2018 Vanderbilt football preview

After a 3-0 start last September, Vanderbilt was on the verge of a Top 25 ranking for the first time in four years. A blowout loss to Alabama followed, and the losses began to mount: five in the next seven games.

“You can’t let one (loss) become two become three become four in this conference. And that’s what I did,” coach Derek Mason said this summer at SEC Media Days. “That is me being too much of a boots-on-the-ground guy and not seeing it from a bird’s-eye view.”

Mason, who had coordinated the defense the past three seasons, decided he needed to focus solely on his head coaching duties. He hired Jason Tarver from the San Francisco 49ers to coach the defense, which forced the fewest takeaways in the SEC but retains leading pass rusher Charles Wright and tackler LaDarius Wiley.

The Commodores must also deal with the graduation of running back Ralph Webb, who played all 49 games over his four-year career and accrued the sixth-most rushing yards in SEC history.

Quarterback Kyle Shurmur is the only returning player who scored a rushing touchdown last year, but he has shown steady improvement since his freshman year in 2015. With five starting offensive linemen, all of whom exceed 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, and leading receiver Kalija Lipscomb returning, Shurmur’s learning curve shouldn’t be too steep.

After a step back in Mason’s third season, the Commodores look to right the ship with four home games in September.

2018 schedule
Sept. 1 – Middle Tennessee
Sept. 8 – Nevada
Sept. 15 – at Notre Dame
Sept. 22 – South Carolina
Sept. 29 – Tennessee State
Oct. 6 – at Georgia
Oct. 13 – Florida
Oct. 20 – at Kentucky
Oct. 27 – at Arkansas
Nov. 10 – at Missouri
Nov. 17 – Ole Miss
Nov. 24 – Tennessee

2017 record: 5-7 (1-7 conf./6th in SEC East)
All-time SEC championships: 0
All-time bowl appearances: 8 (4-3-1)

2017 results
Sept. 2 – at Middle Tennessee – W 28-6
Sept. 9 – Alabama A&M – W 42-0
Sept. 16 – Kansas State – W 14-7
Sept. 23 – Alabama – L 59-0
Sept. 30 – at Florida – L 38-24
Oct. 7 – Georgia – L 45-14
Oct. 14 – at Ole Miss – L 57-35
Oct. 28 – at South Carolina – L 34-27
Nov. 4 – Western Kentucky – W 31-17
Nov. 11 – Kentucky – L 44-21
Nov. 18 – Missouri – L 45-17
Nov. 25 – at Tennessee – W 42-24

Returning statistical leaders

Rushing – Att – Yards – Avg – TD
Khari Blasingame – 45 – 147 – 3.3 – 0
Passing – Comp-Att – INT – TD – Yards
Kyle Shurmur – 220-380 – 10 – 26 – 2823
Receiving – Rec – Yards – Avg – TD
Kalija Lipscomb – 37 – 610 – 16.5 – 8
Tackles – Total – INT – Sacks – TFL
LaDarius Wiley – 88 – 1 – 0 – 1

Starters returning: 12
Offense: 8
Defense: 4
Specialty: 0

Starters lost: 13
Offense: 3
Defense: 7
Specialty: 3

Returning offensive starters: Devin Cochran (OL, R-So.), Egidio DellaRipa (OL, R-Sr.), Kalija Lipscomb (WR, Jr.), Jared Pinkney (TE, R-Jr.), Bruno Reagan (OL, R-Sr.), Kyle Shurmur (QB, Sr.), Justin Skule (OL, Sr.), Saige Young (OL, Jr.)
Returning defensive starters: Dare Odeyingbo (DE, Sr.), LaDarius Wiley (S, R-Sr.), Joejuan Williams (CB, Jr.), Charles Wright (OLB, R-Sr.)