Brandon Smith is shy, almost timid. Except when he's on the football field.

The sophomore wide receiver from New Orleans has made plenty of noise in short blasts for Vanderbilt's offense over the last two seasons.

He may have finally made enough of a racket against Auburn on Saturday to send a message to the rest of the unit. He is ready to become a reliable, consistent contributor.

''I felt like this last game was the beginning for some good things,'' Smith said. ''I've been waiting to get my chance, and whenever the ball comes my way I've just got to make something happen so the ball will keep coming to me.''

Smith found his niche against Auburn. His four catches for 58 yards led the team but more importantly helped him earn the confidence of quarterback Jay Cutler.

''I definitely got a better feel for Brandon out there Saturday,'' Cutler said. ''He was breaking off the routes right where I wanted him to, and I was hitting him. He's got some of the best hands on the team, and if you put it anywhere close to him he's going to catch it.''

Senior M.J. Garrett is clinging to a starting position. He was the second-leading receiver last year behind Dan Stricker but hasn't had a catch in the last two games.

''I've got two good receivers in front of me with Dan and M.J. so what I've got to do is just wait until it's my turn,'' Smith said.

The wait is over. Coach Bobby Johnson singled Smith out for his performance against Auburn, and Stricker said he expects him to continue to blossom.

''Last year a lot of his talent was raw,'' Stricker said. ''He was open, but the route wasn't as precise as it needed to be for real separation. But he always seemed to make some big catches last year when we needed him to.''

Smith never established any consistency last year. He burst onto the scene in the second game with three catches for 73 yards against Alabama but didn't have a catch the next week against Richmond. He caught a 19-yarder against Auburn then disappeared until four games later when he snagged a 43-yard catch at Florida. He had three catches against Kentucky but didn't have a catch against Tennessee.

He led the team in yards per catch at 19.6 yards but was eighth in total catches with nine. This year Smith has made at least two catches in each game and is second on the squad with eight catches for 78 yards.

''I've got some good hands but also my concentration is good,'' Smith said. ''Whenever I run a route and the ball is thrown to me, all I see is the ball. I don't see any defenders, it's just me and the quarterback out there.''

And the quarterback is counting on him more and more.

''Brandon's one of the fastest guys on the team,'' Cutler said. ''He's smooth and he gets in and out of his breaks. He's going to be a great receiver for us.''

Kovolisky hurt: Right offensive tackle Brian Kovolisky injured his ankle in the fourth quarter against Auburn and may not be able to play against Ole Miss. He would be replaced by freshman Mac Pyle, offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell said.