Instant Analysis: Vanderbilt Football Beats Charleston Southern

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt put out a strong performance in its first game of the new college football season as it throttled Charleston Southern 45-3.

Vanderbilt got out to a quick start, scoring a touchdown on its first two drives to go up 14-0 in the blink of an eye. The start immediately put an immense amount of pressure on Charleston Southern that it could not come back from.

Vanderbilt's offense showed little to no struggles moving the ball with the starters in the game. A 28-0 performance in the first half nearly turned into a 35-0 lead, but a holding penalty got a Richie Hoskins touchdown called back.

Tre Richardson played a pivotal role in Vanderbilt’s success throughout the game. The Washburn receiver transfer totaled five catches for 74 yards, with the majority of them coming in the first half.

“It's good to win you know, I'm at a point in my life where I don't take wins for granted, and sometimes, you know, it's not exactly how you want it to be, but you gotta take the time to celebrate and enjoy it. These guys have worked really hard and earned that win, and I think it was a game where we started the right way. We talked a lot about this, about, how do we eliminate hope early in the game? How do we play Vanderbilt football at a level that puts distance between us and the opponent,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said.

There were some mistakes, however. Vanderbilt finished with seven penalties for 60 yards, including two false starts and a couple holding penalties that set drives back. Going into next week, the Commodores’ goal is to clean up on the penalties.

Defensively, Vanderbilt made sure not to take the Buccaneers lightly. In the first half alone, Charleston Southern only managed to get two first downs. On the one drive early in the game where it did move the ball down the field, Vanderbilt safety C.J Heard picked off Charleston Southern quarterback Zolten Osbourne.

The Commodores only allowed 135 yards all game long. The depth of the defense that was talked about all training camp showed out in a big way.

Up next, Vanderbilt will look for another strong start as it travels to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech. An early road test is sure to give fans a better picture of what this team is made of.

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