Nevada @ Vanderbilt preview

Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason recognizes there are adjustments to make from the season opener, and that is the focus this week as the team prepares for Saturday’s home contest against Nevada. The Commodores were solid - if not spectacular - in defeating Middle Tennessee State 35-7 last week, but Kyle Shurmur and the offense shook off a sluggish first half while the defense impressed in its first game under new coordinator Jason Tarver.

“It’s the first game,” Mason told reporters on Tuesday. “There will always be things to clean up afterward. In terms of things missing, it’s simple things.” Shurmur completed 4-of-5 passes for 93 yards in the third quarter to help the Commodores pull away, turning a 14-7 game into a comfortable margin of victory, and finished with 170 yards passing and two touchdowns. Defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo returned a fumble for a touchdown, Vanderbilt’s first such score since 2016, and the defense finished with six sacks. Nevada blasted Portland State 72-19 in its season opener, the highest output for the Wolf Pack since the program began playing in FBS in 1992.

TV: Noon ET, SEC Network. LINE: Vanderbilt -9

ABOUT NEVADA (1-0): The Wolf Pack took advantage of big plays in their season opener, scoring five touchdowns of 40-plus yards. Quarterback Ty Gangi completed 16-of-26 passes for 342 yards, hooking up with McLane Mannix for three touchdowns as Nevada scored 42 unanswered points in the second half. The Wolf Pack have struggled on the road, losing six in a row and 11 of their last 12.

ABOUT VANDERBILT (1-0): The Commodores were more conservative offensively in the first half as they tried to establish the running game, with Shurmur passing for only 28 yards before intermission. Jamauri Wakefield and Khari Blasingame each rushed for a touchdown and combined for 108 yards on 19 carries. Linebacker Kenny Hebert was one of five players to record a sack against Middle Tennessee State, registering a pair.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Commodores gave up 100 passing yards in the first quarter of their season opener but just 78 over the rest of the game.

2. Vanderbilt RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn, a transfer from Illinois, rushed for 37 yards on nine carries in his team debut.

3. The Commodores converted 7-of-13 third-down opportunities in the opener and were 2-for-2 on fourth down.

PREDICTION: Vanderbilt 41, Nevada 21