Vanderbilt’s defense will be charged with a task Saturday few teams are able to do: shut down the Ole Miss offense.
But there are options.
The Commodores can devote an extra defender to keeping Trinidad Chambliss in the pocket. They can commit another body to stopping Kewan Lacy. They can give a corner help over the top against Deuce Alexander.
It just can’t do all three at once.
“This is the challenge. This is the tough part about that offense,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said earlier this week. “Trinidad Chambliss is, as advertised, a dynamic player. He’s got the arm strength and makes quick decisions. Some of the throws he makes are incredible. He is supported by a really strong offensive line and also a talented running back in Lacy. I think those guys will be as good of a backfield tandem as we’ve faced.
“Certainly, they’ll present challenges with the tempo, too. Obviously, then you have Deuce Alexander on the perimeter. He’s not the only one, but he’s the guy who stands out as a really trusted target and a serious vertical threat.”
The Rebels possess the SEC’s leading passing attack entering the weekend. It’s averaging 322.5 passing yards per game and Chambliss is completing 70.8% of his passes for 1,222 yards and eight touchdowns. It’s only averaging 117.5 rushing yards per game, though that doesn’t mean Lacy isn’t a threat.
If Vanderbilt uses additional resources to contain Chambliss, Lacy gets lighter boxes.
If it crowds the line to stop Lacy and Chambliss, Alexander gets one-on-one coverage. If it keeps two safeties deep to protect its corners, Ole Miss gets better numbers underneath.
That’s the dilemma.
Chambliss is the biggest threat, after all quarterbacks usually are. But Lea said as much at his press conference.
“Keep the cage on the quarterback,” he said. “He’s going to get his plays, but we have to make sure the big plays don’t go for touchdowns.”
Putting Chambliss in a cage isn’t something anyone has been able to do. He isn’t simply a quarterback who can scramble for five yards when a play breaks down.
When he scrambles he’s either gaining positive yards or making defenders extend their coverages and keep up with the likes of Alexander of Caleb Odom. A defensive back might cover his receiver perfectly for the three seconds the play was designed to last. Then Chambliss escapes and suddenly that corner has to cover Alexander for five or six seconds.
That’s where the real danger lies.
Keeping a true cage around Chambliss usually means defenders have to maintain rush lanes rather than simply attack.
And if Vanderbilt uses a spy? That’s one fewer defender helping stop Lacy, covering underneath passing lanes or helping a corner against Alexander.
While the run game for Ole Miss hasn’t lived up to preseason expectations, Lacy is a threat if he plays. He’s averaging 4.9 yards per carry and if he’s in the game, he might be a higher priority to stop than Chambliss.
Lacy doesn’t necessarily have to rush for 150 yards to change the game. He may only need to convince Vanderbilt that he could. Start the game with a few runs of five, six or eight yards and the Commodores may start to play the run more aggressively.
Which might leave a Vanderbilt corner in a one-on-one situation against Alexander. Lea practically guaranteed it would happen.
“With Deuce Alexander, you’re going to talk about one-on-ones. Do we have awareness of the route tree and what he’s going to like against certain coverages?” Lea said. “There are going to be times where we have to depend on our player to make a play against him. That’s part of the deal.”
Alexander isn’t the only threat. Traylon Ray has shown big play ability this season. Odom is a matchup nightmare. Luke Hasz is reliable. Johntay Cook is looking for more opportunities. Horatio Fields has a couple great catches this season.
Maybe Chambliss runs wild. Maybe Lacy finally has the breakout rushing game Ole Miss expected entering the season. Maybe Alexander gets the one-on-one matchup Vanderbilt knew it would eventually have to concede and turns it into six points.
Any of those things could happen Saturday.
The more interesting part will be why.
Vanderbilt has enough defenders to make life difficult for Ole Miss’ stars. It just doesn’t have enough to devote an extra one to all of them.
Sooner or later, the Commodores will have to make a choice and live with the consequences.
