’s No. 46 recruiting class in February, Vanderbilt currently is No. 62 for the upcoming signing period according to the same source. Former coach James Franklin had a consensus top 25 class coming in before leaving for Penn State in 2014.
A win against No. 18 Houston would trigger excitement among the Vanderbilt community, administration and potential recruits.
The Cougars are a 13.5-point favorite. But the Vanderbilt coach doesn’t appear to be fazed.
“For us, it’s definitely going to be a challenge. But like anything else, I always look forward to a challenge,” Mason said in his weekly news conference. “I think the pressure’s on Houston. For us, we’ve just got to continue to do what we do and gain a little bit of ground.”
After this week, the Commodores will close out the season with five straight games against SEC opponents, including a Nov. 7 trip to No. 11 Florida.
Sean Labar is an SEC football contributor for Saturday Down South.
