Jul 15, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea talking at Omni Dallas Lodge. Necessary Credit score: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports activities Vanderbilt is assured that higher days are forward after failing to win a single Southeastern Convention recreation for the third time in 4 seasons.
The Commodores went 0-8 in SEC play final season, ending with the identical document through the 2021 marketing campaign after an 0-9 displaying a 12 months earlier. They went 2-6 in league play in 2022.
Protection was what held Vanderbilt again essentially the most, with the Commodores permitting the fifth-most factors per recreation (36.2) amongst 130 qualifying FBS groups. Vanderbilt held an opponent below 28 factors simply as soon as, and that opponent was Alabama A&M, an FCS program.
However Commodores coach Clark Lea may even be taking up defensive coordinating duties this season, and his gamers imagine it is a transfer that can repair a number of Vanderbilt’s issues on that facet of the ball.
“He is been a prime three defensive coordinator since he was at Notre Dame, and he is one of many huge causes that I stayed at Vanderbilt, simply having the ability to play for him and his protection,” Commodores linebacker Langston Patterson mentioned Monday on the SEC Media Days occasion in Dallas.
“He is actually detailed it down and tightened up our construction into one thing that is superior to play for. He places emphasis on effort and he at all times says it is 50 % what you do, 50 % the way you do it. … He will put in a fantastic plan and prep for the sport tremendous properly. It is our job to go execute it.”
And Vanderbilt actually is not letting its previous struggles seep into 2024.
“I say the mindset is go (into the season) with a chip in your shoulder,” Commodores security CJ Taylor mentioned. “Clearly I do know that we have improved. That is for us to placed on show after we play Virginia Tech (within the season opener).”
Lea additionally has full religion in his group, telling reporters again in spring that he’s having essentially the most enjoyable he is ever had teaching.
“I feel particularly it is talking to simply having the ability to reconnect with the fervour I’ve for instructing and training. I am a instructor first, competitor second,” Lea mentioned Monday. “So feeling like I’ve direct duties over the play and the efficiency on the sphere, constructing belief with gamers via instructing them and serving to them to play the sport at the next degree. All these issues are energizing to me.
“I additionally really feel very positively concerning the resilience we demonstrated in a tricky December after a tricky season. The concept we’re capable of bolster our roster and to do issues to construct competitors on our crew, these are issues as a competitor that excite me, too.”
Lea and the Commodores will begin their revenge tour with a house recreation towards the Hokies on Aug. 31. They open the SEC portion of the schedule on Sept. 21, touring to Columbia, Mo., to face Missouri.
–Area Stage Media