Vanderbilt heads into Starkville with a little more clarity on its health picture, and the first SEC availability report brought both encouragement and concern for a team trying to stop a five-game skid.
The Commodores, back from their bye week, are set to face Mississippi State on the road this weekend at Davis-Wade Stadium. Vanderbilt is still searching for its first conference win and is trying to keep its bowl hopes alive, but the bigger question Wednesday night was who might actually be ready to suit up.
There is at least some positive movement on that front. EDGE Brian Allen Jr., cornerback Jaylin Lackey and linebacker Jamison Curtis are all listed as probable for the game.
Allen Jr. missed the Kentucky game with an ankle injury, while Lackey and Curtis have been sidelined for several weeks because of soft tissue injuries. If that status holds, Vanderbilt should get back a few defensive depth pieces.
The report also includes defensive lineman Nikhil Jefferson and EDGE Khalil Poteat as questionable.
The tougher part of the update is the list of players already ruled out. Vanderbilt knew it would be without backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz, who has been out for about a month, along with offensive lineman Gunner Givens and defensive lineman Aaron Bryant, both of whom are dealing with season-ending injuries.
On Monday, Lea added two more season-ending losses to the mix. Linebacker Josiah Broxton tore his ACL in the week before the Kentucky game, and running back Evan Hampton broke a bone in his lower leg against the Wildcats. Linebacker Daniel Vollmer Jr. is also out with a hernia injury, and his return timeline is still unknown.
That leaves Vanderbilt trying to piece things together as it looks for a much-needed turnaround. The Commodores and Bulldogs are set to kick off at 3:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
"We're excited for the challenge. A nice road challenge and a great environment.
This will be an important week for us to put together our best three-phase effort and go play some good football. That's what we need to do," Lea said.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Has A Prime Chance To Finally Breathe At Home
Mississippi State heads into its next home game with a chance to settle things down after a stretch of uncertainty, and Vanderbilt arrives carrying plenty of its own questions. The Commodores have had trouble getting the ground game going, and their offense has been uneven enough that the quarterback spot has become a weekly storyline. Freshman Jared Curtis has shown flashes in the passing game, throwing for 1,489 yards and eight touchdowns, but the turnovers have piled up and he leads the SEC in interceptions.
For Mississippi State, the timing matters because the defense just turned in one of its better outings and will be looking to build on it in front of a home crowd. Vanderbilts quarterback situation is still unsettled because of AJ Swanns arm injury, and the Commodores have not been able to find much rhythm while trying to piece together the offense around him. If the Bulldogs can keep that pressure on early, they may get the kind of comfortable night at home they have been chasing. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilts Fast Start Faces A New Test After Troubling Injury Update
Vanderbilts season opened with the kind of lopsided win that can settle a team in quickly, a 93-47 rout of Bellarmine that gave Mark Byingtons group an early jolt of momentum. The Commodores now turn to a home date with Wake Forest, and there is at least some historical comfort in the matchup, with Vanderbilt holding a 3-2 edge in the all-time series.
The bigger concern, though, is the news around freshman guard Gabe Nesmith, whose absence already loomed over the opener. Byington confirmed Nesmith underwent surgery and will be sidelined for a couple of months, with the possibility the injury could end his season, leaving Vanderbilt to adjust its guard rotation as the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Still Has A Chance To Deliver One Big Week 10 Statement
Week 10 brings Vanderbilt another chance to turn a solid season into something louder, with the Commodores sitting in the mix of a weekend full of upset possibilities around college football. The broader predictions board is built around teams trying to capitalize on injuries, recent form and the kind of late-season volatility that can flip a race in a hurry, and Vanderbilt is part of that conversation for all the right reasons.
Mississippi State is the opponent in focus, and the setup matters because the Bulldogs have not looked the same without a healthy Kamario Taylor. For Vanderbilt, this is the sort of spot that can sharpen the narrative around the program if it handles business, especially with other ranked teams and conference contenders also facing tricky tests in the same week. [Read more 🡒]