Vanderbilt is spending this bye week trying to clean up the kind of mistakes that have piled up all season.
The Commodores have been one of the most penalized teams in the country, and the numbers back up the frustration. Heading into this weekend’s games, Vanderbilt ranks 106th nationally in penalty yards per game and is tied for 125th in total penalties. The problems have come in a little bit of everything - pre-snap miscues, operational issues and even a few post-snap flags.
Clark Lea said the staff has attacked the issue head-on during the break.
“We’ve been physically punishing it,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said on how he addressed the communication and penalty issues. “It’s a weird way to put it, but this has been for a few weeks now just holding the entire offense account.”
Lea said the team has made progress in trimming down the operational penalties, and he wants to see that show up Saturday the way it has in practice. That matters even more with a young quarterback still working through the normal bumps that come with college football.
Jared Curtis remains a work in progress, but Lea said the signs are encouraging. The staff believes Curtis is settling in, and that growth has already helped cut down on some of the operation-related mistakes.
“His command and his presence is strengthening and I think that’s going to eliminate some operational issues. We’re attentive to it and our methodology right now is to pay attention in practice, to hold the unit accountable when it shows up in practice. In that way, hopefully we see a drop in those in the game,” Lea said.
Vanderbilt also got some encouraging news on the injury front. On Wednesday night, EDGE Brian Allen Jr., linebacker Jamison Curtis and cornerback Jaylin Lackey were all listed as “probable” on the first injury report of the week.
Lea sounded optimistic Monday, and he kept that same tone Thursday.
“Brian’s had a great week, I’m super excited about that. I’m frustrated for him, he’s had a tough year with a high ankle and he’s tried to fight through it and just never quite got healthy.
He looks healthy now, which is exciting,” Lea said. “J-mo [Jamison Curtis] has been able to get through practice, he’s doing well.
And then J-Lack [Lackey], too. Those are guys that, barring setbacks, will return for us.”
On the other sideline, Mississippi State is still sorting out its quarterback situation. Without Kamario Taylor, the Bulldogs have struggled offensively the last couple of weeks and could turn to either true freshman Parker Puckett or former Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann.
Mississippi State has not named a starter, and Lea said Vanderbilt has to be ready for both. He noted that the two quarterbacks operate in a similar way, even if each brings different strengths, and said the challenge is real when the opponent’s plan isn’t fully set.
“We obviously have to prepare for either guy. I think they operate similarly, but they have different strengths.
So any time you don’t know exactly what it’s going to look like, there is a challenge. But at the same time, I think in general our performance is about Vanderbilt football and about us playing our game,” Lea said.
In Other News...
Davin Chandlers New Role Is Becoming A Big Vanderbilt Answer
Davin Chandlers shift from safety to full-time cornerback has quietly turned into one of Vanderbilts more encouraging personnel moves this season. The change gave the Commodores another player who fits their man-coverage demands, and it has shown up in his increased snaps and steady play on the outside. Coaches Clark Lea and Steve Gregory have both pointed to Chandlers skill set as a strong match for the position, and the results have made him one of the more dependable pieces in the secondary.
Chandlers rise matters because Vanderbilt is trying to build something more stable on the back end, and his development gives the defense another young corner it can trust. He is currently the teams fifth-highest graded player in coverage, which says plenty about how quickly he has settled in. For a defense looking for answers and a clearer identity in the secondary, Chandler has become part of the solution rather than just a depth option. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Finally Showed What This Roster Could Become
Vanderbilts early-season progress got a real test against Wake Forest, and the Commodores answered with the kind of second-half push that has been easy to imagine but harder to see in full. The win moved them to 2-0 and delivered their first power-five victory of the 2026-27 season, a useful marker for a roster still trying to define itself and build some week-to-week trust.
Brown and Glass were central to the surge, giving Vanderbilt the kind of production it will need when the schedule stiffens. Even with the encouraging result, consistency remains the bigger question, and the next chance to sharpen that edge comes quickly with Memphis on deck. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Exposed An Early Problem Wake Forest Cant Ignore
Wake Forests trip to face No. 24 Vanderbilt offered an early look at where the Demon Deacons still have work to do, and the answer came in the form of a frustrating loss that dropped them to 1-1. Kevair Kennedy led Wake Forest with 20 points, but the offense never found enough rhythm against a Commodores team that was able to control enough of the games key possessions to stay in front.
Tyler Tanners 17 points and 10 rebounds gave Vanderbilt a steady two-way presence, and the bigger story for Wake Forest was how much the margin came down to missed opportunities. The Demon Deacons struggled to make shots from outside and could not match Vanderbilts edge on the glass, leaving a clear early-season issue for the staff to sort through before the schedule gets any tougher. [Read more 🡒]