Clark Lea staying mum about Vanderbilt's quarterback plans at Tennessee
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea stayed mum this week when asked about who would start at quarterback for the Commodores for today’s game at No. 25 Tennessee. It’s either Ken Seals, the senior who has started the last six games, or sophomore AJ Swann, the starter to begin the season.
“That’s a great question,” Lea said during a press conference early in the week. “Obviously I’m not gonna answer that in a direct way and I’m sorry for that. But I think you understand, I think offensively in general, we’re trying to find, we’re fighting to find that formula and have not (found it). We’ve not been pleased about how we played on that side of the ball.
Swann had two interceptions returned for touchdowns in the 45-28 loss to Kentucky on September 23 and was also dealing with an elbow injury that dated back to the loss at UNLV on September 16.
Seals has started last six games at quarterback for Vandy
Seals took over as the starter against Missouri on September 30.
Swann has completed 93 of 173 passes for 1,290 yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Seals is 98-for-170 for 1,122 yards, 10 touchdown and four interceptions.
Vanderbilt is 14th in the SEC in total offense (320.1 yards per game), 13th in scoring offense (22.7 points per game) and 10th in passing offense (223.3 yards per game).
“I think the quarterback at times bears too much of that burden in terms of just the criticism leveled at that position,” Lea said. “And yet that that guy’s responsible for getting 10 guys on the same page and delivering the ball where it needs to be.
“So I’d like to see us design for success. I’d like to see us find ways to make life easier for him and to be creative through that.”
No. 25 Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Seals two weeks ago in a 47-6 loss at South Carolina completed 13 of 28 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. He has thrown for 160 yards or less in his last three starts, after throwing for 259 against Missouri, 280 at Florida and 201 against Georgia.
What Lea was willing to say is that he planned to “let the week play out” before determining “who gives us the best chance to move the ball.”
“And so much of that for us, is about how we shorten the game, how we can extend drives,” Lea said. “When you’re not able to maintain possession, you put a lot of pressure on the defense and special teams. And we know we have to be better, so we’re gonna do everything we can to be better this week.”
