Vanderbilt heads into bye week following Missouri loss

The Vanderbilt Commodores (3-5) are heading into a bye week following a disappointing 17-14 loss to Missouri. Vanderbilt has already surpassed preseason expectations gathering wins over Hawaii, Elon and Northern Illinois. Head coach Clark Lea spoke about the season so far and Vanderbilt’s season outlook at the SEC teleconference on Wednesday.

Missouri

In Vanderbilt’s loss, quarterback AJ Swann suffered an injury and was forced to sit out for the rest of the game. Mike Wright took over in the third quarter.  Swann completed only 13/30 passes for 115 yards with an interception. Wright went 9/15 for 127 yards and a touchdown. The Commodores had a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter, but running back Ray Davis was stopped short on fourth down to extend the drive.

Lea said that the team is disappointed with the loss but still has bowl game ambitions.

AJ Swann

Following the loss, Lea didn’t specify what Swann’s injury turned out to be. Multiple reports suggest that Swann suffered a concussion in the third quarter. Despite this, Lea expects Swann to be ready for Vanderbilt’s next game against South Carolina.

Young Player Impact

With Vanderbilt’s bowl game aspirations still intact, Lea is still set on playing the best players possible. He said he still wants to introduce young players and see how they develop inside their role.

Vanderbilt Bye Week

Vanderbilt is heading into its second bye week of the season due to playing a game in week zero. During week zero, several teams open up the college football season before the rest get to do so. Vanderbilt defeated Hawaii 63-10 on Aug. 27. Here’s what Lea had to say about the extra rest for his team.

After the bye, Vanderbilt will host No. 25 South Carolina on Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. central time on SEC Network.

Kick time is set ⏰#AnchorDown pic.twitter.com/1wAKKhXptL

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 24, 2022