Vanderbilt at Hawaii: 3 takeaways from 63-10 Vandy rout

HONOLULU, HI - AUGUST 27: Mike Wright #5 of the Vanderbilt Commodores is congratulated by Justin Ball #84 of the Vanderbilt Commodores after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA football game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the Clarance T.C. Ching Athletic Complex on August 27, 2022 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

2. This Vanderbilt rushing attack could cause some problems in the SEC

It’s just one game, and it’s against a program that is clearly in turmoil, but Vanderbilt’s running game looked as if it was the class of the town.

They gained 404 yards on the ground and did it at an astonishing 9.2 yards per attempt. The run game took a few drives to really get going, but once it did, it was an unstoppable dynamo.

With the option, especially, the Commodores had everything they wanted. Aided by the dual-threat ability of ‘Dores quarterback Mike Wright, said option packages were able to effectively put the defense of Hawaii in conflict. It also helped that Ray Davis, Rocko Griffin, and Chase Gillespie had massive holes to run through.

Even common running plays that every team runs, such as inside zone, were bursting through the seams of the defense. Vanderbilt’s line was rarely pushed back and dominated the interior.

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