PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn was supposed to be the answer for the departed Ralph Webb. His production has been fine, but the junior has only been on the field for about 30 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, and has just 39 carries so far. A breakout game for the junior could go a long way in helping the VU offense.
–TE Jared Pinkney got tons of press after Week Three due to leading the country in receiving yards for tight ends. Pinkney took a step back last week with a drop or two and could use a good game to re-establish himself as an elite pass-pass-catching option.
–ILB Dimitri Moore hasn’t graded well the last two weeks, but seems to have the trust of the coaching staff, which has played him almost every snap of his first two college starts the last two weeks. Moore, a redshirt freshman, ranks fifth on the team in tackles and has a chance to build confidence against Tennessee State.
–OLB Charles Wright seeks his first sack of the season. A preseason All-Southeastern Conference candidate, Wright had nine sacks a season ago. He has 14 stops and a hurry this season.
SERIES HISTORY: Vanderbilt leads 2-0. Those games were played at Vanderbilt in 2006 (38-9) and 2016 (35-17).
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It didn’t feel like that. I don’t think this team came out of this game feeling beaten. I think this team came out of this game feeling that we left a lot out there. You’ve got to play well. When you look at the tape, I thought South Carolina played fast. That’s the thing that jumped out to me. They looked faster than us.” — Coach Derek Mason, when asked if a 37-14 loss to South Carolina in the team’s Southeastern Conference opener had the potential to kill VU’s confidence in the way a 59-0 loss to Alabama in the league opener did last year.
