WATCH: Will Sheppard shakes defender for 52-yard Vanderbilt touchdown
The game is far from over, but after Will Sheppard’s 52-yard touchdown reception, the Vanderbilt Commodores have taken a 14-10 lead over South Carolina — their first lead over an SEC team in the Clark Lea era.
Vanderbilt has struggled all season, and last year — an 0-9 campaign — was no different under Derek Mason. But Sheppard’s second-half touchdown marks Vanderbilt’s first lead since it scored a field goal and took a small, 10-7 lead over Tennessee on Dec. 12, 2020.
Sheppard reeled in a third-down pass from quarterback Mike Wright on Saturday, making the catch at around the South Carolina 45-yard line. Then, Sheppard quickly turned around and shook the South Carolina defender, who was draped on his back directly after the reception, and ran 52 yards to the house for six.
With that reception, Sheppard’s big day continues. The sophomore wide receiver now has three receptions for 120 receiving yards and a touchdown, with still a quarter left to play. Wright, in his first career start, is having a nice game himself, completing nine of 17 passing attempts for 207 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Furthermore, Wright has 11 carries for 51 yards, routinely using his feet to keep plays alive.
Mike Wright makes first start at Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt announced pregame that it would start Wright at quarterback against South Carolina, replacing fellow sophomore Ken Seals.
Seals, Vanderbilt’s typical starter, is missing the game with a finger injury, according to Robbie Weinstein of 247 Sports. Saturday marks Wright’s first-ever college start at quarterback.
Through six games, Vanderbilt has a 2-4 record and Seals has been a microcosm of Vanderbilt’s sporadic offense. He holds a 55 percent completion rate, with 1,086 passing yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Last season, by comparison, Seals threw for 1,928 yards, 12 touchdowns and ten interceptions as a true freshman; though the stats may not show it, the Texas native showed plenty of upside as a true freshman in a tough season. Wright, a fellow sophomore, has played as a change-of-pace option for Vanderbilt, occassionally taking over for Seals.
Wright has completed 11 of his 23 passing attempts this season, good for just 95 yards, one touchdown and one interception in limited play. His usage rate last year was similar, as he completed six of ten passes for 51 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. However, Wright boasts impressive athleticism for a quarterback. He’s run for 98 yards this year, with many of his play calls designed as quarterback draws.
Wright and Seals both entered Vanderbilt last season as true freshmen under then-head coach Derek Mason, and the duo stuck after Mason’s firing, now under first-year head coach Clark Lea. They dueled in a quarterback battle last preseason, with Mason not announcing his 2020 starter until just before the Week 1 contest at Texas A&M. He ended up selecting Seals, while Wright had a selection of designed red zone packages for Vanderbilt to utilize.
Wright, a Woodward Academy (GA) product, was ranked a three-to-four-star prospect out of high school. Originally committed to UCF, Wright decommitted and switched to Vanderbilt just days before national signing day. Seals was a consensus three-star recruit out of Weatherford High School (TX), and he committed in April of 2019.