Sometime after Vandy’s surprising 17-16 victory over Georgia, a quick blurb from reporter Alex Scarborough flashed across ESPN’s front page. “No question now that Derek Mason is off the hot seat at Vanderbilt after pulling off the upset at Georgia. Tough defense and just enough offense gets the job done.”
But was the biggest win of the Derek Mason era the culmination of three years of building a program? Or was it the product of an opponent whose first-year head coach out-Masoned Vanderbilt’s own conservative playcalling.
Georgia was stuck at 16 for two reasons. The first was a stellar Vanderbilt defense that limited the Bulldog rushing game to a season low in yardage and forced a freshman quarterback into uncomfortable situations.