SPORTS

Vanderbilt hopes to contain A&M freshman

Adam Sparks
USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee
Texas A&M freshman Christian Kirk leads the SEC at 14.8 yards per touch as a receiver and returner.

The last time Derek Mason saw Christian Kirk, he was trying to lure the play-maker to Stanford.

Two years later, his Vanderbilt squad will try to slow down the Texas A&M freshman star and keep the Commodores from being on the wrong end of a SportsCenter highlight.

“Those guys can put you on ESPN real quick,” Mason said of Kirk and fellow Texas A&M play-maker Ricky Seals-Jones.

Vanderbilt (4-6, 2-4 SEC) plays Texas A&M (7-3, 3-3 SEC) in Saturday’s home finale (6:30 p.m./SEC Network), and Kirk, the nation’s leading punt returner, draws special attention from Mason and the Commodores, who have struggled to contain speedy returners lately.

Vandy's Derek Mason has earned a return for 2016

Mason has known Kirk for years. They are both from Arizona, and Mason recruited him heavily while an assistant coach at Stanford. So the second-year Vanderbilt coach isn’t surprised at all that Kirk arrives in Nashville already as one of the SEC’s most dynamic players as a freshman.

“I have known Christian Kirk for a long time,” Mason said. “I remember going to recruit him in high school and he had seven touchdowns in 11 touches (in one game), so he’s been dynamic for a long time.”

Kirk is the nation’s leading punt returner, a solid kick returner, the SEC’s No. 2 receiver and an overall all-purpose threat who leads the league at 14.8 yards per touch. His return work may concern the Commodores the most.

Vanderbilt ranks 116th among 127 FBS teams in punt coverage, allowing nearly 13 yards per return. And its kick return coverage, once ranked among the nation’s best, has given up a 71-yard kick return and a 39-yarder in its past two games.

“Cover better, kick it away from him,” said Mason of Vanderbilt’s approach in the kicking game. “I challenged my guys to cover. You start there.”

Safety Oren Burks said speedy freshmen Winston Guillory and Ronald Monroe are among those who have tried to play the role of Kirk in practice, but he’s a hard player to simulate.

“He’s an explosive player. If you let him get into space, any explosive player like that is going to make plays,” Burks said. “We have to contain him and stay in our lanes. We have been really stressing that in practice.”

Kirk has returned two punt returns for touchdowns, touts three punt returns of at least 50 yards, and averages 24.5 yards per punt return. All three marks lead the nation.

Vanderbilt punter Tommy Openshaw said he can help his coverage team the most by keeping the ball in the air.

“I’ve got to get good hang time so our cover guys have enough time to get down there, and I try to put it in the right place, too,” Openshaw said. “I know about (Kirk), and you have to give respect to dangerous guys like that. But I think every returner is dangerous in some aspect.”

Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

NEXT GAME

VANDERBILT (4-6, 2-4 SEC) vs. TEXAS A&M (7-3, 3-3 SEC)

When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday

TV/radio: SEC Network/1510 AM, 95.9 FM