VandySports.com's Chris Lee fields six questions from Gators Territory's Jacquie Francuilli regarding VU's upcoming game with Florida.

1. Vandy is forced to play its third QB in Deuce Wallace due to injuries. What can you tell us about the signal caller?

This staff has always been high on Wallace. The narrative coming from the coaching staff was that Wallace was in contention for the starting job breaking camp.

It didn't happen that way--Riley Neal started the year as Vandy's quarterback and has started all but one game--but Wallace has played six times. Unfortunately the production--five rushes for one yard, 33-for-76 passing for 217 yards, three interceptions and no scores--hasn't been there.

Wallace an intelligent kid who showed an accurate arm and whom the coaching staff thought might be able to make a few plays with his feet. To be fair to Wallace, there has been all kinds of dysfunction on the offensive side of the ball that's had some affect on those numbers, but the redshirt junior will have to step up his play as well if Vandy's to be competitive.

2. Any more injuries affecting the Commodores?

Wallace is likely starting because VU doesn't believe it can get Neal or Mo Hasan--who started and helped VU win its only Southeastern Conference game over Missouri--through concussion protocol.

Other injuries of significance: VU lost starting safety Frank Coppet for the year. Starting outside linebacker Kenny Hebert, didn't play last week and is presumably banged up.

On offense, there's been little recent news. Receiver Amir Abdur-Rahman was lost before the season started and would have helped.

VU may have D.C. Williams back this week; he was VU's top corner on opening night, but Williams hasn't played since an injury on Sept. 28.

3. The Vandy defense is very young, losing a lot of its talent from last season. How would you assess where they are now compared to earlier in the season?

It's only two games, but, there has been a night-and-day defense since coach Derek Mason started helping out more on that side of the ball and defensive coordinator Jason Tarver has moved upstairs to the coaching box.

The first six games, Vanderbilt was literally near the bottom in almost any major statistical category nationally. Two weeks ago, it held Missouri to 14 points and 293 yards and though it gave up 440 to South Carolina last week, that came on 80 snaps (5.5 yards per play.)

Freshman corners Jaylen Mahoney and B.J. Anderson have been good and solid, respectively. Inside linebacker play--which was an absolute disaster the first six weeks--has started to get better. And the Commodores have three outside linebackers in Elijah McAllister, LaShawn Paulino-Bell and Andre Mintze, who've shown good things lately.

VU fans have had to grasp for straws of hope this year. Having an entire starting defense composed of underclassmen, and seeing real improvement of late, is easily the biggest of those.

4. Florida remembers Ke'Shawn Vaughn well from the last times these two teams meet. We all know his potential but Vandy's rushing offense is only averaging 126 yards per game. What has been the struggle?

The struggle is literally related to everything else around him, because Vaughn's consistently been a stud in his season and a half at Vandy.

VU broke in a mostly-new offensive line that didn't open a lot of holes early. Quarterback play has been awful. Play-calling hasn't been innovative. The Commodores either refuse to, or just can't, stretch the field with the passing game. Chemistry and trust issues on offense are also enormous issues.

That leaves defenses knowing Vaughn's the only concern. In spite of that, he, has 1,070 yards from scrimmage and seven of the Commodores' 14 touchdowns.

5. With the rumors around Derek Mason has the team rallied around him?

Well, the team rallied around something three weeks ago when, one week after losing 34-10 to UNLV, it upset Missouri as a 21-point underdog. Whether that was Mason, or the well-liked Hasan (who made his only appearance of the year that day), I don't know.

I know this: The defense is much better. It's executing better the last two games and giving effort to the end.

The offense? Well, that's another story.

Preseason All-SEC wideout Kalija Lipscomb stood on the sideline, apparently unhurt, all game, last week, with no prior warning and no intelligible answer given for that later. VU seems unconcerned that preseason All-American tight end Jared Pinkney (50 catches, 774 yards, seven TDs last year) has six catches in his past five games. That's not helping buy-in. A three-quarterback carousel (Allan Walters could make it four on Saturday) probably isn't helping, either.

I've seen some strange seasons at Vandy. This one takes the cake.

6. Vandy wins if.. (and give a prediction).

The Missouri win is the most likely blueprint.

It starts with defense; if the Commodores can hold Florida in the low-20s or under, then maybe there's a chance.

The Commodores can't move the ball consistently on anyone, so, they'll have to be efficient with drives. Of Vandy's 13 drives vs. Missouri, eight totaled under 20 yards. Of the other five, three resulted in touchdowns and one ran out the last six minutes of the game.

VU has typically played the Gators close, but it's hard to find a realistic path to victory. Florida 31, Vanderbilt 7 sounds about right.