Robbie Weinstein, sports editor at the Vanderbilt Hustler, answered a few questions from The Auburn Plainsman ahead of Auburn's matchup with the Commodores this Saturday.
Q) This is Derek Mason's third year at Vanderbilt following the James Franklin era, and he's only been able to provide three conference wins so far. How much longer does he have to turn things around in Nashville?
RW: Vanderbilt's administration really doesn't like to fire coaches, and Mason is a great guy who's well-liked within the athletic department. Losing out would potentially make things interesting in terms of his job status, but he'll certainly get at least one more year if Vandy can get to a fifth win and the bowl game that would likely come with it. Certainly the results over the past two-plus years haven't been any good, but athletic director David Williams won't make a move unless he absolutely has to, no matter how badly fans want Mason out.
Q) Other than the loss to Georgia Tech and the win over Western Kentucky, Vanderbilt's defense has held defenses to some impressively low scores, especially in the SEC. What's been the key for the Commodores, there?
RW: The defense is good against traditional offenses that don't push the pace and don't feature dual-threat quarterbacks. Against up-tempo offenses like WKU's and an alternative-style offense like Georgia Tech and its triple option, the 'Dores struggle. The defensive line is good against the run but doesn't have a lot of depth, and slow-paced SEC offenses like Florida and Georgia haven't challenged the linemen's conditioning all that much. Basically, they've had success against predictable teams that want to run right at them and don't feature mobile quarterbacks.
Q) To kind of piggyback off the last question: Even though the defense has held the like of Florida and Kentucky to low scores, the offense hasn't been able to put up enough points to take advantage of the help the defense has given them. What's been the biggest thing holding Vanderbilt back from scoring, especially with Ralph Webb sitting at second in the SEC in rushing?
RW: Supposedly, the passing game was going to be the most improved part of the team this year. That hasn't happened. Kyle Shurmur is an OK game manager, but he's completed roughly 10 percent of his throws more than 20 yards downfield this year. The receivers aren't particularly fast or physically imposing, and none of the tight ends have proven to be effective at both blocking and functioning as targets for Shurmur. The 'Dores have done a great job at limiting turnovers and are tops in the SEC in that category, but it's hard to move the ball when your passing game can't function against SEC defenses.
Q) What does Vanderbilt need to do to slow down Auburn's rushing attack and give the Commodores a chance to leave with a win?
RW: Star linebacker Zach Cunningham might have to have 20 tackles if Vanderbilt hopes to contain Pettway. A more realistic goal, though, might be to take away Auburn's passing game. If Vanderbilt can get the Tigers to the point where they're running the ball 70-80 percent of the time, it might be able to stack the box and limit Pettway and Kerryon Johnson. I think Auburn could probably adjust at halftime and find some weaknesses in the Vanderbilt secondary in the second half in this scenario, though. I definitely don't see Vanderbilt winning without a touchdown on defense or special teams.
Q) How do you see this one shaking out?
RW: Auburn opened up as 26.5-point favorites, and I think that's too high. I think there's a decent chance Vanderbilt keeps this game competitive in the first half, but VU will almost surely get worn down by Auburn's superior talent. Auburn by a score of 34-13 sounds about right to me.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
