Upon Further Review: Texas 34, Vanderbilt 31

That was likely not what Vanderbilt had in mind when trying to bounce back from its first road loss of the season. The Commodores traveled to Austin, Texas over the weekend and took a 34-31 loss to the Longhorns.

Texas grabbed control of the game immediately after scoring a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. From then on, it was basically all Longhorns. Vanderbilt made it 24-10 going into halftime after tight end Eli Stowers caught a pass from quarterback Diego Pavia, but Vanderbilt could not pull any closer after that.

Vanderbilt was unable to score on its first possession of the second half, and Texas managed to go on a 93-yard touchdown to put the game away early in the second half. Vanderbilt made it a close game at the end, but did not recover the onside kick.

Vanderbilt looks to bounce back next week against Auburn at home, but for now, here is the play of the game, player of the game and the stat of the game for Vanderbilt’s game on Saturday.

Play of the Game: Play of the game for Vanderbilt was Diego Pavia’s pass to Eli Stowers for a touchdown. In the moment, the touchdown gave Vanderbilt life in the game rather than being down three touchdowns going into the locker rooms at half.

Player of the Game: Stowers would have to be the player of the game for the Commodores. He led the team in receiving yards and had two touchdowns in the game.

Stat of the Game: Vanderbilt scored 21 points in the final quarter and outgained Texas 238-40 in yards.

10 things you may not have noticed

1. Ineffective Run Game: Vanderbilt was unable to get the run game going early on. The Commodores were stalled out by the Texas defensive front. In the first half, Vanderbilt ran just 14 yards on 13 carries.

2.Red Zone: The red zone was a big difference in the game. Texas converted and found points in all five trips to the red zone, while Vanderbilt scored on two of three trips.

3. First Half Yardage: Texas was all over the Vanderbilt defense throughout the game, especially the first half. In the first half, Vanderbilt averaged just 5.4 yards per play while Texas averaged 10 yards per play.

4. Third Down Defense: It was a struggle for Vanderbilt. Texas was a perfect 5-for-5 on third down and shorts (3rd or 4 or shorter). Texas did miss both 3rd and long attempts (0-for-2 on 3rd and 9 or longer).

5. Big Runs: Vanderbilt did have four runs go for at least 10 yards in the game. The Commodores had runs of 13 yards, 11 yards, 12 yards and 25 yards, which was Pavia’s touchdown run.

6. Big Passing Plays: Pavia was able to put up eight passes that were completed for at least 15 yards. None was bigger than Stower’s 67-yard touchdown in the 4th quarter. Though Vanderbilt lost, the catch was the longest of his career.

7. Outgained: Vanderbilt was outgained by its opponent for the second consecutive week. Texas finished the game with 428 yards while Vanderbilt finished with 423 yards.

8. Turnover Battle: Vanderbilt was unable to force a turnover against Texas and it also committed one turnover in the game. Pavia’s fumble not only gave Texas more momentum in the first quarter, but it also set the Longhorns up in positive territory and gave them three free points.

9. Penalties: Penalties were a major factor into why Vanderbilt had a lack of offense. Holding calls set back drives and prevented points. In total, Vanderbilt had eight penalties for 70 yards.

10. Postseason Conversation: Vanderbilt is 7-2 with two conference losses. The SEC Championship hopes are now over more than likely for the Commodores. But Vanderbilt can still make the playoffs with control of its destiny. Winning out is a must. If Vanderbilt is able to do that, it could easily sneak into the playoffs.

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