Vanderbilt @ Western Kentucky preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2015 ) Western Kentucky 14, Vanderbilt 12

Vanderbilt's defense was expected to keep the Commodores afloat while the offense found its stride, but instead coach and defensive coordinator Derek Mason is left scratching his head going into Saturday's stern road test at Western Kentucky. Vanderbilt permitted 289 yards rushing and 511 total yards in last week's 38-7 loss at Georgia Tech, which employs an option offense but torched the Commodores with an 81-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage.

“This team is capable of playing much better,” Mason told reporters. “That was not our best football, and I believe this team will learn from this one.'' Vanderbilt scored one touchdown in each of its losses sandwiched around a 47-24 victory over Middle Tennessee of Conference USA. Running back Ralph Webb is doing his best to ignite the attack as the junior has rushed for an SEC-best 377 yards and two touchdowns with 211 and both scores coming in the win. The defending C-USA champion Hilltoppers, who try for their 12th straight victory at home while hosting an SEC team for the first time, are coming off a 31-24 victory over Miami (Ohio).

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Western Kentucky -7.5

ABOUT VANDERBILT (1-2): Sophomore quarterback Kyle Shurmur completed a career-high 17 passes while throwing for a season-most 149 yards last week and must provide more of a passing threat to take pressure off Webb. Shurmur is developing a solid connection with freshman wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb, who caught six passes for 59 yards and a touchdown versus Georgia Tech. Junior linebacker Zack Cunningham had his streak of games with 10 or more tackles snapped at six when he recorded seven against the Yellow Jackets and is second in the SEC in tackles (29) and tackles for loss (5.5).

ABOUT WESTERN KENTUCKY (2-1): Junior quarterback Mike White is 13th in the nation with 920 passing yards, including 517 in a season-opening 46-14 victory over Rice in his first game with the Hilltoppers. Western Kentucky boasts the top receiving tandem in the nation by career yards in seniors Taywan Taylor (2,848) and Nicholas Norris (2,127), who have combined for 698 yards and four touchdowns this season. The Hilltoppers are tied for 25th in the nation with three sacks per game led by senior lineman Omarius Bryant (three total), sophomore linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe (2.5) and junior lineman Chris Johnson (two).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Webb has rushed for 2,436 career yards and needs 708 to break the Vanderbilt record set by Zac Stacy from 2009-12.

2. The Hilltoppers are 3-16 versus the SEC but 3-4 since 2012 with victories over Kentucky (2012, 2013) and Vanderbilt (2015) and losses to Alabama (2012, 38-10 on Sept. 10), Tennessee (2013) and LSU (2015).

3. Vanderbilt leads the series 3-1 after Western Kentucky's 14-12 victory last season when tight end Nathan Marcus was stopped on a game-tying two-point conversion attempt with 33 seconds left.

PREDICTION: Western Kentucky 28, Vanderbilt 17