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Vanderbilt football's 2026 season remains shrouded in uncertainty following a 52-17 drubbing by Ole Miss on Oct. 10. The 35-point margin marked the Commodores' most lopsided defeat since a 47-6 loss to South Carolina in 2023. Now sitting at 3-3 overall and 0-3 in the SEC, Vanderbilt faces a daunting path to bowl eligibility.
Next on the schedule is Arkansas (2-4, 0-3) on Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2. However, other opponents like Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Florida have exceeded expectations, making the road ahead even tougher.
In the loss to Ole Miss (4-1, 2-1), penalties and turnovers proved costly, as the Commodores continually surrendered yardage and never mounted a serious comeback.
Key Analysis
The running game remains a glaring weakness. Makhilyn Young led Vanderbilt with 40 rushing yards on nine carries, but 34 of those came on a single burst; his other eight attempts netted just six yards. Blaze Berlowitz, who entered in garbage time, was the second-leading rusher with 23 yards on four carries. Jamezell Lassiter added 20 yards on six carries, Evan Hampton 16 on four, and Sedrick Alexander managed only 13 on six. Jared Curtis, dealing with a lower-body injury, was limited to three rushes for 18 yards (excluding sacks), but none of the running backs found any rhythm.
"In the running back room, we control what we can control," Young said. "When we get blessed, and I say blessed with the opportunity to carry the ball, we maximize it. That's it, just maximize every opportunity, and you've got to understand that it might just be one, what do you do with that one?"
This season, Vanderbilt averages 119.67 rushing yards per game, ranking 118th out of 138 FBS teams. The Commodores also average 3.52 yards per carry, which is 122nd nationally and 14th in the 16-team SEC, ahead of only Arkansas and Oklahoma. In 2025, Vanderbilt averaged 175.5 yards per game (47th) and 5.62 yards per carry (6th), highlighting a significant decline.
The offensive line's reliance on transfers has backfired. While the transfer portal is vital for most programs, over-reliance at a specific position can be risky. Transfers don't always pan out, and a lack of high school recruiting and development leaves teams vulnerable. Under Clark Lea, Vanderbilt has struggled to consistently recruit and develop offensive linemen, forcing the Commodores to rebuild the line through the portal annually. Finding cohesive units in the portal is far harder than plugging in one or two players. There is hope: Mitchell Smith looks promising despite missing the Ole Miss game with an injury, and 4-star tackle Jasper Ngokwere is committed for 2027. But earlier failures in Lea's tenure have led to the current predicament.
Ja'Cory Thomas continues to impress, catching all three of his targets for 60 yards. He may not be Tre Richardson, but if he stays healthy after battling hamstring issues, he could be a valuable asset for Jared Curtis. Cole Spence and Walter Taylor also contributed key catches.
The quarterback situation has been mishandled, doing a disservice to both Curtis and Berlowitz. Curtis, the better performer in preseason, lost development time, while Berlowitz was booed off the field against Delaware. When relieving Curtis, Berlowitz has played well, much better than in outings against Austin Peay and Delaware. Unfortunately for Vanderbilt, the damage is done.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Run game struggles and other Vanderbilt football final thoughts from Ole Miss game.
Originally reported by yahoo.