Coming off a three-win improvement in his second year, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea isn’t shying away from talking about the next goal for his football program.
Lea, whose Commodores were 5-7 last year, is ready for postseason football, which would be a first for Vanderbilt since earning an invitation to the Texas Bowl in 2018.
kAm“pD H6 DE2?5 ?@H :? 7C@?E @7 2 4=62? D966E[ @FC 8@2= :D A@DED62D@? A=2J[” {62 D2:5 2E $tr |65:2 s2JD :? }2D9G:==6 @? %F6D52J]k^Am
kAm“%9@F89 H6 42? 46=63C2E6 AC@8C6DD[ H6 H:== ?6G6C 36 D2E:D7:65 H:E9 d\f] '2?56C3:=E 7@@E32== AFCDF6D DF446DD 2E E96 9:896DE =6G6=[ 2?5 H6 H:== ?@E 324< 5@H? 7C@> @FC >:DD:@? E@ 3F:=5 E96 36DE 4@==686 7@@E32== AC@8C2> :? E96 ?2E:@?] yFDE 5@H? E96 C@25 7@C E96 A2DE D6G6? >@?E9D[ ,E96 r@>>@5@C6D 92G6. 366? EC2:?:?8 H:E9 :?E6?E:@? :? 2? 677@CE E@ 7@C> E96 >@DE 42A23=6 E62> E@ E9:D A@:?E :? >J E6?FC6]”k^Am
kAm%96 r@>>@5@C6D 5:5 E2<6 D@>6 ?@E:4623=6 DE6AD 7@CH2C5 :? E96:C D64@?5 D62D@? F?56C {62[ 2 }2D9G:==6 ?2E:G6 2?5 '2?56C3:=E 2=F> H9@ @? |@?52J D:8?65 2 C6A@CE65 E9C66\J62C 4@?EC24E 6IE6?D:@?]k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E H2D a\`_ :? a_a`[ 3FE :>AC@G65 E@ d\f =2DE D62D@?[ E96 D49@@=’D 36DE >2C< D:?46 2 e\f D62D@? :? a_`g]k^Am
kAmx? a_aa[ E96 r@>>@5@C6D D?2AA65 2 ae\82>6 $@FE962DE6C? r@?76C6?46 =@D:?8 DEC62< H96? E96J 56762E65 }@] ac z6?EF4<J[ ac\a`[ @? E96 C@25] p H66< =2E6C[ '2?56C3:=E 5@H?65 u=@C:52[ b`\ac[ E96 AC@8C2>’D 7:CDE H:? @G6C E96 v2E@CD D:?46 a_`b 2?5 E96 7:CDE 9@>6 H:? @G6C u=@C:52 D:?46 `hgg]k^Am
kAmqFE E96C6 C6>2:?D A=6?EJ @7 C@@> 7@C :>AC@G6>6?E[ 2D 6G:56?465 3J '2?56C3:=E’D D62D@?\6?5:?8 de\_ =@DD E@ %6??6DD66]k^Am
kAm~776?D:G6=J[ E96 r@>>@5@C6D H6C6 96=5 E@ 2 4@>3:?65 E9C66 A@:?ED 3J p=232>2[ v6@C8:2 2?5 %6??6DD66] '2?56C3:=E 7:?:D965 `bE9 :? E96 $@FE962DE6C? r@?76C6?46 :? @G6C2== @776?D6 Wbcf]b J2C5D A6C 82>6X 2?5 `bE9 :? A2DD:?8 @776?D6 W`hc]e J2C5D A6C 82>6X]k^Am
kAmz6J C6EFC?66D 7@C E96 @776?D6 :?4=F56 BF2CE6C324< p]y] $H2??[ H:56 C646:G6C (:== $96AA2C5 2?5 >F49 @7 E96 E62>’D @776?D:G6 =:?6] $H2?? 925 `_ E@F495@H?D 2?5 EH@ :?E6C46AE:@?D :? ?:?6 2AA62C2?46D =2DE J62C[ E9C@H:?8 7@C `[afc J2C5D] $96AA2C5 42F89E e_ A2DD6D 7@C ffe J2C5D W`a]h\J2C5 2G6C286X 2?5 ?:?6 E@F495@H?D]k^Am
kAm“%96C6’D 567:?:E6=J >@C6 4@?7:56?46 :? E96 3F:=5:?8[ ;FDE H:E9 E96 H9@=6 AC@8C2> :? 86?6C2=[” $96AA2C5 D2:5] “tG6CJ3@5J’D 6I4:E65 7@C E9:D FA4@>:?8 D62D@?[ 3F:=5:?8 @? H92E H6 DE2CE65 =2DE J62C] {2DE J62C E92E H2D?’E 6I24E=J H96C6 H6 H2?E65 E@ 86E] ~FC 8@2= E9:D J62C :D A@DED62D@? A=2J[ D@ H6’C6 ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ <66A H@C<:?8 92C5 E@ 86E E@H2C5D E92E]”k^Am
kAmqFE '2?56C3:=E H:== 92G6 E@ C6A=246 CF??:?8 324< #2J s2G:D[ H9@ E@AA65 `__ J2C5D 7:G6 E:>6D 2?5 7:?:D965 E96 D62D@? H:E9 `[_g` J2C5D 367@C6 EC2?D76CC:?8 E@ z6?EF4<J]k^Am
kAm“(6 2AAC64:2E6 6G6CJE9:?8 #2J 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ @FC AC@8C2>[” {62 D2:5] “w6 C2? 369:?5 7:G6 @776?D:G6 =:?6>6? E92E 2C6 324<] x? 724E[ E96C6 H6C6 >@C6 E92? 7:G6 E92E DE2CE65 82>6D 7@C FD =2DE J62C] (6 36=:6G6 :? @FC @776?D:G6 7C@?E] (6 C6EFC? r92D6 v:==6DA:6 2?5 !2EC:4< $>:E9] q@E9 2C6 42A23=6 CF??6CD] (6’G6 25565 E2=6?E65 7C6D9>6? E@ E92E >:I[ E@@]”k^Am
kAms676?D:G6=J[ E96 r@>>@5@C6D >FDE :>AC@G6 @? 2 5676?D6 E92E 7:?:D965 a_aa =2DE :? E96 $tr :? A@:?ED 2==@H65 WcbaX[ J2C5D A6C 82>6 2==@H65 Wce`]bX 2?5 A2DD:?8 J2C5D 2==@H65 Wah`X]k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E C6EFC?D ?F>6C@FD A=2J6CD @? E92E D:56 @7 E96 32==[ 3FE H:== 92G6 E@ C6A=246 =625:?8 E24<=6C p?76C?66 ~C;: 2?5 7:8FC6 @FE 2 H2J E@ 3F>A FA =2DE J62C’D E@E2= @7 `f D24<D]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 =6256CD @? 5676?D6 H:== 36 D276EJ y2J=6? |29@?6J[ H9@ E:65 7@C E9:C5 @? E96 E62> H:E9 dd E24<=6D =2DE D62D@?] w6 4@?D:56C65 >2<:?8 9:>D6=7 6=:8:3=6 7@C E96 }u{ sC27E 7@==@H:?8 9:D D6?:@C D62D@? :? a_aa] qFE |29@?6J C6EFC?65 2D 2 8C25F2E6 DEF56?E E@ 364@>6 >@C6 244FDE@>65 E@ A=2J:?8 D276EJ W96’5 AC6G:@FD=J A=2J65 4@C?6C324<X[ 3@@DE 9:D 5C27E DE@4< 2?5 96=A E96 r@>>@5@C6D E2<6 E92E ?6IE DE6A E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm“x H2?E65 E@ 4@>6 324< 2?5 H:?[” |29@?6J D2:5] “~FC >:DD:@? E9:D D62D@? :D A@DED62D@? A=2J] %92EVD 7@C FD E@ 56E6C>:?6 E92E] qFE x H2?E65 E@ 8@ H:? H:E9 '2?56C3:=E 2?5 244@>A=:D9 E9:?8D 2?5 492?86 E96 ?2CC2E:G6 96C6]”k^Am
