NASHVILLE — Looking through the box score of Vanderbilt football’s loss to Arkansas, it feels like anyone can pick and choose a multitude of reasons why the Commodores suffered their fourth consecutive loss. More specifically, there are plenty of things to point to against Vanderbilt’s defense as the reason why it lost the game.
Arkansas had 438 total yards of offense, 187 rushing yards, went perfect in the red zone with three red zone touchdowns, had 192 yards in one quarter alone, converted 50% of its third down attempts against Vanderbilt and did not turn the ball over one time.
It may not have been the 35-point blowout loss Vanderbilt experienced against Ole Miss, but the final score felt like the only place that Vanderbilt’s defense did better against Arkansas. Outside of that, Vanderbilt’s defense was picked apart all night by an Arkansas team that came into the game with a 2-4 record and the only other winless team in the SEC.
As Vanderbilt linebacker Bryan Longwell put it, Arkansas “dominated” Vanderbilt’s defense.
“They just dominated us. I don’t think we got enough push. I don’t think linebackers played good enough I just don’t think we played good enough as a defense to shut them down. I think we let too many leaky yards out,” Longwell said.
Vanderbilt’s defensive performance Saturday was not an outlier. Vanderbilt now ranks as the No. 81 team in the country in total defense, No. 86 in total defense, the No. 79 rushing defense, No. 95 in third down conversions allowed and perhaps worst of all, the Commodores are No. 111 in the country in red zone defense.
In almost every major defensive statistical category, Vanderbilt is ranked in the bottom half of college football. The game against Arkansas was just the continuation of those statistical trends continuing.
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said he has not considered making a change at who is calling the plays on defense, which is defensive coordinator Steve Gregory. Rather, Lea pointed to the issues on defense being rooted in his guys being confused and disorganized.
“I think there are times where we’re trying to change calls, where we’re changing personnel late and getting calls in late. That leads to disorganization on the snap,” Lea said.
It is not just the fact that Lea’s defense has gotten beat consistently throughout SEC play, it is also the way in which Vanderbilt has gotten beat. Lea is seeing his guys get pushed around and getting moved. It is perhaps a surprising sight to see after watching the defense in fall camp. In the SEC, winning in the trenches is the most important thing. Teams win by out-physicalling each other. Right now, Vanderbilt is losing the trenches on both sides of the ball and Lea knows that.
Vanderbilt has been on the same page defensively lately and the execution has been nowhere near the level of consistency the coaching staff would want to see. Vanderbilt did have a good start to the game defensively, but that start tapered off quickly.
And the possession that was maybe most telling of all was the opening drive of the second half. Arkansas marched 75 yards down the field in seven plays in under four minutes and took a 21-14 lead. The Razorbacks had no issues on the drive whatsoever.
Vanderbilt’s defense is a pressure-based scheme. It relies heavily on getting to the backfields of opponents and creating sacks or some kind of chaos for offenses. Execution in high-leverage situations is paramount in the scheme. If it does not happen, the scheme becomes ineffective.
Vanderbilt knows the importance of winning on first and second down so that the pressure it dials up on third down is effective. Right now, that is not happening as much as it needs to be. Lea is open to making adjustments to the scheme, though.
“We have to be better. And if that means dialing back on some of the pressure, if that means simplifying the callsheet to get our cleats in the ground so we can play a more detailed game,” Lea said.
Going forward, Vanderbilt has to do something different on defense. Maybe that does mean dialing back the pressure. Whatever the adjustment is, the Commodores have to go back to the drawing board and find answers.
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