Football: Three takeaways from Vanderbilt’s 31-21 loss against Arkansas – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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Vanderbilt Football (3-4) failed to capitalize against Arkansas (3-4) at FirstBank Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 17. Coming off three straight disappointing SEC losses, Vanderbilt entered looking for the first conference win of the 2026 season. 
The Commodores kept the game close until the last few minutes. Vanderbilt took the first lead of the game by way of a Sedrick Alexander rushing touchdown. Their next drive was a pick-six, and the rest of the game was a back-and-forth affair with the teams swapping scores until the Razorbacks pulled away in the fourth quarter. Even with a standout performance from senior wide receiver Junior Sherrill, Vanderbilt just couldn’t get it done when it mattered. 
The Hustler breaks down three key takeaways from the Commodores’ fourth loss of the season. 
Protect the football 
Is there anything in football worse for momentum than a pick-six? A costly turnover on a fourteen-play drive late in the fourth quarter probably has that beat. The first turnover came halfway through the second quarter. Vanderbilt was up a touchdown and had just forced a punt after an eight-minute Arkansas drive stalled out. The Razorbacks had absolutely no momentum. That lasted only one 0-yard run as Curtis targeting Sherrill on the slant sent it right to senior corner Joker Jackson, who returned it for a touchdown. Vanderbilt failed to capitalize on their early advantage and, despite scoring on the following drive, conceded again before half.
The next turnover came late in the fourth quarter. Arkansas led 28-21, but over six minutes through a mix of passes and runs, the Commodores found themselves on a second and twelve deep into Razorback territory. Curtis came under immediate pressure, and while escaping a sack, he attempted to dump it off to MK Young, which fell into the hands of safety Miguel Mitchell. Arkansas was given the ball with just three minutes left, and they drained the clock and got a field goal, giving a ten-point cushion. Vanderbilt
Interceptions are common for young quarterbacks. Jared Curtis will no doubt learn from his decision-making in this game, and it will make him a better quarterback in the long run. Still, in a loss as close as this one, it’s impossible to not consider what would have happened differently if those mistakes were avoided.  
Big offensive plays 
7:13 on the clock left in the third quarter. Arkansas up 21 to 14 with a stalled drive around Vanderbilt’s 33-yard line. Kicker Max Gilbert lines up for a 51-yard field goal, and it just misses, hitting the left upright. Taking over at midfield, the Commodores waste no time finding their footing. Curtis throws it deep, connecting with junior Maurice Veney on the Arkansas 34-yard line, who takes it all the way to the 22-yard line. The very next play, Curtis finds Sherrill for 19 yards, getting the Vanderbilt offense right into scoring position, which MK Young capitalizes on with a 3-yard rushing touchdown.
Big plays were featured in all three Commodore scoring drives. After two early punts, Vanderbilt started their third drive moving steadily. On second down on their own 49-yard line, Curtis found Ja’Cory Thomas for a 39-yard gain. Then, two plays later, the ‘Dores took the lead with a Sedrick Alexander carry.
A drive that ended in an interception later; Curtis had the Commodores driving down the field towards the end of the second quarter. After three consecutive runs got Vanderbilt from the 50-yard line to Arkansas’s 24-yard line, Curtis found Sherill downfield for a big score.
The team clearly doesn’t lack big play ability, but it does lack offensive consistency. Since losing Diego Pavia, the team is yet to find its offensive identity. Curtis has fostered a great connection with Sherrill, who ended the day with 99 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions. For the ‘Dores to take the next step, they will need consistency to go hand in hand with the big play potential that Curtis brings.
A lack of run defense  
Through four SEC games, not one opponent has recorded less than 139 rushing yards against the Commodore defense. Against Arkansas, this issue was glaring. Going into this matchup, the Razorbacks were averaging just 99 yards on the ground per game. Arkansas had 187 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards a carry. This production was split between three players: signal caller KJ Jackson, sophomore Cam Settles, and junior Braylen Russell. Four Arkansas players had carried for over 10 yards. Vanderbilt had no answers. 
The Commodores’ front seven struggled heavily throughout the game. The team didn’t record a single sack and only had three tackles for loss. That stat line was almost identical to the Ole Miss loss; the only difference being a single recorded sack in that game. Against Georgia, they only recorded one tackle for loss. When starting a young quarterback like Curtis, Vanderbilt must put him in the best possible position to succeed. In consecutive SEC games, the Commodore defense has been largely ineffective against the run, conceding control of game flow to opponents. The defense needs to produce results, and stopping the run is a good place to start.
The Commodores will travel to Lexington, Kentucky, next Saturday, Oct. 17, to play the Wildcats, looking for their first SEC win of the season. 
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