Here's a look at Vanderbilt's defensive performance from the Elon game
What went right
Vanderbilt made big plays with the game on the line, which I talked about here. The last one at the end kept six points off the board, the turnover gave the offense field position (which it turned into a touchdown) and the other thwarted what could have been a scoring drive.
The defense also started well, allowing next to nothing on five of Elon's first six drives.
What went wrong
And then, there's everything else.
Allowing 495 yards to an unranked FCS team isn't exactly what coach Clark Lea (or anyone) had in mind on Saturday. Quarterback Matthew McKay (333 yards) picked Vanderbilt apart and receivers Jackson Parham and Chandler Brayboy were terrific (and give those three credit, there were times Vanderbilt was in position to make plays and they just made them anyway).
Pass coverage was awful. BJ Anderson had a nightmarish second half and even steady Jaylen Mahoney has seen better nights. De'Rickey Wright, who had no help on the play, got beaten on a 75-yard TD pass for Elon's first score.
The defensive line wasn't good against the run. Excepting the huge late-game short-yardage situations, Elon's offensive line got some push and it seemed like most carries went for at least 2-3 yards.
Nor did the Commodores generate a pass rush, which exacerbated the back-end issues. Vanderbilt had just one sack (Darren Agu) and three hurries, and Agu's sack came in the first half.
Player of the Game
I'll give it to Anfernee Orji, with an honorable mention to Ethan Barr. Orji seemed to perhaps miss an opportunity or two to make a play but was also in the middle of a lot of the action all night, racking up 13 tackles (five solo) with a hurry and a half-tackle for loss.
Final analysis and grade
There's no sugar-coating this one: Vanderbilt was just bad from about midway in the second quarter on. Penalties, big plays, getting pushed around more than it should have up front, you name it, the group will (and should) hear all about it on film Sunday. All this coming against an FCS team with a new quarterback, too The Commodores should have put this game away earlier, and the defense just didn't do its job.
But there's this: Vanderbilt did make just enough plays when it mattered. And that's why Saturday was a "W" rather than an "L" and why this grade is a "D" instead of an "F."
