NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea did not sugarcoat where his team stands after a 52-17 loss to Ole Miss. At his Tuesday news conference, he said the Commodores have not responded all the way and that the team’s energy and attention to detail fell short that day.
Lea said his players are performing as if they are entitled to results and get offended when games do not go their way, and that he is attacking that attitude inside the program. He added that he holds himself responsible for it.
The coach is also trying to fix discipline with a new rule this week. For every yard of operational penalty, the Vanderbilt offense owes up-downs after practice. Lea estimated that penalties and turnovers have accounted for a 32-point swing.
Injuries add to the challenge. Offensive lineman Gunner Givens will have season-ending hip surgery that requires a six-month recovery. Fellow lineman Mitchell Smith had a knee clean-up procedure and hopes to return after the Oct. 31 open week, and backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz will miss about a month after surgery for a broken collarbone suffered against Ole Miss.
Vanderbilt, 3-3 overall and 0-3 in the SEC, hosts Arkansas, 2-4 and 0-3, on Saturday, Oct. 17, at FirstBank Stadium. Kickoff is 6 p.m. Central, with a national TV audience, in the Commodores’ second straight home conference game.
History gives Vanderbilt a small edge in recent memory. Arkansas leads the series 7-3, but the Commodores won the last meeting 45-31 in 2018. Vanderbilt last hosted the Razorbacks in 2011 and is still looking for its first home win in the series.
The offense still has a reliable target. Junior Sherrill has 529 receiving yards, which ranks 12th in FBS, and he has caught at least one pass in 43 straight games, the longest active streak in the country. On defense, CJ Heard leads the team with 43 tackles.
