Vanderbilt Football’s Defense Showed Growth, But it Needs to Grow More in This Area

There were things to like about Vanderbilt’s defense, but third downs were a bit of an issue still Saturday.

Sep 26, 2026; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Jeremiah Cobb (23) runs for a first down as Vanderbilt Commodores cornerback Martel Hight (4) goes for the tackle during the fourth quarter Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

AUBURN, Ala. — As Vanderbilt football reflected on its loss to Auburn, it thought a lot about the margins of the game. Of which, there were plenty.

Whether it be the miscues on special teams that left points off the board for Vanderbilt and also put points on the board for Auburn or the lack of ability to run the ball or get the key stop on defense, there was a lot to look back and think “what if?”

Vanderbilt football head coach Clark Lea thought a lot about the final possession of the game and rightly so. The Commodores were only down 21-15 with 6:26 to go in the game, but they could not get the stop they needed and Auburn burnt out the clock.

Overall it was an encouraging performance from the Vanderbilt defense. But in a game that is decided in the margins, there is an area that Vanderbilt has to be better at as the season goes along: third down.

Was it the killer or the main culprit in Vanderbilt’s loss Saturday? No, and Lea would agree with that sentiment. However, Auburn did convert seven of its 15 attempts on third down, which is a 46.67% conversion rate.

What is a little more concerning when thinking forward is that Vanderbilt’s defense was only able to get Auburn into third and nine or more yards twice. The overwhelming majority of Auburn’s third down attempts were third-and-shorts and third-and-mediums.

Whether he is thinking about the lack of third down execution on offense or defense, Lea knows his team cannot live that way.

“Defensively, I think it’s interesting because they had a couple big moments where I felt like we  weren’t able to get the rush and they found an over. We got pressure, they threw a glance. I mean, you just have to credit them for some execution points,” Lea said.

What was a killer for Vanderbilt in the game were plays such as the 33-yard passing touchdown Auburn had during a no huddle, quick tempo. Vanderbilt had taken a 3-0 lead, but Auburn erased that within a couple of minutes due to that play.

From there, Vanderbilt was playing catch up the rest of the game and the defense was unable to get the stop it needed to at the end of the game.

On the final drive, Vanderbilt had opportunities to get off the field with a third down and five on Auburn’s own 30-yard line and a third down and one on the Vanderbilt 41-yard line. The chances on the last drive were there, but the Commodores could not get the third down stop it needed to.

Vanderbilt is going to dissect the film and think more about how to force opponents into compromising third down situations as the season goes on. But for now, the Commodores are not hitting the panic button on how it executes on the money downs.

“They do a good job of not getting sacked and their quarterback has learned throughout the weeks to get the ball out. I feel like they did a good job with that. We just have rally tackle, rally tackle, defend every blade of grass and we’ll be fine,” Vanderbilt safety CJ Heard said.

The solution to improving on its third down defense is to win on the early downs. To win on third down, teams must win on first and second down first. Overall, Vanderbilt did a fair job of it against Auburn, but it could not when the lights were the brightest.

The rubber is going to continue to meet the road in critical down situations each week. What matters is if Vanderbilt execute at a higher rate.

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