Clark Lea Reflects on Historic Vanderbilt Upset Over South Carolina
COLUMBIA — Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea was all smiles Saturday night after his Commodores shocked No. 11 South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium. The 24–17 victory snapped a 17-year losing streak to the Gamecocks and marked Vandy’s first win in Columbia since 2007.
Here’s everything Lea had to say following the landmark win:
Opening Statement
“Obviously, I’m ecstatic for our players and our program. Really proud of them,” Lea began. “We talked as a team on Tuesday that it’s been 17 years since we beat South Carolina, and I’ve got so much respect for Coach (Shane) Beamer and this program. In many ways, our programs mirror each other. We’re physical, they’re physical. They want to win all three phases; we want to win in all three phases.”
Lea then turned reflective, crediting his former head coach Bobby Johnson, who last led Vanderbilt to a win over South Carolina in 2008.
“Bobby means so much to me and to Vanderbilt. He’s a first-class human being. I wanted Coach to be here tonight, but even though he couldn’t, I know he and Catherine watched the game. This one was for him.”
On Matching Johnson’s Feat
“It’s about honoring him. He was here in 2021 when we played them so close and had heartbreak. Coach is battling some things right now, and he needs to know this community loves and respects him. That’s why this is so special, especially with him being from Columbia.”
Key to Conversion Success
Vanderbilt converted 7 of 13 third- and fourth-down attempts. Lea credited execution and composure:
“Conversion downs are about focus and execution. I think the play designs were good, and the players stepped up. Guys like Diego (Pavia), Eli (Stowers), and Jamezell Lassiter delivered. Some of those were big chunk plays that kept us rolling.”
Defense Forcing Four Turnovers
“I was proud of how we attacked off the ball. Zaylin’s interception was huge — maybe the biggest of the four,” Lea said. “We wanted to improve on takeaways from last year, and that showed up tonight. Two fumbles came on short fields, and both interceptions were in the red zone. South Carolina came in perfect in the red zone, and tonight they were just 1-for-3. That’s massive.”
Adjustments After Sellers’ Injury
When South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers went down with an injury, Lea admitted it influenced the game plan:
“Some of what he does is unique, so we adjusted. But even their backup is a good athlete who made plays right away. We stuck to the bones of our plan and made subtle tweaks. By the time they were chasing, it became more of a passing game, and we created disruption.”
Fourth-Down Decision-Making
On converting a critical fourth down:
“We always have thresholds. We’d just taken a shot the play before, then came back with a nice design and hit Seddy (Alexander). That’s part of our rhythm and identity.”
On the Win’s Significance
“I don’t care about sending a message,” Lea said. “This win is about our team and our belief. We’ll celebrate tonight, but tomorrow it’s back to work with Georgia State on deck. In this league, you have to show up every week.”
On Breaking the Streak
Lea dismissed talk of bad breaks in previous matchups.
“I just don’t think we were ready to win this game in the past. Last year they came to our place and played to our identity better than we did. That scarred us, but scars teach you. Tonight, we played the style we needed to.”
On Diego Pavia’s Leadership
“Diego’s a great player, but it’s the unseen things — his connections with teammates, the block he threw on a reverse — that set him apart. When your leader plays that way, everyone else follows. We believe in him.”
Second-Half Dominance (68-3 Scoring Edge This Season)
“That’s credit to our strength and conditioning staff, first of all, and to our coaches making the right calls. But most importantly, it’s the players. They care. We want to be finishers, and we’ve done that so far.”
On Shane Beamer’s Respect
“I have so much respect for Shane. The fact he called us maybe the best Vandy team he’s faced — that means a lot. But again, it’s about our players. They’ve been doing the work since January, and now that confidence is showing up on Saturdays.”
On Jamezell Lassiter’s Emergence
“He’s been dynamic with the ball in his hands. We saw flashes in spring, and now he’s making an impact. Credit to our offensive staff for finding ways to get him touches. There’s more to come from him.”
