VANDERBILT PASS OFFENSE vs TEXAS PASS DEFENSE
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has pretty much become a household name for college football fans, and while he can be very good, he’s not exactly setting the world on fire as a passer. Pavia is 10th in the SEC in passing yards at 1,698 but he is efficient, ranking fourth in the SEC with a 159.0 rating. His top receiving target is tight end Eli Stowers, and those two make up arguably the top QB/TE combination in all of college football. Stowers has gone for 397 yards and 2 touchdowns on 31 receptions. Vandy will spread the ball out among several receivers but none are really that dynamic. Junior Sherrill leads the wide receiver group with 26 catches for 312 yards and 5 touchdowns. Texas’ secondary got lit up for 381 yards and 4 TDs last week but it should get a boost with the expected return of Michael Taaffe.
Edge – Vanderbilt *
VANDERBILT RUN OFFENSE vs TEXAS RUN DEFENSE
We mentioned that Pavia isn’t putting up eye-popping yardage totals as a passer, but that only reflects some of what he does for Vandy’s offense. He’s also a huge part of the ground game, both on improvised runs and called runs, and leads the team with 458 yards rushing. Running back Sedrick Alexander, out of Austin LBJ, is a very capable runner who has shown some big-play ability against tough competition. He’s rushed for 388 yards and 6 TDs on the year, including a 65-yard score against Bama. Backup Makhilyn Young doesn’t get near the amount of touches as Alexander, but the New Mexico State transfer has been extremely productive, rushing for 382 yards and averaging a whopping 12.3 yards per carry. He has rushes of 80, 62, 60 and 43 yards to his credit this year. This is strength on strength, with Vandy ranking third in the conference in rush offense (203 ypg) and Texas ranking first in rush defense (81 ypg).
Edge – Texas *
VANDERBILT OFFENSIVE LINE vs TEXAS DEFENSIVE LINE
If you haven’t watched Vanderbilt this year, you’ll be in for a bit of a surprise with its OL. The Commodores flip their offensive line depending on the strong side of the formation, so guys will play on both the right and left sides of the line. It was an OL that struggled some last year but has improved this year as guys have gotten more experience and a couple of transfers have been added. Vandy features four grad transfer starters with guard Cade McConnell, a junior, being the young pup of the group. It’s not necessarily an offensive line that’s full of high-end talent, but it’s experienced and the group plays really well together. Center Jordan White grades out highest as both a run blocker and pass blocker among the starters.
Edge – Vanderbilt *
TEXAS PASS OFFENSE vs VANDERBILT PASS DEFENSE
Vanderbilt is a pretty solid defense across the board but its pass defense is a bit weaker than it is against the run. Vandy ranks 70th nationally in passing yards given up per game (220.8) and is actually worse in pass efficiency defense (84th nationally). Sophomore transfer safety C.J. Heard leads the team in tackles with 43. Corners Kolbey Taylor and Martel Hight have experience, but they’ve given up some big plays. Vandy’s secondary has recorded just two interceptions on the year. Texas’ passing game is tough to predict on any given week, but that’s especially true this week with Arch Manning’s status still up in the air. Regardless, statistically, Texas should be able to have some success. (More: Sark provides an update on Manning’s status.)
Edge – Texas **
TEXAS RUN OFFENSE vs VANDERBILT RUN DEFENSE
Vanderbilt ranks fifth in the SEC in rush defense, while Texas checks in at 11th in the league in rush offense. Texas’ ground game hasn’t been good of late, and it’ll take a hit if Manning isn’t able to go. Even if he does play, you have to assume that Texas will try to limit his rushing attempts to keep him healthy. Vandy features experience and talent at the linebacker position, led by Bryan Longwell and Langston Patterson, who rank second and third on the team in tackles, respectively.
Edge – Vanderbilt **
TEXAS OFFENSIVE LINE vs VANDERBILT DEFENSIVE LINE
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Vandy fields an experienced defensive line, with two grad transfers and a senior atop the depth chart. EDGE Miles Capers leads the way with 4.5 sacks on the year. Defensive end Khordae Sydnor is another good player and Vandy actually features five defensive lineman who have recorded at least 2 sacks so there’s some depth in this group as well.
Edge – Vanderbilt **
SPECIAL TEAMS
Vanderbilt has attempted only seven field goals on the season but kicker Brock Taylor has hit all of them, including a long of 51 yards. The Commodores don’t punt a lot with only 17 on the year, but Nick Haberer averages nearly 47 yards per punt, about 1.5 yards better than Jack Bouwmeester. Texas gets a big edge in the punt return game with Ryan Niblett while Vanderbilt has the edge in kick returns, where the team ranks 16th nationally.
Edge – Texas *
