Clark Lea’s Vanderbilt Commodores have had their best season in the history of the program. Lea, with the current group of players have completely reshaped the program, and he deserves a lot of props for that.
Going into the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Vanderbilt was expected to put up another strong performance and win the game. However, the Hawkeyes overpowered them, securing a 34-27 win.
After the loss, Lea attended the press conference and answered questions. One of the questions he was asked was about how rare it has become to see two starting quarterbacks in a Bowl game at a time when Bowl games have lost relevance.
Speaking on behalf of both teams, Lea stated that when two tough competitors go against each other, they leave nothing in the tank. Lea was not surprised to see Iowa operating at full strength throughout the game.
“I think it’s reflective of the DNA of the program,” Lea said. “I said this when we accepted the invitation, we love playing football.”
Lea went on to say that if it were possible to put four quarterbacks back on the board, he and his team would be ready to go again. Seemingly calling for a rematch against Iowa, Lea expressed just how much he loves football.
“If there’s a way we could put four quarters back on the scoreboard and go play some more,” Lea said. “We would do that maybe if you want to play again tomorrow, we would like to play again tomorrow.”
Lea said that his program is built on the spirit that whenever there’s a challenge, they will step up to the occasion and give their best to win. While the loss is going to sting for a while, Lea and his team have made a massive leap in college football.
Clark Lea on Vanderbilt’s Most Successful Season
Before any question was asked during the press conference, Lea gave a game and season recap while praising his team for their brilliant run. Trying to hold back tears, Lea stated that it was a painful way to finish.
However, he was very proud of the way the Commodores played not just in the Bowl game but throughout the season.
“We’re disappointed, but my emotion right now has nothing to do with that. It’s the end. And this team has set a new bar for the program,” Lea said.
The coach is excited about bringing most of the current roster back next year and aims for even better results after securing the program’s first 10-win season.
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