Clark Lea reveals 'flu bug' at Vanderbilt ahead of Tennessee game

As Vanderbilt gets prepared for its regular season finale against Tennessee, the Commodores are dealing with a flu bug that has run through the team during the bye week and into this week.

It has created some added complications for the team, even though they’ve gotten good news on the CJ Taylor injury front.

“We have a flu bug that’s going through the team right now,” head coach Clark Lea said. “I say that because CJ’s battled that. But he’s been back at work and looks good. He’s in a brace but says he feels good, so we’re expecting him to be out there with us. Excited to have him back.”

Taylor has not played in a game since Oct. 14, dealing with what Lea has described only as a sprain.

Getting him back would be big for the ‘Dores.

So too should be the bye week the team was coming off of. After nine straight losses, the team got a break to regroup and try to turn things around.

“I’d like to say that it reflects in the way we play on Saturday and it’s a great thing,” Lea said. “I think in some ways, too, once you’re in the rhythm of the season, a late bye is also challenging because there’s only so much you can do other than get healthy to really find ways to improve in that week, although I thought we had a good week last week. You’re really looking to shorten practice, shorten exposure.”

More than anything, Lea wants to finish the season strong. He’s not thrilled with the way things have unfolded this year.

A 47-6 thumping at the hands of South Carolina before the bye was one of the most humiliating results yet. But it can be used as motivation with the right outlook at Vanderbilt.

“I think for us, though, we just were disappointed in the way that South Carolina game finished,” Lea said. “And I felt like the bye week was a good chance for us to kind of purge that from our system and reset our focus on having a great finish. Again, I think the guys have responded well. It’s a tough group and a resilient group.

“My message to them and really just telling the truth is putting the film in and saying, ‘Hey, this is where we’re not that far off.’ And it can feel like we’re a long way away, but it’s just a few things and how do we capture those margins that have been elusive to us this year? Again, this would be a great week for us to do that.”

Vanderbilt will play at Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, with a broadcast slated for the SEC Network.