Here are my immediate thoughts on VU's home loss to UNLV.

Coach Derek Mason won't survive this.

This week, I wrote about how this level of poor performance put Mason in the territory that gets coaches fired.

Things were already bad, but today took it all to a new level.

Most coaches have that moment that removes any shadow of a doubt about where things are headed. Watson Brown had his 44-7 debacle at SMU in the Mustangs’ second year removed from the death penalty in 1990. Woody Widehofer’s 71-13 massacre at Florida in 2001 seemed to be his death knell.

This was Mason's. UNLV hadn't beaten a Power Five team since 2008. The Rebels lost to Arkansas State by 26, and to Wyoming by 36. UNLV was a 15.5-point underdog, ranking 141st in the Sagarin ratings, and manhandled the Commodores basically from start to finish.

VU looked physically outmatched and played with little intensity and passion. He lost his most ardent defenders on our message boards last week, and here's how the stands looked with five minutes to play.

The only thing that would unite and excite the fan base at this point would be a coaching change. Mason's a good man and doesn't deserve to be hung out to dry. I can't think of a reason to let this play out any longer.

Wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb stood on the sideline, without his helmet, from the second quarter until early in the third.

Lipscomb wasn’t wearing a boot, a cast or a sling, or have an apparent ailment, and I didn’t see him in the injury tent at any point. We asked media relations at halftime and were given no reason for Lipscomb’s absence, but were told that he wouldn’t return.

Then, without warning, Lipscomb appeared early in the third quarter, on Vandy’s second possession. A few plays later, Lipscomb got open and dropped a strike from Neal on what would have been a first-down reception.

Lipscomb’s one of the most competitive players I’ve ever seen at Vanderbilt. I reserve judgment until I get more information, but seeing Lipscomb on the sideline part of the day under those circumstances wasn't a good look for anyone.

UPDATE: Mason said after the game that Lipscomb had been suffering from a bruised heel that flared up during the game.

The door was open for Deuce Wallace and he didn’t take advantage of it.

Wallace came in for most of the second quarter, going 1-for-6 for 10 yards. After a couple of Riley Neal turnovers, Wallace returned and finished the day 5 for 16 for 36 yards.

Receivers weren’t getting open.

Lipscomb’s absence really hurt when he was out. With Amir Abdur-Rahman gone for the year, the amount of speed VU can put on the field has really decreased. VU threw deep twice to James Bostic (who couldn’t get separation) and couldn't spring receivers open against UNLV most of the day.

Vanderbilt was embarrassingly out-matched physically today.

Vandy’s depth situation at defensive line really reared its head today, as VU only had two true defensive linemen in the game at times. It would then crowd the rest of the line of scrimmage with inside and outside linebackers, and not surprisingly, a bigger UNLV team won the fight there.

Line depth is one thing, but strength and conditioning is another. It's hard to explain how this happens at a Southeastern Conference program.