Can Vanderbilt erase the Hell of 2020?

Although the Sarah Fuller news made us all smile, last season was so bad for the Vanderbilt Commodores before the season with the transfers and opt-outs that the 0-9 season that happened seemed inevitable from Day 1, and it came true in an awful way.

Several times they played like an episode of ‘300’, fighting monster schools valiantly with a roster of under 53, but still playing the games anyway. It was sad, and not even uplifting.

In fact, it so awful that Vanderbilt fired its head coach Derek Mason, replacing him with Notre Dame assistant Clark Lea (Let’s not feel too sorry for Mason, who’s getting paid $1.5m at Auburn to be the new DC).

So can they avoid another ‘beaten’ season?

WHO’S BACK

The good news for Vandy is that they are bringing back three fifth-year seniors (OLs Cole Clemens, Bryce Bailey and Johnathan Stewart ), which should give some help back to a line that gave up 19 sacks last season. Sixth-year senior Drew Birchmeier will also return.

Offensively, WRs Cam Johnson and Chris Pierce going to be the center of activity as sophomore QB Ken Seals tries to improve on a 1,928 yard, 12 TD season – middling for the SEC. Temple transfer Re’Mahn Davis, who had 323 yards in 4 games in 2020 and 936 yards and 8 TDs in 2019, will be the focus on running the ball.

The highlight may well be freshman WR Quincy Skinner, who’s coming in with a bit of excitement behind him.

Defensively, it HAS to get better, because right now, Vandy let in 37.3 points per game (113th in FBS), and if it gets any worse, we’re looking at Kansas-like numbers.

Thankfully, all Vandy’s top 5 tacklers are back, including LB Anfernee Oriji, (66 tackles, 1 FF), CB Jaylen Maloney (57, 2 sacks), Allan George and Brendon Harris, which means that if there have been improvements on that side of the ball, they will hopefully show up.

Frosh four-star D-Lineman Marcus Bradley and DT Devin Lee could well start.

WHO’S TRANSFERRED? 

Vandy loses safety Donovan Kaufman, who transfers to Auburn, but picked up QB depth in Wilson Spring from TCU. But they also bring in kicker Joseph Bulovas from Alabama, who was the Crimson Tide’s starting kicker until 2020.

THE SCHEDULE

Sept. 4 ETSU

Sept. 11 at Colorado State

Sept. 18 Stanford

Sept. 25 Georgia

Oct. 2 UConn

Oct. 9 at Florida

Oct. 16 at South Carolina

Oct. 23 Mississippi State

Oct. 30 Missouri

Nov. 6 OPEN DATE

Nov. 13 Kentucky

Nov. 20 at Ole Miss

Nov. 27 at Tennessee

Of the winnable games, Vandy could well go 4-0 in its non-conference schedule, considering Stanford’s definitely not the power it once was. The one to watch is the away day at South Carolina – who is the second-weakest team in the SEC East this year – which could come as Clark Lea’s first SEC /Vanderbilt victory. The rest we can’t see a lot of fruit out of, sadly.

PREDICTION: Vandy misses a bowl game and goes 4-8, but there’s lots of reasons for optimism.