Two things can simultaneously be true: one, Vanderbilt should not have lost that game; and two, a win would have been a gift.
Because, yeah, the Five Factors, while not nearly as ugly as some of the other games this season, shows that South Carolina had a pretty significant advantage both in yards per play and success rate — but unlike some other games, Vanderbilt’s numbers were not disastrous, and actually the yards per play number (5.3) was just fine. Perhaps it was the lower level of competition or perhaps it was quarterback Mike Wright, in for the injured Ken Seals, but for what seems like the first time all season Vanderbilt was able to find some explosive plays, particularly in the passing game.