Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason

These are exciting times at Vanderbilt. The baseball team finished off the 2018 athletic year winning the national championship and the football program plans to build on that momentum. Derek Mason believes he has his best team in Nashville and will be seeking a second straight bowl trip. The Commodores won their last two regular season games last season to qualify for a bowl, then lost to Baylor in the Texas Bowl. Mason has shown progress in building his program with two bowl trips in the last three seasons, and he’s looking for that breakthrough year. He thinks it might come this season though he has to face Georgia, Purdue and LSU in the first three games. Last season USC handled Vandy in Nashville 37-14. The Commodores visit Columbia November 2nd.

Derek Mason at SEC Media Days

Vanderbilt at a glance (compiled by Menachem Muller)

                                    Overall           Conference

Vanderbilt Commodores          6-7                   3-5                 Lost Texas Bowl to Baylor

Derek Mason 6th season         24-38               9-31

Offense 2018 SEC Rank NCAA Rank
Points Per game 28.5 11 71
Rushing Yards per game 167.6 9 66
Passing yards per game 243.7 6 55
Total yards per game 411.3 8 60
Defense
Points allowed per game 26.6 10 60
Rushing yards allowed per game 194.7 12 94
Passing yards allowed per game 244.2 10 85
Total yards allowed per game 438.9 13 99

The Commodores return 12 starters; 6 on offense, 5 on defense, and the Kicker.

 Statistical Leaders Returning

RB Games Yards TD AVG
Ke’Shawn Vaughn 12 1414 14 8.3
WR/TE Games Yards TD REC
Kalija Lipscomb 13 991 10 87
C.J. Bolar 11 464 2 34
Jared Pinkney 13 774 7 50
Defense Tackles TFL INT Sacks
Dayo Odeyingbo 28 4.5 0 0.5
Dmitri Moore 84 3.5 0 1.0
Frank Coppet 30 0.5 3 0
Tae Daley 45 5.5 0 1.5

Returning Starters Offense    

RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn

WR Kalija Lipscomb

WR C.J. Bolar

TE Jared Pinkney

LG Cole Clemens

RT Devin Cochran

Returning Starters Defense

DE Dayo Odeyingbo

DT Drew Birchmeier

LB Dimitri Moore

CB Frank Coppet

S Tae Daley

Special Teams

K Ryley Guay

Key Losses

QB Kyle Shurmur

RB Khari Blasingame

LT Justin Skule

RG/C Bruno Reagan

RG Egidio DellaRipa

LB Josh Smith

LB Jordan Griffin

CB Joejuan Williams

CB Donovan Sheffield

S LaDarius Wiley