Texas Longhorns vs. Vanderbilt Commodores Preview: What the Stats Say

The Texas Longhorns look to bounce back after their first loss of the season.

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Isaiah Bond (7) returns an interception against the Georgia Bulldogs in the third quarter at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Sara Diggins/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Fresh off their first loss of the season, the Texas Longhorns need to be careful to avoid one defeat turning into multiple.

On Saturday, the Longhorns take on the No. 25 Vanderbilt Commodores in their first true road game since early September. This Commodores team is nothing like those in the past, as they're 4-2 and a legitimate threat for SEC contenders. They also earned possibly their biggest win in program history just a few weeks ago, toppling then-No. 1 Alabama 40-35 at home. If the Longhorns take the Commodores lightly, they could easily be the next top team to fall in Nashville.

Ahead of this SEC matchup, it only makes sense to look at what both teams do well and what they don't.

For Vanderbilt, the goal is simple: keep the ball away from Texas' offense. The Commodores excel at keeping the ball in their hands, averaging 33 minutes possession time per game, among the best in the nation. They've also turned the ball over just twice all season (tied for second-fewest in the country), and perhaps most impressively, they've yet to allow even a single point off turnovers.

Vanderbilt doesn't move the ball at will as it averages just 363.3 total yards per game, which ranks 93rd in the country. The Commodores also average 201.1 passing yards (93rd) and 162.1 rushing yards (63rd) per game. If they can keep the ball out of their opponents' hands, though, then they're doing exactly what they need to.

On the other side of the ball, the Commodores allow 331.4 total yards per game (40th), 215.1 through the air (68th) and 126.3 on the ground (tied for 37th).

For the Longhorns, there's no beating around the bush: their stats took a major hit after their loss to Georgia. Texas ranked seventh in the country in both total and scoring offense before the game, but fell to 16th and 17th respecitvely with 461.9 yards and 39.1 points per game. No stat took a bigger hit than the rushing offense, as after rushing for just 29 net yards against Georgia, the Longhorns average fell to 166.1 yards per game (58th), over a 20-yard drop.

On the other hand, the Longhorns still have the best scoring defense in the country as they've allowed just 9.71 points per game. They also allow 133 passing yards per game (second) and 104.3 rushing yards per game (18th).

As always, stats can only go so far in predicting a game. It's up to the teams to go out there and make something happen.

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