NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Vanderbilt Commodores are rolling into week four with a 3-0 record, sitting at No. 20 in the AP Poll.

Awaiting them are the Georgia State Panthers, a team that beat the Commodores, 36-32, a season ago in the first game of the home-and-home series between the two programs.

This time around, the Commodores get home-field advantage and have sky-high confidence after two consecutive road wins against Virginia Tech and then-ranked No. 11 South Carolina, snapping a 16-game losing streak against the Gamecocks.

Now, Vanderbilt looks to stay undefeated and get some revenge after falling to the Panthers in Atlanta a season ago.

On Tuesday, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea discussed the 2024 loss to Georgia State and what he saw from his team during game week.

"... I was not happy a year ago with the level of discipline that we were carrying on the campus and kind of in some of the process-driven stuff we do in our preparation," Lea said. "So that was a starting point. And I think that carried over to the game. You know, we played an undisciplined game.

"We mishandled a kickoff return and created a safety for the opponent," he continued. "We had an early turnover that led to a field goal. We had nine penalties — I believe — to their six in last year's game. So, it was sloppy. And you know, we fought back. We were resilient, fought back, but it was too late. You know, they beat us."

Lea said the team has spoken about this game since January, and it seems the roster has had this one circled on the calendar.

Two areas of concern from last year's matchup: Vanderbilt's running game struggles with just 3.2 yards per carry and the inability to slow down Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst, who caught seven passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in the game.

The Commodores have seemed to ease concerns in the running game thus far in 2025 with a retooled offensive line and a stable of reliable running backs.

As for shutting down Hurst, the Vanderbilt pass defense ranks 28th nationally. The Commodores have allowed 154.7 passing yards per game and have given up just one passing touchdown through three games.

"So the lesson is, we have to focus on the things that we control," Lea said. "We have to focus on our execution, our structure. And again, play a clean game. All we can do is our best, and we'll measure that against Georgia State's best. We expect them to play a really good game, too. But a year ago, I felt like there was just a lot left to be desired with respect to how we focused in the week, how we showed up and played from the start of the game, and we paid for it, and that's a steep price to pay."

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday at FirstBank Stadium.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/sports/vanderbilt-commodores-using-2024-loss-to-georgia-state-as-motivation-for-week-4-matchup/