What Clark Lea Said Needs To Change This Offseason For Vanderbilt Football
NASHVILLE—If you were dreaming of another Vanderbilt upset over Alabama Saturday, you’re likely sorely disappointed.
Let it be known: the Vanderbilt defense came to play. The scoreboard might not reflect that, but in a matchup that Vegas had Alabama favored by 15.5 points, Vanderbilt looked like it had at least a chance to win throughout most of the game.
But you can only ask so much of a defense. The offense struggled to produce any semblance of production Saturday, and frankly, it looked like the offense was more worried about not committing turnovers than about gaining yards at times. Clark Lea was forthright with the media about the offensive struggles, which is honestly a good thing. He’s acknowledging that changes need to be made.
“There were moments defensively where we played well enough to win, but we weren't able to capitalize offensively,” Lea told the media postgame. “It felt like a mess on offense today.”
Vanderbilt didn’t cross midfield until 10 minutes left in the first half. They didn’t score a single touchdown. And there were times when the “safe” option seemed like the only option on Vanderbilt’s play sheet. This caused the offense to get behind the sticks consistently, forcing Jared Curtis into his old habit of playing hero-ball.
On the defensive side, there were flashes that should give fans hope for next season. Vanderbilt’s back end is filled with young talent. Even as guys like CJ Heard will likely focus on the NFL draft this offseason (and rightly so), the next generation, led by hard-hitting Mason Lewis, is poised to take over where this season leaves off.
While the offense has shown a total lack of production, many of the defense’s problems this season can be attributed to unoriginal play-calling. When the Vanderbilt defense gets away from its usual zone coverage and starts mixing in man-blitzes and stunts, the unit as a whole plays with more energy.
“We were able to create two turnovers that flipped the field and held the line defensively. We should be celebrating a win,” Clark Lea remarked about the defense’s effort, which wasn’t always perfect but should have been rewarded.
The defense was flying around and creating turnovers Saturday, something that has been a goal all season. It makes you think about the what-ifs and what Vanderbilt’s record would be if the defense had played as fast and free all year as it did against Alabama.
So, if the defense has been somewhat held back by play-calling, and the offense has obviously struggled to find its identity, is it time to look at the coaching staff? Outside of Clark Lea, no one’s job is safe this offseason. Lea himself called out the coaching postgame, or lack thereof.
“Even our operation from a coaching standpoint didn’t feel confident,” Lea said, which is much more blunt than he has been in the past.
Change is coming, but at this point, Lea needs to focus on not losing the support of the players who will be here next season. The outlook of the team’s leaders has been mostly optimistic throughout the year. Now we’re finally at the point where guys are being honest about the season and their struggles, exemplified by the usually positive MK Young.
“It’s always Vanderbilt football beating Vanderbilt football,” Young said after the game.
It’s hard to imagine that there isn’t a high level of frustration building throughout the team. Vanderbilt football has a team that is more talented than its record shows, and a coaching staff that has struggled to put the team in a position to win.
Young might have said it best. Who knows how this season would’ve turned out if the team – and the offense specifically – had performed at the level fans and players alike expected.
Now the expectation should be for Clark Lea to evaluate his roster and staff and make the necessary changes to get Vanderbilt back into SEC contention next season.
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Mikey attends Vanderbilt University, where he’s covered football and men's basketball games for the VandyRadio and Hustler newspaper. He discovered his love for athletics growing up in Montana, and runs a fantasy football podcast when he’s not busy skiing or cliff jumping.