Takeaways From Vanderbilt's 55-35 Win Over Utah State

NASHVILLE—Vanderbilt football moved to 5-0 on Saturday with a 55-35 win over Utah State behind its 561 total yards and what was once eight-consecutive scoring drives.

The Commodores have won every game this season by multiple scores to this point. Now, it enters a matchup with No. 17 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Here’s some takeaways from its Saturday win.

Nobody ever said it had to be pretty

Vanderbilt wasn’t at its best on Saturday, particularly defensively, but it never had to be. All it had to do was win on Saturday afternoon in order to preserve all of its aspirations.

Steve Gregory’s defense left plenty to be desired and the start Vanderbilt got out to could’ve planted some seeds of doubt, but it didn’t matter.

Because of what Vanderbilt did on Saturday, it still has a rèsumè that could put it in the College Football Playoff. It will stay in the AP Top 25. It may get College Gameday next week.

Vanderbilt didn’t have all that much to prove

This Vanderbilt team already had enough of a body of work to indicate that it didn’t need to win Saturday in order to prove that it was a good–and perhaps an elite–team. That’s a new position for it in a game like Saturday’s, but it was reality.

This Vanderbilt team didn’t indicate to anyone that it’s not what it’s proven to be. That’s all it needed to do.

Now it can move forward and look for more.

A masterful performance by Diego Pavia

It won’t go down as one of Pavia’s best because of the opponent, but it was as close to perfect as he’s been throughout his Vanderbilt career.

The Vanderbilt quarterback went 26-for-34 for 321 yards, five touchdowns, 79 rushing yards and an interception that came after the game was already sealed. Whenever Utah State threw a punch, Pavia led Vanderbilt back into a position in which it didn’t have to worry about the result of Saturday’s game.

On Saturday Pavia looked every bit of the star label he’s been.

Junior Sherrill breaks out

Sherrill eclipsed his career high in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and had his first real breakout game in Saturday’s win.

The Vanderbilt receiver had to sit and watch as others broke out throughout the first four weeks of the season, but Saturday was his game. Sherrill went for three touchdowns, 91 receiving yards and did all of his damage before halftime.

Perhaps the performance is one Sherrill can build off of moving forward.

Vanderbilt’s slow defensive starts continue

Vanderbilt has easily overcome its early-game struggles, but it’s struggled to defend scripted offense throughout most of the season. The Commodores’ opponents have scored within their first two drives in four out of their five games thus far.

Vanderbilt’s only harmless first quarter came in week one against Charleston Southern.

What Vanderbilt’s offense has done through the first five weeks of the season has been good enough to overshadow the fact that it’s played from behind in most of its games thus far. As Vanderbilt faces only SEC opponents from here on out, it will have to find a way to figure it out defensively early in games.

Perhaps this team is better built to play from behind than previous Vanderbilt teams, but it has to put itself in better position early.

Penalties, Penalties, Penalties

Want to make a game against a less talented team closer than it should be? Do what Vanderbilt did on Saturday.

It roughed a punter to extend a Utah State drive. It was set back by a false start on third down during its first offensive drive of the game. It roughed the passer on Utah State’s first drive to extend its drive. It cost itself a safety with a defensive holding penalty on a punt.

By the end of it, Vanderbilt gave up 91 yards because of eight penalties. It can say what it wants about the referees, but it’s got to point the finger at itself at some point. It wasn’t as sharp as it needed to be on Saturday.