Vanderbilt’s next SEC date now has a kickoff time, and it will come under the lights in Nashville.
The Commodores’ Oct. 17 matchup with Arkansas has been set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2, according to a media release. That makes it a night game at FirstBank Stadium and the second such game Vanderbilt will play this season.
When the SEC schedule was first announced, the Arkansas game was listed as a flex window, leaving it open to either the midday or night slot. Now that uncertainty is gone, and Vanderbilt knows it will host the Razorbacks in prime time.
There are still a couple of other late-season windows to watch. Vanderbilt’s Oct. 24 game against Kentucky and its Nov. 28 matchup with Tennessee are both listed in the night-game window, though exact kickoff times have not been announced. The Commodores’ Nov. 7 game against Mississippi State is also marked as a flex game, so that one could land in either the midday or night slot when Vanderbilt returns from its bye.
But first comes a much bigger test.
Vanderbilt hosts No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
CT on ESPN, and that one carries plenty of weight for the Commodores’ bowl hopes. An upset would do more than register as a signature win; it would also give Vanderbilt’s postseason outlook a serious boost.
The Commodores are still searching for their first SEC victory after opening conference play with road losses at Auburn and Georgia over the past two weeks. Even so, there’s a sense that the team is inching forward. Week by week, Vanderbilt has shown signs of getting closer to the version of itself it thinks it can be.
The first half against Georgia offered that kind of encouragement. The next step is obvious: putting together a full four quarters. Whether that breakthrough comes against a Top 10 opponent this weekend or later in the month against Arkansas, Vanderbilt still has work to do to get that first conference win as the season reaches its midpoint Saturday.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Found A Few Reasons For Hope Before SEC Reality Hits
Vanderbilt left Athens with a 38-14 loss to No. 2 Georgia, and the scoreboard still reflected the gap between the Commodores and the leagues top end. But for a team trying to find footing early in SEC play, there were at least a few signs worth taking back home: backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz handled the job reasonably well, throwing for 190 yards and a touchdown, while wideout JaCory Thomas turned in his most productive outing by yardage with two catches for 43 yards.
The bigger takeaway for Vanderbilt may have been the line play, which held up well enough in the first half to give the offense a chance before things tightened up after halftime. The Commodores are now 3-2 overall and 0-2 in the SEC, so the margin for comfort is gone quickly, but this was not a game without encouragement for a team that needed some before the schedule gets any less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Now Faces A Much Different Ole Miss Offense
Ole Miss should get a familiar boost back in the backfield this week, with running back Kewan Lacy expected to return against Vanderbilt after missing two games with an injury. Coach Pete Golding said Lacy used the bye week to rest and has already gotten back on the practice field, though only in limited contact, a sign the Rebels are easing him back into the mix rather than rushing the process.
For Vanderbilt, the timing matters. Ole Miss looked less dynamic on the ground without Lacy, and his return gives the Rebels a more complete offense heading into Week 6. Even with the injury layoff, his presence changes how the Commodores have to prepare, because the running game figures to look a lot different than it did over the last two games. [Read more 🡒]