Vandy's Azubike missed opener for discipline

Vanderbilt defensive tackle/linebacker Caleb Azubike said he missed the opening game due to disciplinary action and made a strong season debut to "prove to coaches what I am capable of" in the lineup.

Azubike, a former McGavock standout, had seven tackles and two sacks and was among the few defensive highlights of last week's 41-3 loss to Ole Miss. On Wednesday, he addressed his absence from the 37-7 season-opening loss to Temple.

"I didn't take care of the things I was supposed to take care of this summer. It was a learning experience for me, sitting down again," said Azubike, who had 31 tackles and four sacks last season but missed the final three games with an injury. "It humbled me a little bit and let me know that you can't feel entitled to things. That was also one of the reasons I wanted to play so hard against Ole Miss. I wanted to show them that not being out there, that experience, made me a better player."

Azubike switched from defensive end in last year's 4-3 scheme to outside linebacker in new coach Derek Mason's 3-4 system, but the 6-foot-4, 255-pounder returned to defensive line against Ole Miss. He again is listed as a defensive tackle for Saturday's home game against UMass (11 a.m./SportSouth).

"You have something to prove in coming back, almost like I was never gone and showing that I can do all the things I could when I was healthy," Azubike said. "I didn't practice with the defensive line until the Sunday before Ole Miss. I had to prove I could do that.

"But I can do whatever my teammates need me to do. I'll kick if they need me to kick. I'll do cornerback, nose tackle or whatever. Physically I can play anything the team needs me to play."

And that versatility is the reason Azubike has moved from outside linebacker to defensive line, according to Mason.

"Caleb is a good football player, and it doesn't matter where he lines up on defense," Mason said. "He can line up off the ball. It was just his first game back and a good showing for him."

Azubike also helps with "functional depth" after defensive tackle Barron Dixon suffered an injury against Ole Miss.

Senior Kyle Woestmann also moved from defensive end to outside linebacker with the offseason scheme change. After Vandy's 0-2 start, he said the defense's need for talent on the field exceeds previous plans to keep Azubike at linebacker.

"Caleb is one of the best players on our team, and I think the idea behind it is, 'How can you get the maximum number of your best players on the field at one time?" Woestmann said. "He is a bigger body, very strong and gifted physically to be able to play in a phone booth man-to-man on the line. I think the coaches saw some potential there."

Aside from his 2013 injury and absence in game one, Azubike also missed five practices early in preseason camp after the death of his grandmother.

"It felt exhilarating to be back. I have been playing each play like it was my last," Azubike said. "A lot of people say that, but most take that for granted. For me, I have learned to truly take that saying to heart. I know exactly what it's like for the game to be taken away from you in a flash, so I make the most of every play now."

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