Vanderbilt Football to Get First Real Litmus Test on Saturday against Virginia Tech
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That was fun for this group and all, but this is when we really learn something about them. This is when they really learn something about themselves.
The sell out of FirstBank Stadium was fun for this Vanderbilt team. So was Sedrick Alexander’s hurdle and walk-on running back Jamezell Lassiter’s 35-yard touchdown. Vanderbilt’s 45-3 win over Charleston Southern was all that it could’ve asked for.
No more entering a game hoping to get to the backups in or knowing without a doubt that a win is in store regardless of the level of performance. All of a sudden this Vanderbilt team is an underdog rather than a 36.5-point favorite.
“We're going to need to redirect our energy really quickly to the game against Virginia Tech, which is going to be really challenging for us,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said after Saturday’s win. “We're in a mode of execution now. And every week's a climb for us, and a challenge, and we can't waste time. Your mistakes now have consequences. This isn't training camp. And so I hope that we have a little better perspective on not heading into next week."
If Vanderbilt doesn’t, then it better get ready for Virginia Tech to come in and cover the initial 3.5-point spread on Saturday while delivering the Commodores a loss to make up for what happened to it at FirstBank Stadium last season.
That game marked the ‘we’re here’ moment for Lea’s program as it came off of a 2-10 season and put together one of college football’s most inspiring runarounds. It could be the same type of moment for his group if it can go into Lane Stadium and win a night game in front of a full building.
This isn’t the same Virginia Tech team as the 6-7 version of itself that ultimately fell below expectations in 2024. Brent Pry’s team fell 24-11 to South Carolina in its opener, but believes that it’s significantly improved as a result of two new coordinators, a new offensive line coach and a revamped strength and conditioning program. If Pry’s theory is accurate, Vanderbilt will see a more disciplined and in-shape group than it did a year ago.
Even if Pry is wrong, this Virginia Tech team still has something going for it. It’s upset. It has a sour taste in its mouth. It remembers standing on the visiting sideline in Nashville a season ago as Vanderbilt Public Address announcer yelled “Vanderbilt Wins!” looking as if it’d just seen a ghost.
If there’s one thing that would crush all the momentum that Pry built and would catapult Vanderbilt into thinking it can do anything, it would be a Vanderbilt win on Saturday. Virginia Tech will make it more difficult than it did last season, though.
“Definitely a revenge game,” Returning Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones told On SI’s Graham Dietz in an exclusive interview that was obtained by Vandy on SI. “Definitely a Redemption game.”
“For sure [a revenge game], we got a lot of guys that still have that bad taste in their mouth,” Virginia Tech linebacker Jaden Keller added. “Having that chip on your shoulder, having that usually adds motivation, fuel to the fire. It's huge. We got a whole bunch of guys that know what that feels like.”
This Vanderbilt team knows all about having a chip on their shoulder and looking for revenge, but it’s yet to see someone like this.
Perhaps Charleston Southern treating its opener against Vanderbilt as a Hoosiers movie scene was a fine approach for it to take in its circumstances, but Virginia Tech doesn’t have to.
Pry’s team has size that’s incomparable to that of Gabe Giardina’s team. It’s got a home stadium that has as imposing of an environment as Vanderbilt will see. Despite its 2024 record, this group has enough to take down Vanderbilt if Lea’s team doesn’t have its best.
If Vanderbilt’s going to find a way to win Saturday, it’s going to have to bring it. No lapses in preparation. No stretches of stagnant offense. No big defensive mistake like it had last season against Virginia Tech.
The warm up is over. Vanderbilt will now find out where it really is.
_(1)-b3e453dfe426b2dd4b83a12540ebdb37.jpeg "Joey Dwyer")
Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Southeastern 16 and Mainstreet Nashville.
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