Vanderbilt launches Blair Ovation Award with scholarship valued at $97,000
Vanderbilt launches Blair Ovation Award with scholarship valued at $97,000
Football: Vanderbilt beats NC State 35-31 on last-second miracle
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The world of college football is still buzzing after last Saturday, and for good reason: Vanderbilt fans witnessed pure magic at FirstBank Stadium in the final six seconds of a seemingly impossible win. With Vanderbilt’s ESPN win probability sitting at a whopping 0.1%, what felt like certain heartbreak flipped into what can only be described by Commodore head coach Clark Lea as, “when grown men become kids.”
But as Lea addressed the media on Tuesday in anticipation of what is arguably Vanderbilt’s most intense matchup yet, his message was clear.
“We got away with one on Saturday,” Lea said. “But this is a team that we’re playing against that isn’t going to allow it to be that easy… We will be exposed if we don’t [improve].”
Vanderbilt rallied from a 17-point deficit on Saturday, ultimately winning the game in the final six seconds when an unconventional defensive call forced a fumble in the end zone. With NC State backed up and attempting to take an intentional safety, defensive coordinator Steve Gregory queued up an aggressive play rarely executed in that part of the field.
“I think this is the first time in the history of college football there’s been a field goal block called on minus whatever yard line,” Lea said. “The purpose was to try to generate as much pressure as we could specifically off the edges… CJ Heard is like just a fraction of an inch away from being offsides. But he does exactly that, and I think his initial push created the first kind of indecision for their quarterback… Mason Lewis wrapped him up from behind, Miles [Capers] came in and stripped the ball out, and then Cayden [Daniels] was there to recover it.”
This shocking finish sent college football fans into delirium. Still, Lea was quick to remind the locker room in Sunday’s film review that relying on miracles is not a repeatable formula. He pulled up the live analytics to show the team just how razor-sharp their survival on Saturday really was.
“The other thing that I showed them was just the ESPN win probabilities. I mean, it was 99.9% [for NC State],” Lea said. “So, what I said to them was, ‘I’m glad the 0.1% was in the room,’ because it’s, again, a testament to the power of the internal, which is so important to this program. We got away with one on Saturday, and I think there’s a lot to be proud of. You know, I’ve heard it described as a culture win. And the truth is, I want the culture to be about better football.”
Offensively, the Commodores leaned heavily on true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis in no-huddle sets down the stretch. Curtis displayed his elite arm talent when spreading the field, which Lea noted strips down pre-snap disguise for a young passer.
“Jared [Curtis], he’s got the ability to both see it, but also, he’s got the arm talent to really go from tick mark to tick marks. And I think that puts stress on a defense,” Lea said. “It’s harder when you push tempo to get multiple defensively. You’re not able to sub, you’re not able to get your disguises in… but his skill set is such that you saw him on Saturday, again, make the throws from hash to sideline.”
Defensively, the Commodores gave up several explosive plays in the first half against the Wolfpack, including a 38-yard run and a 40-yard post wheel concept caused by miscommunication in the secondary. Lea mentioned that limiting these game-changing plays will be paramount against SEC talent.
“I trust structure. When I see a lack of structure, that makes me anxious. This is an issue. We’ve gotta fix it, and good teams will expose you that way,” Lea said. “We say in our program, yards don’t matter, points do… The biggest thing to me is, are we owning our mistakes? My challenge to the defense is no explosive touchdowns this week. Let’s see how many field goals we can force in situations where the ball gets down in tight spaces; that becomes a winning formula for us.”
Beyond schematic adjustments, the Commodore offensive line continues to shuffle players to find its most cohesive unit. Moving Orion Irving inside remains a point of emphasis for offensive coordinator Tim Beck as they look to ignite a stagnant ground game.“This is about our combination of best five… and building chemistry specifically with our quarterback and confidence in that rhythm,” Lea explained. “I want to see the run game get going. Auburn’s not going to make that easy, but we’re going to need to find ways to get some horizontal and vertical stretch to find the spaces.”
Off the field, Lea praised several players who have embodied the program’s identity through community service, pointing to running back Sedrick Alexander, who donates $280 to ALS for every touchdown scored in honor of former Titans running back Chris Johnson. He also points to Nick Rinaldi, who hosts a Special Olympics athlete every Friday.
“This is a first-class guy,” Lea said regarding Alexander. “He’s helped build this to the point where we find ways to win games like we did on Saturday. But there’s an element of empathy there and care for community… He’s a great person, he’s a great player, but he’s an even better person.”
Now, Lea and the Commodores must find a way to translate their miraculous momentum into disciplined football as they enter hostile territory on the Plains.
“What we haven’t shown is Vanderbilt football in a sustained fashion that looks like winning football,” Lea said. “And if you don’t play that way in our league, again, you get exposed. And so that is priority number one.”
Vanderbilt takes on Auburn on the road at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 3:15 p.m. CDT.
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Press Conference Notes: Clark Lea recaps NC State, looks ahead to Auburn – The Vanderbilt Hustler
