Press Conference Notes: Clark Lea discusses road loss against Georgia and upcoming Ole Miss matchup – The Vanderbilt Hustler

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Natasha V. Sachs named assistant vice chancellor and executive director of Vanderbilt University– West Palm Beach
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Vanderbilt faced its second loss of the 2026 season at the University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium, losing to the Bulldogs 38-14. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea spoke about the Oct. 3 loss during his weekly press conference Tuesday, discussing the team’s performance and preparations leading up to Saturday’s matchup against Ole Miss.  
“[We had a] tough result Saturday and we’re feeling all of the effects of that,” Lea said. “We’ve got a team that cares a lot about what they’re doing. I think we’re caught in the two-game skid here where we haven’t played well enough to win, and that does funny things to people that care.” 
Lea spoke about the team’s performances at practice this week, emphasizing the nervousness and excitement as they prepare for Vanderbilt’s first home game since their last-second win over NC State Sept. 19. 
“I appreciate the way our team responded today,” Lea said. “I appreciate the way they responded Sunday. I think this is a group that is anxious to get back out and compete again.” 
Lea discussed this week’s practices with promising results, emphasizing the players’ high speed and energy. The coach shared his satisfaction with the results as they continue practicing ahead of Saturday. 
“We had our best ever day speed-wise today,” Lea said. “I think it was 5 players over 21 miles an hour, something like 9 [players] over 20 [miles] and then maybe 20 [players] over 19 [miles]. The guys were fast, they were energized [and] they came out with purpose, so I’m excited to go through this week with them and to find higher levels of performance.” 
Despite the 24-point win for the Bulldogs this past Saturday, Lea emphasized that there were elements of the Commodores’ gameplay in Athens, Georgia, that the team could apply going forward, while also recognizing some strategies that need to be left behind. 
“There were things that we can take from the Georgia performance and build upon,” Lea said. “And there were things that we need to turn the page on. [I] thought we played better in the front, I thought we were able to create space in the run game. The game honors toughness, so when you play the right way and play with detail, even those that might have been gritty runs on Saturday, eventually they become the breakouts.” 
Lea continued by going through some of the positives from the loss that he believes shouldn’t be overlooked. One of those moments was the Commodores’ execution on third down, which he credited to the team’s consistency of staying active on offense against the Bulldogs throughout the game. 
“[Part of] the effectiveness on Saturday was we did a better job of staying in rhythm,” Lea said. “Even though there were penalties that we can improve upon, I felt on the whole we stayed on schedule better and then we executed on third down; we were able to find some targets and get conversions.” 
Jared Curtis made headlines before last Saturday’s football game when it was announced that he would not start due to a lower-body injury. Lea provided reporters with an update on Curtis’ condition, saying he had improved, but it’s unclear whether he will be ready to start against Ole Miss. 
“[Curtis] was able to practice today and from my vantage point, was able to do that without much limitation,” Lea said. “I think we’re still day to day, so he’ll still be a part of our injury report as we move through the week, but I’m encouraged by the progress. It’s one thing to go into practice; to be able to participate is another thing.” 
As Curtis continues his recovery process, Lea spoke about the impact this moment would have on his college football career, stating that this would be a key point for him in his development. Lea also shared that while the 19-year-old was upset that he couldn’t play against Georgia, he was a supportive teammate throughout the weekend. 
“I actually see [his injury] as part of his development, [and] an important part of his development,” Lea said. “I think last week was his first time in college going through injury recovery. Here’s a guy that was just gutted to not play. He wanted to be out there to the point of emotion and yet, he also knew that it wasn’t the right thing and that Blaze gave us the best chance in that game.” 
Lea also addressed Vanderbilt’s two-win, two-loss record within the SEC’s rankings this season — the first time Vanderbilt has held such a streak since 2023. Lea discussed the need to trust the process and the coaches’ instincts as time goes by, while simultaneously focusing on making clear improvements and not having emotion take a toll on the practices. 
“Momentum’s a funny thing, and it’s great when you have it,” Lea said. “When you don’t have it, you’ve got to trust, and that’s the exercise we’re in right now. [The exercise is] focusing on Sunday on the plays where we didn’t have enough detail to win a game on the road against a good opponent and then turning around on Tuesday [and] focusing on the places where we improved, and we showed physically and athletically that we have everything we need to win those games.” 
Vanderbilt will host Ole Miss this Saturday, Oct. 10, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. CDT. 
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