Vanderbilt football: Derek Mason attempting to break slump in 2020
Vanderbilt football is looking to avoiding another 3-9 record like last season. They will need to fix complicated problems on offense and defense.
Winning in crucial for all teams in the SEC to be a productive program. It is more difficult for a team like the Vanderbilt Commodores to win than the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Florida Gators. The program does demand some for a chance to build a winning team. This is something that not been achieved by head coach Derek Mason in his six years with the program.
While they don’t have the same amount of resources to win a significant amount of games as Alabama or Florida, James Franklin showed that it’s possible to win there. In only three years with Vanderbilt from 2011-13, Franklin, in his first-ever stint as a head coach, went 24-15.
The Commodores have made six postseason bowl appearances since 2008, three coming from Franklin and two from Mason.
In the past six seasons with Mason as the head coach, the Commodores have accumulated a record 27-47 including a 10-37 versus fellow SEC teams. This is highly underperforming considering their most recent success after Franklin left for Penn State. The Commodores appeared in two bowl games in 2016 and 2018 but failed to win those games thus concluding their season at 6-7.
This past season was the worst season that Vanderbilt accumulated with Mason since his first season with the program in 2014. The Commodores finished with one of the worst offenses and defenses in the SEC.
It’s not uncommon for the Commodores to recruit some great athletes and playmakers. It’s how they are coaches build and utilize their players. For coach Mason, he is looking to create a program that can win multiple every season.
If the Commodores go want to consistent threats in the SEC East, they will need to win some big games against Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The Commodores have not beaten the Gators since 2013. They are currently on an 11-game losing streak to the South Carolina Gamecocks as they have not beaten them since 2008.