That kicker deserves his own paragraph. Brock Taylor went 6-for-6, a school record, including a 55-yarder and 2 from beyond 50. That's a real weapon against anybody. It also tells you the Commodores kept stalling once they got close. Kicking 6 field goals gets you past Mississippi State. Against an Alabama team that just held LSU to 13, those drives probably need to end in touchdowns.
The records tell you how lopsided this one looks on paper. Alabama is 7-2 and 5-2 in the SEC. Vanderbilt is 4-5 and 1-5 in league play, and its 4-game slide before the Mississippi State win included a 52-17 loss to Ole Miss and a 38-14 loss at Georgia. Georgia is the common opponent here. The Bulldogs beat Vanderbilt by 24 and beat Alabama by 3 in Tuscaloosa. Vandy needs 2 more wins to reach 6, so a home upset of a top-10 team would get it most of the way to a bowl.
Vanderbilt's best path is the one it used last week: run the ball, keep Alabama's offense on the sideline, and let Taylor score from anywhere past midfield. That approach shortens the game, and a shorter game helps the underdog. Alabama's job is simpler. Get the 2nd-half version of Russell going early and don't let Vanderbilt hang around into the 4th quarter on field goals. A week out, the forecast calls for a clear, mid-40s day with light wind in Nashville, which shouldn't get in the way of either plan.
