2008 Vanderbilt
Commodores
Dec. 31
2008 Music City Bowl
Vanderbilt 16 … Boston College 14
Vanderbilt’s offense was held in check all game long, gaining just 200 yards,
but good field position and timely defense led the way to the win. Bryan
Hahnfeldt hit all three of his field goal attempts and Sean Richardson recovered
a fumble in the end zone for all the Commodores’ points. BC came up with a
17-play first half drive culminating in a four-yard Montel Harris touchdown
catch, and Colin Larmond caught a 55-yard touchdown pass with less than seven
minutes to play for the lead, but Vandy went on its best drive of the day, 48
yards in seven plays, setting up Hahnfeldt from 45 yards out with 3:26 to go.
The Commodore defense did the rest forcing BC to turn the ball over on downs and
picking off a late pass in Eagle territory.
Player of the Game:
Vanderbilt PK Bryan Hahnfeldt hit all three field goal
attempts connecting from 42, 26 and the game-winner from 45 yards out
Stat Leaders: Boston College - Passing: Dominick Davis,
15-36, 190 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Montel Harris, 15-68. Receiving: Montel Harris, 5-25, 1
TD
Vanderbilt - Passing: Larry Smith, 10-17, 121 yds
Rushing: Chris Nickson, 8-57. Receiving: Udom Umoh, 3-29
Inside The Box Score ...
5 Thoughts on the Music City Bowl …Total offense: BC 331 – Vanderbilt 200 …
Average yards per carry: BC 3.7 – Vanderbilt 2.2 … Third down conversions: BC
7-of-17 – Vanderbilt 1-of-15 … First downs: BC 17 – Vanderbilt 8 … Turnovers: BC
3 – Vanderbilt 0 … Penalties: BC 3 for 34 yards – Vanderbilt wasn’t penalized …
Vanderbilt first downs by rushing 2, passing 4, penalties 2.
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2008 Vandy Preview
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2007 Vandy Season
2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 3-9
2008 Record: 7-6
Aug. 30
at Miami Univ. W 34-13
Sept. 4 South Carolina W 24-17
Sept. 13 Rice W
38-21
Sept. 20 at Ole Miss W 23-17
Sept. 27 OPEN DATE
Oct. 4 Auburn W 14-13
Oct. 11 at Mississippi St L 17-14
Oct. 18 at Georgia L 24-14
Oct. 25 Duke L 10-7
Nov. 1 OPEN DATE
Nov. 8 Florida L 42-14
Nov. 15 at Kentucky W 31-24
Nov. 22 Tennessee L 20-10
Nov. 29 at Wake Forest L 23-10
Music City Bowl
Dec. 31 Boston College W 16-14 |
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2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction:
6-6
2007 Record: 5-7
Sept. 1
Richmond
W 41-17
Sept. 8
Alabama L 24-13
Sept. 15
Ole Miss
W 31-17
Sept. 29
Eastern Mich
W 30-7
Oct.
6 at
Auburn L 35-7
Oct.
13
Georgia L 20-17
Oct.
20 at
South Carolina W 17-6
Oct.
27
Miami Univ.
W 24-13
Nov.
3 at
Florida L 49-22
Nov.
10
Kentucky
L 27-20
Nov.
17 at
Tennessee L 25-24
Nov.
24
Wake Forest
L 31-17 |
Nov. 29
Wake Forest 23 …
Vanderbilt 10
Brandon Pendergrass and Kevin Harris each ran for short touchdown runs on the
way to a 17-3 Wake Forest lead and Rich Belton put it away on a four-yard run.
Vanderbilt only managed 249 yards of total offense but got in the game with a
five-yard Brandon Barden catch early in the fourth, but three turnovers and
banged up quarterbacks proved costly. Wake Forest’s Alphonso Smith tied an ACC
record with his 20th interception.
Player of the game:
Wake Forest SS Chip Vaughn made nine tackles and an
interception
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi Adams, 3-10,
71 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jamie Graham, 7-33. Receiving: Sean Walker, 4-34
Wake Forest - Passing: Riley Skinner, 13-20, 173 yds
Rushing: Brandon Pendergrass, 10-45, 1 TD. Receiving: Demir Boldin,
8-73
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Vanderbilt has had
its problems with its offense all season long, but it has a good excuse for the
loss to Wake Forest: quarterback injuries. Mackenzi Adams and Chris Nickson
weren’t on when they were in, combining to complete just 5-of-18 passes, but
they were fighting through the pain. Larry Smith came in to try to help and he
threw a touchdown pass, but Wake Forest was able to snuff out too many drives
and kept the ground game in check. A bowl game is a
certainty, but after losing six of the last seven games, this isn’t going to be
the most attractive team.
Nov. 22
Tennessee
20 … Vanderbilt 10
Tennessee got all the points it needed in the second quarter as
Montario Hardesty ran for an eight-yard touchdown and Eric Berry
took a Chris Nickson pass 45 yards for a touchdown. Daniel Lincoln
came through with field goals from 25 and 25 yards out. Mackenzi
Adams stepped in to take over in the second half for the Commodores,
but he only came up with three points on a 31-yard Bryant Hahnfeldt
field goal. The defense came through with the other Vandy points on
a 42-yard interception return for a score from Reshard Langford.
Neither offense did much combining for 456 total yards.
Player of the game:
Tennessee LB Rico McCoy made 11 tackles
and broke up a pass
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi
Adams, 18-38, 192 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeff Jennings, 7-19. Receiving: George Smith,
5-46
Tennessee - Passing: B.J. Coleman, 4-8, 21 yds,
1 INT
Rushing: Lennon Creer, 13-80. Receiving: Gerald Jones
& Austin Rogers, 1-7
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
offense will never be anything special, and the big question mark
continues at quarterback. Chris Nickson isn’t an option at this
point after completing 1-of-5 passes for -5 yards and an
interception. Mackenzi Adams at least put up some yards against
Tennessee, even if he didn’t generate points. The defense did what
it needed to do to make it a game against the Vols, but if the
offense can’t be error-free, it turned the ball over three times,
then forget about beating Kentucky to finish up the regular season.
Nov. 15
Vanderbilt 31 … Kentucky 24
After a 26-year absence, Vanderbilt became bowl eligible thanks to
D.J. Moore, the star defensive back who picked off two passes and
caught touchdown passes in the first quarter. Kentucky came back
from a 24-7 deficit with a three-yard Tony Dixon touchdown run and a
10-yard dash from QB Randall Cobb midway through the fourth, but
Moore came through with a pick on UK’s final drive to end the drama.
Kentucky converted just one of ten third down conversion chances.
Player of the game:
Vanderbilt DB D.J. Moore made four
tackles, intercepted two passes, and caught three passes for 51
yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Randall Cobb,
11-26, 144 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Randall Cobb, 15-72, 1 TD. Receiving: E.J.
Adams, 4-61
Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson, 15-27, 155
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Chris Nickson, 20-118. Receiving: Jared
Hawkins, 4-49
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... They
did it. They finally did it. The Commodores sure had to sweat it
out, but they became bowl eligible thanks to their defense, which
held Kentucky to 241 yards, ball control, they had the ball for just
over 39 minutes, and big plays from their star. D.J. Moore showed
why he’s a top NFL prospect, doing a little of everything well to
beat the Wildcats. Give the coaching staff credit for trying to fix
the offense, and even though the attack didn’t rock, it gained 368
yards, it did what it had to do. Now it’s time for the gravy and a
win over Tennessee and/or Wake Forest to help make this special
season even stronger.
Nov. 8
Florida
42 … Vanderbilt 14
Florida won the SEC title and rolled with ease after taking a 35-0
halftime lead and getting up 42-0 on Tim Tebow touchdown runs from
26 and eight yards out and threw three scoring passes of 12 yards to
Louis Murphy, 11 to Riley Cooper, and 41 yards to David Nelson.
Vanderbilt came up with the final 14 points with two Chris Nickson
touchdown passes. Ryan Hamilton made 13 tackles for the Commodores.
Player of the game:
Florida QB Tim Tebow completed 12-of-17
passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns, and ran 11 times for 88
yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris
Nickson, 7-14, 67 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jared Hawkins, 11-46. Receiving: Sean Walker
& Jamie Graham, 3-22, 1 TD
Florida - Passing: Tim Tebow, 12-17, 171 yds, 3
TD
Rushing: Tim Tebow, 11-88, 2 TD. Receiving: Carl
Moore, 4-31
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Vanderbilt has to play tough defense and win the special teams and
turnover battle to beat the better teams. It didn’t come close
against Florida; the defense wasn’t close and the offense didn’t
have a chance when the Gators were focused. QB Chris Nickson wasn’t
awful in garbage time when he stepped in for Mackenzi Adams, but
there just weren’t any big plays from the offense to keep up the
pace. There are still three chances to get the elusive sixth win,
but it’s not going to be easy against Kentucky, Tennessee and Wake
Forest.
Oct. 25
Duke 10 …
Vanderbilt 7
Missed field goals, three Vanderbilt turnovers, and little offensive
punch made for an ugly game, but Duke was able to hold up late. The
Blue Devils took a 10-0 lead in the third quarter on a 42-yard Nick
Maggio field goal, and got a 22-yard Tony Jackson touchdown catch in
the second, for all the points they’d need. Sean Walker accounted
for 79 of Vandy’s 291 yards on one play taking a Mackenzi Adams pass
for a fourth quarter score. The Commodores would have chances late,
but turnovers proved costly.
Player of the game:
Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis completed 21-of-36
passes for 222 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi
Adams, 14-31, 210 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jared Hawkins, 11-45. Receiving: Sean Walker,
6-138, 1 TD
Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 21-36, 222 yds,
1 TD
Rushing: Jay Hollingsworth, 10-39. Receiving: Johnny
Williams, 4-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Now the
Commodores are really in trouble. Not only did they lose another
shot at bowl eligibility, but it has become a 750-pound gorilla on
the program’s back after losing three straight. This was supposed to
be the layup to get to the magical six-win mark, and now things get
tougher as SEC play gets tighter. The offense was able to come up
with one big play against the Blue Devils, a 79-yard touchdown to
Sean Walker, but there was little consistency and no running game.
Vandy can’t lose the turnover battle and win.
Oct. 18
Georgia
24 … Vanderbilt 14
Georgia got 172 yards and an 11-yard touchdown run from Knowshon
Moreno and touchdown catches from A.J. Green and Mohamed Massaquoi
on the way to the tough win. Matthew Stafford’s two touchdown passes
gave the Dawgs a 14-0 lead, but Vanderbilt would stay alive with two
touchdown catches from Jamie Graham. The Bulldog defense held in the
fourth quarter and only allowed 245 yards.
Player of the game:
Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran 23 times
for 172 yards and a touchdown and caught a pass for 10 yards
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi
Adams, 16-32, 131 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jared Hawkins, 13-63. Receiving: James
Graham, 4-36, 2 TD
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 13-23, 194
yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 23-172, 1 TD. Receiving: A.J.
Green, 7-132, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The
Commodore formula only goes so far. The defense did its part against
Georgia, forcing two turnovers and getting off the field by stopping
third down after third down, and the offense took advantage of a few
key opportunities. But Knowshon Moreno proved to be too good, and
the Vandy offense proved to be too mediocre. Mackenzi Adams was fine
running the offense, but he wasn’t special enough to keep Chris
Nickson out of the starting quarterback discussion going forward.
Oct. 11
Mississippi
State 17 …. Vanderbilt 14
Mississippi State held Vanderbilt to just 107 yards of total
offense, but the Commodores were able to score on two short runs,
one from Chris Nickson and one from Jeff Jennings, to stay alive.
The Bulldog offense wasn’t sharp, but behind the running of Anthony
Dixon, a four-yard Brandon Henderson touchdown catch, and a
three-yard Christian Ducre scoring run MS held a 17-7 lead late in
the game. And then it was up to the D that allowed the Commodores to
convert just one of ten third down chances.
Player of the game:
Mississippi State RB Anthony Dixon ran 27
times for 107 yards
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi
Adams, 5-9, 47 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Jeff Jennings, 4-15 & Sean Walker, 2-15, 1 TD.
Receiving: Sean Walker, 2-27
Mississippi State - Passing: Tyson Lee, 12-22,
81 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 27-107. Receiving: Brandon
McRae, 5-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Well,
that was fun. Vanderbilt had been surviving on a bad offense and
takeaways all season long, but it lost the turnover battle against
Mississippi State, converted just 1-of-10 third down chances, and
committed 10 penalties. The defense was fine, but it couldn’t pick
up the slack. Things don’t get any easier with a trip to Georgia up
next. Watch out. Outside of a home game against Duke, there might
not be another win on the schedule.
Oct. 4
Vanderbilt 14 … Auburn 13
Auburn got out to a 13-0 first quarter lead on a seven-yard
touchdown catch from Rodgeriqus Smith and a 28-yard scoring grab
form Mario Fannin, and then it was all Vanderbilt the rest of the
way with Mackenzi Adams stepping in for an injured Chris Nickson and
throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Justin Wheeler and a one-yard
scoring pass to Brandon Barden. And then the defense held on. Auburn
only finished with 208 yards of total offense and committed 11
penalties.
Player of the game: Vanderbilt LB Patrick Benoist made 13
tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a broken up pass
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Chris Todd,
8-16, 70 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 27-108. Receiving: Rodgeriqus Smith,
4-18, 1 TD
Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi Adams, 13-23, 153
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Mackenzi Adams, 13-54. Receiving: Justin
Wheeler, 5-52, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean,
Basil? ... Yeah, everything has to be perfect for
Vanderbilt to win against teams like Auburn, but the team is making
things happen its way. Even though Auburn’s offense stinks at the
moment, the Commodores had a lot to do with that this week thanks to
a tremendous game from Patrick Benoist and the linebacking corps
keeping the Tiger ground game in check. Mackenzi Adams stepped in
for Chris Nickson and made the offense produce under trying
circumstances, but to go further in SEC play, the team will need
something, anything, from the rest of the backfield. Eventually, the
team will have to keep up against a good offense. Fortunately, it
won’t be next week against Mississippi State.
Sept. 20
Vanderbilt 23 … Ole Miss 17
Vanderbilt’s Ryan Hamilton picked off three passes, came up with a
goal line stop of Ole Miss RB Cordera Eason, and came up with a
recovered fumble off a muffed punt, but it was a big play from Chris
Marve to save the game. Ole Miss WR/RB Dexter McCluster was pushing
his way toward the end zone when Marve stripped the ball loose. D.J.
Moore recovered it in the end zone, and the Commodores had preserved
the six-point win. Ole Miss took a 17-7 first quarter lead when Mike
Wallace answered a Hamilton 79-yard interception return for a score
with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Ole Miss offense
never found the end zone as DT Peria Jerry scored on a 13-yard
fumble return. The Commodores scored 16 unanswered points as Bryant
Hahnfeldt nailed field goals from 34, 31 and 40 yards out after
Jared Hawkins caught a nine-yard touchdown pass late in the first
quarter.
Player of the game: Vanderbilt FS Ryan Hamilton made six
tackles, picked off three passes, taking one 79 yards for a
touchdown, made a goal line tackle, and recovered a fumble.
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson,
6-7, 40 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jared Hawkins, 17-72. Receiving: Sean
Walker, 3-12
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 12-25, 184 yds, 4
INT
Rushing: Cordera Eason, 12-88. Receiving: Dexter
McCluster, 7-132
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Can Vanderbilt
finally get over the hump and get to a bowl game? How real is this
team? The defense is fantastic, especially the secondary, and if it
keeps forcing mistakes like it did against Ole Miss, it can hang
around with anyone. Now the offense has to come around. The
Commodores only came up with 202 yards of total offense and did
nothing through the air with just 71 passing yards. Forget about
winning a shootout, but in a defensive slugfest, it’ll win its
share.
Sept. 13
Vanderbilt 38 … Rice 21
Vanderbilt broke open a 21-21 game with a 17-0 second half and a
24-point run to close. Jared Hawkins ran and Chris Nickson each ran
for short scores, and Jamie Graham tore off a 27-yard touchdown dash
to blow past the Owls. Nickson kept pace in the first half with a
14-yard run and Sean Walker added a five-yard touchdown dash as part
of Vanderbilt’s 273 rushing yards. Rice got a 26-yard Jarett Dillard
touchdown catch to start the scoring and got short touchdown runs
from Chase Clement and James Casey, but struggled in the second
half.
Player of the game: Vanderbilt CB Myron Lewis made 10 tackles
and two sacks
Stat Leaders: Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson,
7-16, 71 yds
Rushing: Jared Hawkins, 20-107, 1 TD. Receiving: Sean Walker, 4-40
Rice
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Passing: Chase Clement, 25-30, 299 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: C.J. Ugokwe, 13-63. Receiving: James Casey,
12-115
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
Rice was a
dangerous game for Vanderbilt. The Owls have a good offense, it was
a letdown game after the big win over South Carolina, and the
Commodores appeared to be possibly ripe for the picking. But Chris
Nickson had a good game, the defense kept the Owls down in the
second half, and it’s a 3-0 start. Now there needs to be more of a
passing game. A dangerous No. 1 receiver has to emerge.
Sept.
4
Vanderbilt 24 ... South
Carolina 17
Vanderbilt stunned South Carolina for the second year in a row as Chris Nickson
threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Barden and ran for a one-yard score in
the third quarter, and Jared Hawkins put the game away with under ten minutes to
play on a 13-yard scoring dash. South Carolina's offense was fine at first, with
Kenny McKinley catching a 19-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but only
managed a 41-yard field goal and a fourth-quarter five-yard touchdown catch from
Freddie Brown. The Gamecocks would get one late change, but were forced to punt
and Vandy ran out the clock.
Player of the game:
Vanderbilt LB Patrick Benoist made 15 tackles, a sack,
and two tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley,
23-39, 233 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 18-80. Receiving: Jared Cook, 8-111
Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson, 6-13, 90 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jared Hawkins, 17-84, 1 TD. Receiving: Jamie Graham, 3-21
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ...
All of a sudden, Vanderbilt goes
from being a sure-thing bottom feeder in the loaded East to a major player in
search for potentially more than a bowl bid. That might be stretching it after
the win over South Carolina, especially with the offense struggling to find any
consistency in the passing game, but it was a big victory over a name team at
home. With Rice and Ole Miss up next, there's a good chance of going 4-0 if the
team maintains it focus, but most importantly, the defense has to continue to
play like it has over the last two weeks.
Aug.
28
Vanderbilt
34 ... Miami Univ. 13
Miami scored first on a 37-yard Nathan Parseghian field goal and got
a 30-yard touchdown catch from Eugene Harris midway though the
second, but the defense couldn't contain Vanderbilt QB Chris Nickson,
who ran for 166 yards with two scores. The Commodore defense held
tough in the second half allowing just a 29-yard Parseghian field
goal. Vandy outgained MU 269 yards to 96 on the ground. MU LB Joey
Hudson made 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss with a fumble
recovery.
Player of the game:
Vanderbilt QB Chris Nickson completed nine
of 16 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, and ran 20 times for 166
yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Daniel
Raudabaugh, 19-41, 244 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Thomas Merriweather, 10-59. Receiving: Eugene
Harris, 4-52, 1 TD
Vanderbilt - Passing: Chris Nickson, 9-16, 91
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Chris Nickson, 20-166, 2 TD. Receiving: Sean
Walker, 2-53, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... After
an off-season of uncertainty about the quarterback situation, Chris
Nickson came through with a whale of a game against a Miami
University defense loaded with a tremendous linebacking corps.
Nickson stayed calm under pressure and did what he needed to do when
he had a chance to take off. Sean Walker only caught two passes, and
they came on the same drive, but he showed the jets and the
potential to become a major weapon.
2008 Recruiting Class
Star of the Class
Tristan Strong LB 6-1
220 Loganville, Ga. Grayson H.S.
HIGH SCHOOL
Senior captain, helping squad to 10-3 overall record and appearance
in Georgia AAAAA state quarterfinals... Two-year starter at LB;
three-year letterwinner... As senior, posted 46 total tackles, 31
solo stops, three QB sacks and a pair of INTs... Recovered fumble
for TD... Returned two punts for 14.5-yard average... In 2006, squad
went 6-6, advancing to first round of playoffs... As junior,
contributed 51 total tackles, seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, a
forced fumble and a blocked kick... Named to first team 5A All-State
squad and All-Gwinnett County team... Two-time All-Region pick...
Played in recent Georgia North-South All-Star Game... Played two
years of varsity basketball... Honors student recognized as one of
school's top scholar-athletes.
PERSONAL Tristan Julio Strong... Son of Julio and Jody Strong...
Born on Nov. 10, 1989... Dad is an electrician; mom is a florist...
Two uncles, Tami Tarbush and Ricky Payne, played football at South
Carolina; another uncle, Rod Cole, played basketball at Georgia.
GRAYSON HEAD COACH MICKEY CONN
"Vanderbilt is getting a real classy individual with Tristan Strong.
He's a guy that's involved in student leadership, his academics are
great, and he's going to give you all he's got on the field. He's a
fast kid, a real natural athlete that is really put together
physically. Plus, Tristan has been just a great leader for our
squad."He's an extremely versatile football player. He's a presence
on the field. We ran a 3-4 scheme defensively with Tristan playing
outside linebacker. Most teams just tried to go the other way, away
from him. That limited his production."
Potential Instant Impact Players
DeAndre Jones LB 6-0 220 Memphis,
Tenn. Memphis University School
Senior captain... Earned four varsity letters, starting two years at
strong safety before moving to WLB as senior... Finalist for
Division II-AA Mr. Football Lineman of the Year as senior...
All-State selection and the (Nashville) Tennessean's "Dream Team"
member... Finalist for region's top defensive player after anchoring
2007 defense with a conference-high 76 solo tackles, 21.5 tackles
for loss, eight QB sacks, two forced fumbles and an INT... Helped
MUS to 7-4 record and first round of state playoffs in senior year,
earning team's Roberts MVP Award... Helped Owls to state Division II
titles in 2004-05... Finished career with 203 total tackles and 38
tackles for loss... Throws shot put and discus... National Honor
Society member.
Al Owens DB 6-2 198 Springtown,
Texas Springtown H.S.
Senior captain for Porcupines... Three-year starter in defensive
secondary for school located just west of Fort Worth... Also started
as TB and kickoff returner for 2007 squad that advanced to first
round of AAAA playoffs... As senior, contributed 58 total tackles,
five tackles for loss, one INT and three forced fumbles... Returned
one fumble for defensive TD... As TB, ran for 294 yards and two TDs
on just 37 carries and caught 12 passes for 198 yards and a TD...
Named 4A third team All-State and first team All-District 6-4A as
DB... As junior, collected 80 tackles, two INTs and five tackles for
loss... Also returned two kickoffs for TDs in 2006... Finished
career with more than 200 tackles, four INTs and five fumble
recoveries... As two-time regional qualifying sprinter in track, PRs
include 10.9 (100 meters) and 22.13 (200 meters)... National Honor
Society member, and academic All-District recipient in football and
track.
Rest of the Class
Archie Barnes ATH 6-4 210 Tampa, Fla. Berkeley Prep
Michael Bryant OL 6-4 294 La Vergne, Tenn. La Vergne H.S.
John Burrow DE 6-4 222 Morris, Ala. Mortimer Jordan H.S.
Richard Cagle OL 6-4 272 Houston, Texas St. Pius X H.S.
John Cole WR 5-11 170 Somerset, Ky. Somerset H.S.
Dexter Daniels LB 6-1 210 Brantley, Ala. Brantley H.S.
Akeem Dunham WR 6-3 180 Eustis, Fla. Eustis H.S.
Ryan Fowler PK 5-10 160 Taylors, S.C. Eastside H.S.
Casey Hayward DB 6-0 175 Elko, Ga. Perry H.S.
Josh Jelesky DE 6-5 234 Naperville, Ill. Naperville Central H.S.
Taylor Loftley DL 6-2 250 Chamblee, Ga. Chamblee H.S.
Rob Lohr DE 6-4 245 Phoenixville, Pa. Phoenixville H.S.
Colt Nichter DT 6-2 272 Park City, Utah Park City H.S.
Micah Powell DB 6-0 192 Tarpon Springs, Fla. East Lake H.S.
Sean Richardson DB 6-2 180 Linden, Ala. Linden H.S.
Ryan Seymour DT 6-4 250 Kingsland, Ga. Camden Co. H.S.
Johnell Thomas DL 6-2 240 Orlando, Fla. Boone H.S.
Caleb Welchans OL 6-5 265 Wildwood, Mo. Lafayette H.S.
2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: The quarterback situation is excellent with
Mackenzi Adams and Chris Nickson two strong, veteran options who can
each keep defensive coordinators up at night. The defense finished 16th
in the nation and was tremendous against the pass. Everyone returns to
the secondary, led by top corner D.J. Moore and big hitting safety
Reshard Langford, and the team's two best pass rushers, DE Broderick
Stewart and LB Patrick Benoist, are back.
Why to be grouchy: The window might have slammed shut. Vandy
should've been able to get to a bowl game in each of the last two
seasons, didn't, and now it's rebuilding time with all five starters
gone off the offensive line, top linebackers Jonathan Goff and Marcus
Buggs gone off the defense, and all-star receiver Earl Bennett leaving
early for the NFL. The rest of the SEC East, outside of Kentucky,
appears to be better, while Vandy has gotten a lot worse.
The number one thing to work on is: Throwing the ball. Good luck.
Again, Adams and Nickson can play, but they can't do it all on their
own. The passing attack only averaged 176 yards per game, and things
aren't going to get much better with Bennett gone. George Smith has to
step up and become a number one go-to guy on the inside, while Justin
Wheeler has to do more on the outside.
Biggest offensive loss: WR Earl Bennett
Biggest defensive loss: LB Jonathan Goff
Best returning offensive player: QB MacKenzi Adams, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: CB D.J. Moore, Jr.
2007 Recap
Recap:
It has almost become painful watching Vanderbilt try to get over the
hump, and back to the postseason for the first time in a
quarter-century. For the third consecutive year, the Commodores
entered November within striking distance of bowl eligibility, only
to lose their final four games. Although moral victories alone
won’t end the bowl drought, the days of Vandy being an automatic lay
up for the rest of the SEC ended a couple of years ago.
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Earl Bennett
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Jonathan Goff
Biggest Surprise: On Oct. 20, the ‘Dores traveled to
Columbia, and sucked the air out of No. 6 South Carolina, 17-6. QB
Mackenzi Adams delivered one of his most efficient efforts of the
season, but it was the play of the suffocating Vandy defense that
sparked the school’s lone signature moment of 2007.
Biggest Disappointment: Blowing a 15-point, fourth-quarter
lead to rival Tennessee in a game that would have secured bowl
eligibility for Vanderbilt. The Commodores out played the
Volunteers for most of the game, and could have won on a
last-minute, but fell short, 25-24, in an excruciating microcosm of
their inability to pull out close games in the waning moments.
Looking Ahead: The talent level continues to improve in
Nashville, and head coach Bobby Johnson is a nice fit for a small,
private institution that isn’t obsessed with its athletic programs.
There are enough returning regulars for Vanderbilt to be in the hunt
for a 13th game again in 2008, but to get to the next
level, it has to start winning a game or two in November.
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