Vanderbilt’s offense did not exactly have the upper hand Wednesday morning, but one of the clearest signs from the 12th fall camp practice was that the Commodores may be getting a little sharper on both sides of the ball.
The defense set the tone in Nashville. It forced turnovers, crowded passing lanes and made life tough on every quarterback it saw.
That part of the day was hard to miss. Vanderbilt had flashes on offense, sure, but the defensive unit clearly controlled the practice and looked like the stronger group throughout the session.
That said, the offense’s rough patch this week may not have been entirely self-inflicted. After a strong showing Saturday, Vanderbilt has stumbled through the last few days, with Tuesday marked by poor play and Wednesday shaped more by what the defense did well.
The quarterbacks were not spectacular, but both seemed to clean up some of the biggest mistakes that had shown up earlier in camp. The wild throws and obvious errors were still there at times, just not as often.
That matters, even if the room still feels unsettled. Neither quarterback has separated from the other in any dramatic way, and at this point it does not look like one is about to run away with the job.
Unless Saturday’s scrimmage produces a major shift, Vanderbilt already has most of the information it needs. The decision now is less about gathering data and more about choosing.
If Curtis is the option, the offense looks more explosive. He gives Vanderbilt a better chance to threaten all three levels of the defense, hit chunk plays and push toward 30-plus points more regularly.
The tradeoff is that the unit appears more prone to mistakes and may need a smaller playbook. Berlowitz, meanwhile, may give Vanderbilt its best shot against Austin Peay, but Curtis is the stronger long-term answer.
One of the brightest offensive notes came from Coleman, who has had an uneven camp after moving to wide receiver. Wednesday looked like his best day.
The big-play ability Vanderbilt has always associated with him showed up in a real way, as he attacked contested catches and helped create several chunk plays. With the receiver rotation still very much unsettled, Coleman seems like the kind of player who could carve out a role, especially in situations where his physicality and athleticism can swing a drive.
Tristen Brown also continued to make his presence felt. He said he wants to become more of a leader, and Wednesday suggested that is already happening.
During one early open period, Vanderbilt’s defense celebrated stops by rushing the field, while the offense stayed quiet after its own successful snaps. Brown pushed back against that, trying to inject some energy into the offense every time it made a play.
It was another sign of his rise. His performance has been better than in any other camp, and his voice is following suit.
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