NASHVILLE - Vanderbilt is right back on the floor tonight, and this one brings a much stiffer challenge than Monday’s opener.
After rolling past Bellarmine 93-47 to open the third season under Mark Byington, the Commodores now welcome No. 24 Wake Forest in the second game of their week.
It’s the back end of a home-and-home that started last season, when Vanderbilt went to Wake Forest and controlled the game. Now the Commodores get a chance to complete the sweep.
Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
The biggest personnel storyline for Vanderbilt remains freshman guard Gabe Nesmith. He did not play Monday and was seen on a scooter with a wrap on his right leg. After the opener, Byington said Nesmith had surgery and would be out for a “couple of months,” with the possibility that the injury could end his season.
Vanderbilt enters the matchup with a 1-0 start after the Bellarmine blowout, while Wake Forest is also 1-0 after beating Maryland Eastern Shore 83-62 in its season-opener.
The Commodores also hold the edge in the all-time series, leading Wake Forest 3-2.
Monday’s win gave Vanderbilt plenty to build on, especially on the defensive end. The Commodores put together a 50-7 run in the game, a stretch that underscored just how disruptive they can be when everything is clicking.
There was also a broader sense that the program is settling into something new in Nashville after that lopsided opener. And off the bench, guard T.O Barrett showed why his role matters beyond just putting points on the board.
If a player goes down during the game, updates will be tracked throughout the night.
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 🡒]
Vanderbilt Heads To Mississippi State With Its SEC Skid Still On The Line
Vanderbilt comes out of its bye week heading to Mississippi State with the same basic mission it has carried through the heart of SEC play: find a way to get back in the win column. The Commodores are still searching for their first conference victory and trying to stop a five-game losing streak, with the extra time off giving the staff a chance to regroup before another road test.
The injury report remains a major part of the buildup, with several players still in question and six already ruled out for the game. Among the absences are Josiah Broxton and Evan Hampton, whose injuries have ended their seasons, leaving Vanderbilt to piece together its depth as it tries to keep the skid from stretching any further. [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 🡒]