Vanderbilt needed to score eight points in just over two and a half minutes and did, but their two-point conversion was stopped a yard short of tying the game.
The Commodores did the tough part: stopping a high-powered offense from scoring close to their usual average. It was the supposedly easier aspect they couldn’t handle: scoring in the red zone against a mediocre defense.
Ultimately, Vanderbilt lost their fourth straight season opener, this time 14-12 to Western Kentucky.
Vanderbilt had five chances to score inside the 10-yard line and only came up with 9 points, which proved to be the difference maker.