Vanderbilt heads into Saturday’s game against Arkansas trying to stop the slide, and the first SEC availability report of the week only adds more names to the list of absences.
The Commodores opened the year 3-0, then dropped their next three games, including a rough 52-17 loss to Ole Miss that left them searching for answers. Now they get Arkansas in Nashville, with the Razorbacks as the only other winless SEC team.
The injury picture remains crowded. Defensive lineman Aaron Bryant is out for the season after suffering an ACL injury a few weeks ago. Linebacker Jamison Curtis, cornerback Jaylin Lackey and wide receiver Kahden Smith are also still unavailable because of soft tissue injuries.
Two more offensive linemen have now been added to the list. Head coach Clark Lea said Tuesday that Gunner Givens is done for the season with a hip injury, while Mitchell Smith will be sidelined until after the bye week because of a knee issue. Smith did not play against Ole Miss last week.
“Obviously disappointed for him [Givens]. Really was pleased with his progress as a player.
I think he was elevating himself in his role and this is going to be a setback. It’ll be about a six month recovery.
The good news there is he did have his waiver cleared for an additional season,” Lea said. “Mitchell Smith, who was out for Saturday, was going to go through procedures to clean his knee up and we expect him to be back hopefully after the bye week.”
Vanderbilt will also be without backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz. His parents posted on Facebook that he hurt his collarbone near the end of the Ole Miss game, and Lea confirmed Tuesday that Berlowitz had surgery to repair a broken collarbone suffered on a sideline tackle. Lea said he expects Berlowitz back after about a month.
“I do want to say this on Blaze. Just the toughness to have a broken collarbone and finish, taking three snaps including a pass is pretty remarkable and just a testament to his character and what that kid’s about,” Lea said.
The latest injury report also lists safety Dontae Carter, EDGE Brian Allen Jr. and defensive lineman Hayden Bray. Starting cornerback Martel Hight is probable.
Lea is expected to give more detail Thursday on the players listed as questionable, but for now Vanderbilt keeps working toward Saturday.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
In Other News...
Arkansas Walks Into A Vanderbilt Team Dealing With Fresh Turmoil
Vanderbilt heads into its matchup with Arkansas already working through another difficult stretch, with the offense adjusting to injuries and a roster change that arrived well before kickoff. The Commodores have been trying to stabilize on the field while also keeping the programs bigger picture in focus, a challenge that has become familiar in a season where depth and discipline both matter.
Coach Clark Lea has made it clear that the standards inside the program are not optional, especially when the team is trying to move forward amid so much disruption. For Vanderbilt, the Arkansas game now comes with an added layer of attention, as the Commodores try to keep football front and center while handling the kind of off-field turmoil that can linger well beyond one weekend. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Faces A Huge SEC Chance Against A Shorthanded Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt heads into Saturday dealing with the kind of setback that can reshape an SEC game plan in a hurry. The Commodores have already been trying to stabilize after a rough stretch, and now they have to do it while navigating quarterback uncertainty against an Arkansas team that sees this matchup as a real opening to steady itself and keep bowl hopes alive.
The Razorbacks are trying to end a long SEC skid, so the margin for error is thin on both sides. For Vanderbilt, the issue is not just replacing production but finding a way to stay competitive in conference play when the schedule is already unforgiving, and the next answer under center will go a long way toward determining whether the Commodores can make this trip more difficult than it looks on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Just Framed Vanderbilts Biggest Test Yet
Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield came away impressed after studying film of Vanderbilt freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, and his early read helps frame just how much the Commodores will be tested in their next game. Curtis has already been through five appearances this season, and the early numbers show both the promise and the growing pains that come with a first-year starter still settling into college football. Silverfield singled out the kind of traits that can make a young quarterback dangerous, especially when a defense starts trying to speed him up.
Vanderbilts challenge is not just about Curtis finding comfort in the pocket, either. Silverfield also spent time looking at the Commodores defensive approach and came away expecting a team willing to create problems with pressure and disguise. For Arkansas, that means preparing for a matchup that could hinge as much on handling the pressure package as on stopping Curtis himself, which is why this one shapes up as a meaningful early measuring stick for Vanderbilt. [Read more 🡒]