– Last Updated on June 8, 2018 7:51 am
2017 Football Preview – SEC – Commodores
Looking for 2017 Vanderbilt Commodores predictions? The Commodores came on strong at the end of the 2016 season with two huge wins over strong SEC opponents. Those two victories were enough to propel them into a bowl game for the first time under head coach Derek Mason.
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- 2017-18 College Football Preview – Vanderbilt Commodores
- Head Coach: Derek Mason
- 2016 Record: 6-7
- Vanderbilt Commodores Odds to win the 2017 FBS Championship: +20000
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Was the end of 2016 a fluke, or is Vanderbilt legitimately headed in the right direction for 2017?
2017 Vanderbilt Commodores Predictions: Team Strengths
Caught in a Webb: There was little in the way of surprise or secrecy in terms of how the Vanderbilt offense hoped to succeed in 2016. They wanted to run, run and run opponents into the ground, and that should not be different this year.
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Senior running back Ralph Webb will be returning for the Commodores, and he is unquestionably their most effective weapon offensively.
Webb ran for a school record 1,283 yards last year, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and scoring 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Webb should be the workhorse of the offense, but Vandy’s depth at running back will also be a strength with Khari Blasingame and Jamauri Wakefield backing him up.
Stout Defense: The strong running game of the Commodores will be the perfect complement to the real strength of the team as a whole, which is their tough defense.
With head coach Derek Mason’s background, it should be no surprise that his team prides itself on the defensive side of the ball. They will be returning several starters in the secondary and on the line and should be even tougher in 2017.
2017 Vanderbilt Commodores Predictions: Team Weaknesses
Inconsistent QB Play: The Vanderbilt offense exploded in the last two games of the year, which turned out to be the best games and biggest wins of the year for the Commodores.
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The scored a total of 83 points in those two wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee, the most points in consecutive games for Vandy since 1948.
Those were also the best games of the year for quarterback Kyle Shurmur, who had been sub-par for the first two thirds of the year. Shurmur may have had an impressive stretch, but he will need to be much more consistent if the Commodores’ offense looks to take a step forward.
Defensive Leadership: Defense will still be the key to success for the Commodores, but they will be looking to replace one of the best players in school history in Zach Cunningham.
Cunningham’s production will be sorely missed, but it is his leadership that Vanderbilt will struggle to replace.
The upperclassmen on the the line and in the secondary will need to step up in a big way.
Vanderbilt Commodores Prediction: 6-6
The goal for Vanderbilt should be to make consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in decades.
While they should hope to improve on last year’s six wins, they should be happy to match it with their schedule this season.
The first three games should be wins for Vandy, but then they face a very tough stretch versus Alabama, at Florida, versus Georgia and at Ole Miss.
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All four of those are likely to be losses, as well as the final game of the season at Tennessee (who will be hungry for revenge). If they win two of three against South Carolina, Kentucky and Missouri, they should be bowl bound for the second year in a row.
2017 Vanderbilt Commodores Football Schedule
- 9/2/17 8:00 PM ET @MTU
- 9/9/17 TBD AAMU
- 9/16/17 7:30 PM ET KSU
- 9/23/17 TBD ALA
- 9/30/17 TBD @FLA
- 10/7/17 TBD UGA
- 10/14/17 TBD @MISS
- 10/28/17 TBD @SOCAR
- 11/4/17 TBD WKU
- 11/11/17 TBD UK
- 11/18/17 TBD MIZZ
- 11/25/17 TBD @TENN
What do you think about our 2017 Vanderbilt Commodores predictions? Please leave us a comment below telling us how you think they’ll do in 2017!
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