Vanderbilt Commodores 2022 College Football Preview

Vanderbilt Commodores 2022 College Football Preview

August 7, 2022

2021 Recap

Record – 2-10

ATS – 6-6

“Here we go again. Again.”  <Tugg Speedman> <Scorcher VI: Global Meltdown>

The Commodores struggled once more last season and they’ve now posted a record of 5-28 since the beginning of the 2019 campaign. We were hoping to see a few GREEN SHOOTS of improvement last season but it was a long year indeed.

Let’s see how things look heading into year two of the Clark Lea extravaganza.


Vanderbilt Commodores 2022 Outlook

OFFENSE

Vanderbilt has been offensive for a while and they averaged fewer than 20 PPG for the third consecutive season LY (15.8, #128 FBS), and if that wasn’t enough, they were held to less than seven points on four occasions. The good news is that they’ve got a pair of young QBs who got much needed reps LY (Ken Seals, Mike Wright) but they’ll need to do better than a combined 13-15 TD to INT ratio. Two of the top-four pass catchers are back in the mix but they could use a true #1 option to emerge. Maybe WR Will Sheppard (560, 4 TD LY) can be that guy? The RB room is deep and their top-three all return in 2022. It’ll be nice to see what former Temple Owl Re’Mahn Davis can do in a full season as he was lost in September LY due to injury. Three starters return up front but they lost their LT, and overall, it’s still a work in progress. We don’t expect much on offense but the QBs both have a license to improve. Maybe they TICKLE the 20 PPG mark? Not likely, but not impossible either.

DEFENSE

Vanderbilt has yielded 30+ PPG in three consecutive seasons and last year was particularly gross (35.8 PPG, #119 FBS; #118 total defense, #107 run defense, #114 pass efficiency D). They also displayed a complete inability to ACHIEVE PENETRATION by booking a mere 9 sacks in 12G (tied last FBS). We’re hoping for better things this season as they return seven starters and their top-four tacklers, and note that HC Clark Lea knows a thing or two about defense. Three starters are back up front but they could use more size, and someone, ANYONE, to get to the passer. We like the potential of DE Michael Owusu (5 TFL LY, 330 pounds) but he’s already in his senior campaign which likely limits the upside. The Dores’ top-two tacklers are back in the mix at LB (Orji, Barr) and they added a transfer from Clemson in Kane Patterson. They don’t have too many BALLERS on the back end and they struggled vs the pass in 2021. Vanderbilt might improve a SMIDGE but there’s still a lot of work to be done.

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK Joseph Bulovas does a decent job (14-19 FG, 15-15 XP LY) but there’s not much else to write home about.

Schedule Analysis

Overall – There aren’t any killers on the non-conference docket with their toughest call being a home date with Wake Forest. The draw from the West isn’t ideal (at ROLL TIDE, Ole Miss) but they get three of their final four games at home. We like the opener for these guys (at Hawaii) as they can enjoy some fun and sun, and maybe get to be used as stand-ins during the filming of HONOLULU HOT TUB HOTTIES 2.

Potential ATS Trouble Spot – Nothing heinous is noted.

Season Win Total

per BetOnline Aug 7

Over 2.5 +110

Under 2.5 -140

MEGALOCKS says:

Lean: Over

Ya, it’s ugly, but pencil in a win over Elon. They also play Hawaii, NIU, Missouri, Kentucky, South Carolina, Wake. Gotta be two wins in there, right?

MEGAmazing Tidbits

Vanderbilt is 1-24 vs SEC foes since 2019. They took down the mighty Missouri Tigers in 2019 in Nashville by a score of 21-14. They were 3-TD underdogs in that affair.

The Commodores last bowl victory came when they defeated Houston in the legendary Compass Bowl (W 41-24) to end the 2013 season. That was the last hurrah for your pal James Franklin as HC.


MEGALOCKS Outlook:

It’s clearly another rebuilding year for the Commodores but the hope is that they can show meaningful improvement and even pull a decent-sized upset along the way. That’s probably in their WHEELHOUSE, but we wouldn’t expect anything more than that, yo.


Want more Vanderbilt football ?

WEBSITE

http://www.vucommodores.com/sports/m-footbl/vand-m-footbl-body.html

FORUM

https://www.14powers.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=4

http://www.secrant.com/rant/vandy-sports/

https://vanderbilt.forums.rivals.com/forums/commodore-war-room.8/

NEWS

https://www.anchorofgold.com/

http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/238/vanderbilt-commodores