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    • What Clark Lea Still Needs to Beat Tennessee
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    What Clark Lea Still Needs to Beat Tennessee

    Pabio Posted on

    Vanderbilt football I couldn’t shock the world anymore.

    In a season in which Vanderbilt upset Alabama, Michigan beat Ohio State and Kentucky beat Ole Mademoiselle and Oklahoma better than Alabama, Vanderbilt looked poised to pull another one when it took a 14-0 lead at Tennessee on Saturday.

    But the Commodores (6-6, 3-5 SEC) quietly went from there. The Vols (10-2, 6-2) dominated Vanderbilt in the second quarter en route to a Victory 36-23 at FirstBank Stadium on Saturday.

    All that remains is to wait for the bowl selection on December 8th. The Commodores will still have a chance to finish with a winning season, but it’s a bit disappointing after clinching bowl eligibility earlier than ever in the modern era. .

    Here’s what we learned from the game:

    A three-game losing streak can’t erase what Vanderbilt has accomplished

    It’s fair to feel bitter about how the season ended. Three consecutive losses, two of them not close, including one against Tennessee.

    But none of that makes it an unsuccessful season for Vanderbilt.

    The Commodores have found a formula that allows them to win SEC games – and even surprise the best teams in the conference. As Nick Saban has learned, Vanderbilt is no longer a team to neglect.

    The Commodores will go to a bowl game and have the chance to finish with a winning season for the first time since 2013.

    Clark Lea must examine why his defense finished so poorly

    Clark Lea took over calling the defensive plays during the offseason and improved the talent level of the defense through the transfer portal. But even though the new arrangement seemed to have worked early in the season, the unit struggled in games at South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee.

    To be fair, each of these teams is loaded with talent on offense. But the Commodores gave up 452 yards to South Carolina, 471 to LSU and then this against Tennessee.

    BOWL SCRATCHES Where Vanderbilt stands in latest college football bowl projections after Week 13

    It’s up to Léa to find out. Whether it’s missed tackles, turnovers in coverage, or bad defensive calls, the defense will need to improve.

    Vanderbilt still isn’t where it needs to be talent-wise

    Vanderbilt has absolutely improved the talent level from what it was earlier during Lea’s tenure. But it’s still not where it should be.

    Tim Beck, Jerry Kill and Lea successfully put together an offense. But the majority of Commodores players aren’t bigger, faster or stronger than their opponents.

    Getting Vanderbilt up to talent level isn’t something that can be done in a single offseason. It’s an ongoing process. But it needs to be a priority this offseason, whether that infusion of talent comes from high school or the transfer portal.

    Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.

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