Vanderbilt can’t afford to lose this one, but the Blue Raiders aren’t an easy out.
Vanderbilt’s season opener started with promise. It only took about an hour before devolving into Derek Mason’s standard in Nashville. Two quarterbacks played, no one but the Commodores’ tailbacks could move the ball, and a slowly gassing defense gave up backbreaking gains on plays it shut down two quarters earlier. South Carolina rallied with 13 straight points and the Vandy offense couldn’t find the extra gear it needed to kick off 2016 with a win.
Now Mason and his staff face nearly the same exact questions they did in 2014 and 2015.