The loss to Texas was not a moral victory. Vanderbilt football could have won

Some moments in sports scream for perspective, be it cause for celebration or heartbreak.

That's why, after a run as the odds-on favorite, the winning coach of a top-10 college football team spoke of bad breaks, tip interceptions and overcoming a disappointing loss the week before.

Texas' Steve Sarkisian stood on the Vanderbilt football field and surmised on the SEC Network: “I thought our guys played pretty well tonight.”

Could Vanderbilt say the same? Not really. The Commodores played extremely hard, but they didn't play that well. Statistics have confirmed this. So did Sarkisian's colleague on the other sideline.

“We were very clear about what our strategy was and what our recipe for success was,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said afterwards. “We fell short.”

But then. . . How the hell was it so close?

Texas 27, Vanderbilt 24.

Seriously?

Sarkisian's Longhorns won by 19 points in Ann Arbor and defeated rival Oklahoma 34-3. Had I known beforehand that Texas would leave Nashville satisfied with its play and Vanderbilt would not, I would have been prepared for a result similar to Lea's first three seasons.

In four games against top-five opponents from 2021 to 2023, Vanderbilt lost by a combined score of 209-23. The average margin is 52-6.

See what I mean about perspective?

That had nothing to do with these games. Vanderbilt pulled Texas into this type of thriller that was impossible to look away from. Every play felt meaningful, from the first minute to the last.

That's what happened a lot in this enchanting season of Diego Pavia and Jerry Kill – against good and bad opponents. As much as college football is in love with these courageous Commodores, there are still the sore thumbs of a loss at Georgia State or fighting for a home win against Ball State that stand out and pat on the back as a reminder: ” It's still Vanderbilt, you know?”

Previously: Don't worry about Jerry Kill. He's busy reviving Vanderbilt football | Estes

At the same time, other moments demanded respect. The win over Alabama (after Virginia Tech) was special, but a lot went right that day against a sinking Crimson Tide. Vanderbilt's win at Kentucky was about legitimacy. A lot went well in Lexington, too, largely thanks to the Wildcats dropping that game so the Commodores could win it.

As strange as it may sound after a loss, Vanderbilt proved more against Texas than in any other game this season.

Because look at what happened against the Commodores on Saturday:

They had no offense longer than 21 yards. They didn't win any of the possessions they dominated against Alabama. They went 3 of 12 on third down. They lost three possessions.

They also had a deflected interception. They had the bad break when Sedrick Alexander fumbled on the fall, his knee hanging just a few millimeters off the ground just because he was fighting for extra yards. Both turnovers occurred on the Texas side of the 50.

There was the nice conversation in the fourth period that was squashed because Quincy Skinner – on the other side of the field, away from the play – wasn't in front of the line of scrimmage.

These massive momentum swings helped the Longhorns take control with three touchdowns before halftime.

But you know what? Texas didn't score a touchdown after halftime. All that talent and speed, and the Longhorns couldn't hold off the pesky Commodores. Twice in the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt's offense ran the football, needing just one touchdown to tie the score.

Recommended reading: Diego Pavia's family joins him in the QB's exciting journey through a Vanderbilt football season

We thank Texas for preventing Vanderbilt from scoring the game-winning touchdown and ultimately recovering an onside kick to complete a victory that doesn't get the appreciation it deserves elsewhere.

I won't call this a moral victory for Vanderbilt. Out of respect. Even more than I did before Saturday, I respect the abilities of a team that is capable of keeping up with Texas, just as Vanderbilt did without its best performance. Dark outsiders don't do that. Only strong teams do that.

“We’re interested in winning,” Lea said. “We are not interested in staying just short. . . There’s more we can do to find a way to win this race.”

He's right.

Hence Vanderbilt should will be disappointed tonight.

This is also the reason why the program should receive more popularity than it has for a long time.

Reach Tennessee sports columnist Gentry Estes at [email protected] and on the X Platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.

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