Five key questions about Vanderbilt heading into the Alabama game

VandySports's Chris Lee answers five questions about the Commodores, as asked by Tide Illustrated's Henry Skylar, heading into the Alabama game.

This is a very broad question, so it’s up to you where you want to take your answer: With the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the conference that already boasts some of the top brand in the sport, what is Vanderbilt’s current and long term role in the conference?

I don't see Vanderbilt exiting on its own. Everyone knows the program hasn't been consistently competitive within the league for decades (much of that self-inflicted), but the check's too big and there's too much prestige for the school to just hand that over voluntarily.

My understanding is that some feasibility studies were done around "downsizing" to a different level of athletics, but that was the mid-to-late-1990s and the folks conducting that study came to the conclusion that the school was better off where it is. WIth the money and visibility now dwarfing what it was then, I can't see anyone making a different decision and have not heard of any serious discussions about leaving. And I've never heard any serious talks of the league kicking Vanderbilt out, either.

Now... with the changing landscape of TV revenues and the big brands being more important than ever, who knows what's around the corner? Maybe one day Vandebilt gets squeezed out of the power structure for that reason, but that's nothing more than speculation.

Vanderbilt has shown program improvement at points this season, whether that was their Week 1 upset over Virginia Tech or their Week 4 almost-upset in Columbia against Missouri. What has changed within the program to show this sudden progress, and has the expectation altered in any way entering a game like this against a more talented Alabama team?

A lot changed, starting with coaching. Since last year, Vanderbilt has (among other things) a new offensive coordinator (Tim Beck), a new defensive coordinator (head coach Clark Lea), a new strength and conditioning coach (Robert Stiner) and an unofficial "head coach of the offense" in Jerry Kill.

Lea realized last season that the formula to winning games should include an approach that includes a mobile quarterback and a ball-control offense. And that was smart. The last time Vanderbilt won an SEC game (actually, two of them) was the fall of 2022 when Mike Wright engineered wins over Florida and Kentucky. Dual-threat transfer Diego Pavia (more on him later) gives Vanderbilt that dimension. And defensively, Vanderbilt is much more organized with Lea running that side of the ball.

The plan is to hold the ball as long as possible and not turn it over. Vanderbilt has been able to pull it off so far and for that reason, while nobody's expecting the Commodores to compete with the league's upper crust, expectations have increased a bit since that plan has worked and a league win or two wouldn't be out of the question.

Alabama fans are familiar with Deigo Pavia as the New Mexico State quarterback who led the Aggies to an upset win over Auburn on The Plains in 2023. How has he looked since transferring to Vanderbilt, and how does he fit into the Commodores scheme?

He's been fantastic. He's not the fastest guy, he doesn't have the strongest arm, but he's like the point guard who can see passing lanes that nobody else sees and does something nobody sees coming, and that's hard to scout and defend. He's been accurate with the ball and the team's turned it over just once in four games.

He's the perfect quarterback for Vanderbilt's plan and a lot of fun to watch.

The nation saw the emergence of 17-year-old wide receiver Ryan Williams against Georgia in week five. What defensive personnel and scheme does Vanderbilt plan on deploying to limit the freshman wideout?

I watched the whole Georgia game, and if the Bulldogs couldn't stop Williams then I doubt anyone else can. He makes moves on a football field that I've never seen anyone else make. The best plan is to keep him from getting the ball in the first place through a sack or a deflection or forcing an inaccurate throw but that won't be easy, either.

Lea was asked specifically about containing Williams this week and talked about executing the technical aspects of Vanderbilt's plan. I took that to mean being sound in open-field tackling and again, that's easier said than done, but the Commodores need to at least be in position and ready to make a plan when he's got the ball.

Alabama’s secondary came up big in the end to put Georgia away in week five but has still shown vulnerability at points this season. Who of Vanderbilt’s skill players has the best chance to take advantage of a young secondary for Alabama?

It's not a super-speedy group that'll run away from defenders but it's been one that's out-performed my expectations.

Quincy Skinner has been Vanderbilt's big-play guy, and tight end Eli Stowers (Pavia's favorite target) has been good, too. Slot receiver Junior Sherrill has been dependable and probably under-utilized and could play a bigger role.

If tight end Cole Spence is healthy (and that's been an issue) then I could see him being a factor as he's debatably Vanderbilt's most-gifted pass-catcher, but health has been an issue for Spence all season and so I don't know how much he'll factor in on Saturday.