SB Nation - Ryan Hamilton

Q & A With Vanderbilt Sports Line

jeremyflint — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:12:48 -0000

I sent a few questions over to the guys at Vanderbilt Sports Line, a great Vandy blog and fellow SEC Power Poll voter.

The Bulldogs will travel to Nashville this weekend to take on the Commodores, who are also 1-1 on the season after a road loss to LSU. The game kicks off at 6pm and will be televised by FSN.

1. How well is the Vanderbilt team expected to perform this year? How many starters are returning from 2008?

Vanderbilt has the potential to be as good this year as they were last year, perhaps better. While we returned 17 starters, we've already lost 1 key starter from last year's team (senior safety Ryan Hamilton), and haven't seen starting running back Jared Hawkins or DE Broderick Stewart yet. Injuries have also claimed starting RT James Williams, who is expected to miss the rest of the season with a dislocated ankle. There's no reason to think things will get better, as the team plays 12 games in 12 weeks. For some time, Vanderbilt has talked about how they developed depth. If this team can manage to make another bowl game, that would certainly seem to prove that point true.

2. It was announced today that senior safety Ryan Hamilton is out for the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. How does that loss effect the Commodore's defense?

It's a huge loss because you are forced to reshuffle a lot of players. Vanderbilt converted Brent Trice from a safety to a linebacker. With Hamilton down, Trice may have to play some time back at safety. The secondary looked good in the second half against LSU, despite Hamilton going down, so it's possible the young talent will respond.

3. Who should MSU fans be worried about on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball?

On offense, MSU should be worried about freshman running back Zac Stacy, who has already amassed 222 yards on the ground and given Vanderbilt a running attack that we haven't had in quite some time. Joining Stacy is freshman Warren Norman, who has also been effective, including 2 TDs in as many games. On defense, the two players to watch are linebacker Chris Marve and cornerback Myron Lewis, both guys who will (or at least SHOULD) show up on a post-season All-SEC Team.

4. Is there anyone player in particular on the MSU team that the Commodores should prepare for?

Anthony Dixon ran circles around the Commodore defense last season in Starkville, rushing for 114 yards on 27 carries. Obviously, Vanderbilt will have to contain him, since it's arguable that MSU doesn't have that many offensive weapons. An effective running game will open up the Bulldogs passing attack, specifically Brandon McRae out wide.

5. Both teams have started the season in similar fashion, blowing out a lesser opponent in the home opener and not fairing as well on the road in the SEC. How do you think this game will come out?

This is a game Vanderbilt has to win if they are going to be bowl eligible. I think the team will be fired up given that this is their SEC home opener, and the fact that MSU ruined Vanderbilt's perfect start last season. I think the Commodores played LSU a lot tougher than MSU did against Auburn. And, given the fact that LSU is certainly the superior of the two teams, I'd say I like Vanderbilt's chances. Still, the Commodores offense was not impressive in Baton Rouge. If MSU can contain Vanderbilt's running attack (which hopefully will include the return of senior Jared Hawkins), then Vanderbilt will be forced to win through the air (something they've shown a complete inability to do). It would not surprise me if this was a low scoring affair, but given Vanderbilt's talent, the fact this is a definite "must win," and the fact that this is at home, makes us confident (or at least hopeful) that the Commodores pulls one out. Vanderbilt 17 - Mississippi State 10

Sprints Is Working for the Weekend Featuring Tennessee-Florida // 09.15.09

cocknfire — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:38:46 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

'Him? I'll take care of him for you, coach.'

Browse more photos »

Site notes. First of all, I will be traveling for real-life work today, meaning posting will be a little light today and early tomorrow. The combined SEC Power Poll ballot will be along later in the morning and I'll have the SEC Power Poll up tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET. No Team Speed Kills Now this week; we'll return next Tuesday with plenty to talk about.

Finally, we introduce a tweak in Sprints for weeks with big games. A special section when there's news from one of those big games, followed by the rest of the news from around the SEC. This will hopefully make things easier to navigate.

TENNESSEE-FLORIDA

He is human after all. Maybe the Golden Tim Tebow isn't as nonchalant about Boy Wonder's anti-Urban screeds as he lets on.

"I don't like anyone talking about Coach Meyer. . . . I don't think Coach Meyer worried about it too much and I think we kind of dropped it and moved past it."

And that was the least blunt of his comments.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Tebow said.

Actually, Mike Slive already told us that.

FEEL THE HATE!
Joel at Rocky Top Talk starts the Tennessee, um, trash-talking?

Vol fans have heard the beatdown talk all summer. Our own almanac has predicted it, and I don't think there's any reason to resent it. I frankly have no idea how the Tennessee offense is going to score even a single point against the Gators' stingy D, and I know our defense has held up so far this year, but let's be honest, it really hasn't been tested yet, either, and for all of his experience, I don't think Monte Kiffin has ever faced a well-oiled spread machine.

That'll get anybody fired up.

Blueout?
It would be tempting to make all sorts of TEH BLACKOUTZ HARHARHAR jokes here, but I somehow doubt that even karma will be enough to allow the Vols to pull the upset.

OTHER NEWS

There goes the bowl game return
It's hard to overstate the importance of staying healthy for Vanderbilt, which isn't as deep as other teams in the SEC. So what do you say about losing two starters in a single game?

Senior safety Ryan Hamilton will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle during Vanderbilt's 23-9 loss at LSU last Saturday. Hamilton, a team captain who was making his 34th consecutive start, leaves a large hole in the Commodores secondary. ...

Vanderbilt will ask the NCAA to give Hamilton a medical redshirt, which would allow him to play next season. Hamilton redshirted as a freshman but not because of an injury. ...

The Commodores also lost starting right tackle James Williams for the season after the sophomore broke his left ankle at LSU. Johnson said he and his staff would look at several different combinations before settling on who will fill the role.

It might not be fatal for the Commodores' hopes of a second straight bowl. But the margin for error just went from slim to nonexistent.

It might not be a temporary issue
Mississippi State defensive coordinator Carl Torbush says something that can't be comforting to fans of the Western Division Bulldogs about the 49 points given up to Auburn on Saturday.

But in Vanderbilt's offense, Torbush sees the same goals, the same versatile athletes and the same run-oriented approach that can cause his players problems.

"It's not just (Auburn), it's basically everybody you're going to play," Torbush said. "That's where the game of football is. You've got to be able to adjust with what you have and be prepared that whatever (personnel set) you have on the field -- you better be able to keep on there the entire series of plays."

And the season gets longer in Starkville.

Because Nick Stephens has grown another head
Jonathan Crompton will be your starting quarterback for the Tennessee Vols this weekend. And there was much rejoicing. Among Florida fans. In Crompton's defense, it's not clear that anyone on Tennessee's roster could do better than he could against the Gators. It just means that we can expect more calls for his head out of Knoxville once the game is done.

Injury news for the Tide
Julio Jones will be back. Roy Upchurch will take a little longer to heal. Damion Square is done for the year. Grant is back to be a running back as a result.

You're probably right, but ...
Despite all the sabermetric/Phil Steele talk about regressing to the mean on turnover margin, some teams do just turn the ball over a lot. But a team like Georgia is probably not going to spend the entire year at the bottom of the barrel in turnover margin.

Hopefully, this will go better than it did against Louisiana Tech
Mississippi State confirms two more dates with UAB -- one of them in Birmingham, meaning the Western Division Bulldogs will travel to Legion field twice in a three-year period. Once again, gentlemen, this is the SEC; cupcakes must come to our stadium to get paid.

Breaking Down Kentucky at Vanderbilt

Anything but Gatorade — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:01:36 -0000

via assets.espn.go.com

Take the above image and repeat about five or six times and you have Commies at Cats, 2008. Several blogs lately have pointed out that the Doormat Bowl has evolved from answering the question of "who's going to be at the bottom of the league" to "who's going to be at the bottom of the league, but also gets to go to a bowl?" That wasn't the case in 2008, as Kentucky got torched and still went to the Liberty Bowl. It might not be the case in 2009, either, as South Carolina or Tennessee could easily fail their way to the same East basement that Vandy and UK have struggled so mightily to climb out of. Of course, every conference game is important, but, because UK/VU tends to happen so late in the season, it always seems like a fulcrum-type game, and 2009 looks to shape up that way, too. Chris Low calls the game a "fork in the road" for Kentucky, and Team Speed Kills calls it one of the 10 games that will shape the SEC this year.

Cocknfire over at TSK does a pretty good job breaking down the game, and I've taken a look at it myself recently, albeit a brief one. Of all the games on the schedule this year for both the Cats and Commodores, this was the hardest one for me to pick (or push). Here's a deeper look, and why it's probably not going to matter come November 14th anyway:

Coaches: Rich Brooks (123-150-4 in 24 total collegiate seasons, 32-41 in 7 years at UK); Bobby Johnson (87-92 in 16 collegiate seasons, 27-56 in 8 years at Vanderbilt). Oddly enough, Bobby Johnson is the longest tenured coach in the SEC. Both of these guys can really coach, and both have led historic turnarounds in their schools' football programs. I'll say this for Coach Johnson, though: he's done more with much less, and also without an athletic department. Brooks's efforts and success have been well documented, and the fact that he's still here after two and a half miserable seasons due to probation, etc., is a testament to his abilities and philosophy.

Offenses: Vanderbilt's offensive line last year was, in a word, bad. Luckily, they had fleet-footed Chris Nickson under center to scramble around behind them. Unluckily, Nickson's list of options was fairly limited: dump it off to someone who wasn't covered, try and run for yards, throw it away, or take a hard sack. The latter two options were the ones most often employed. Spelling Nickson occasionally was Mackenzi Adams, who played well enough in his opportunities but not so well to get the starting nod for 2009. It's my expectation that Larry Smith will get that honor, and he's got much better blockers this time around. Short white guy running back Jared Hawkins returns to a role he was oddly effective in last year. The receivers are young, and that's probably the biggest question mark in the whole unit (aside from "who the hell is that guy, these jerks don't put names on their jerseys").

Ken's going through this sort of thing for Kentucky, but the line for the Cats this year should be pretty good. Christian Johnson, Jorge Gonzales, and Zipp Duncan are all coming back, and T.C. Drake must've accidentally gotten his name on some watch list for tight ends. The receivers were bad last year aside from Dicky Lyons, Jr. and Randall Cobb, but showed some promise in the bowl game. The running backs are good, but it would be nice to see some gains between the tackles. I'm pulling for Hartline because it's too soon to throw a freshman into the SEC meat grinder and Cobb's way more effective in open space than behind center.

Who gets the edge? Like so many things about these teams, there's not much room for a difference. There are lots of questions at receiver. The lines are both good, though I'd give Kentucky's a better grade. I'd give Hartline a push at QB because even though he's more experienced, he wasn't good last year. Kentucky's got more proven backs than the Dores do. I'll give the Cats a slight advantage here.

Defenses: Vanderbilt's defense is why they made it to a bowl last year. D.J. Moore was a nightmare for everyone who faced him, and he had a freakin' coming out party against Kentucky last year. Fortunately for the Cats, he's gone now. In his place, though, are Myron Lewis, Jamie Graham, and Ryan Hamilton, all effective tacklers and coverage backs. The defensive line returns most of its starters, and the linebackers are an experienced group as well.

Kentucky's secondary is equal to if not better than Vanderbilt's, returning Trevard Lindley, Ashton Cobb, Paul Warford, and Matt Lentz. The linebackers are also a talented group, with Micah Johnson returning along with Sam Maxwell and Danny Trevathan. The question marks are all up front, especially at the ends.

Edge here is even more difficult to tell. Will Kentucky's D-line firm up by November 14? How much of a pounding has each unit taken over the season? The interesting part is the offense-defense matchup; neither offense is expected to be especially effective, so the defenses might be better than we think in this game. Push.

Special Teams: I'm not a Lones Seiber fan. Here's hoping he gets his act together this year, because if Kentucky wants to win games, field goals are probably going to be pretty important. Vanderbilt returns Music City Bowl MVP punter Brett Upson, who is about as good as Tim Masthay was in terms of putting the other team in a hole as far as field position. Ryan Tiddlywinks (I can't spell his last name without looking it up) will probably have his hands full this year unless the Wildcat offense becomes much more effective at keeping the ball.

Kentucky's bread and butter in the past has been its return game, and I don't see this year being any different with any combination of Randall Cobb, Alfonso Smith, Gene McCaskill, Derrick Locke, and Kyrus Lanxter filling those roles. They can't catch passes consistently, but at least the catch punts and kickoffs. I'm not totally sure who'll be returning kicks for the Dores this year, but I'd have to think Jamie Graham will probably be in the mix.

This is a push for me because even though I think the Cats have the better return unit, I have no confidence in their kicking ability until further notice, and Brett Upson is a stud.

Schedule: Vanderbilt plays 12 uninterrupted weeks this year and the Kentucky game falls on Week 11 of their schedule. This game will be the 10th consecutive game on the Wildcats' schedule also. Kentucky goes through the meat grinder a little earlier than the Dores do, playing Florida and Alabama in the first five weeks of the season, but they get a break before going to Nashville in the Eastern and Louisiana-Monroe games. Vanderbilt will be coming off a brutal stretch of games against Georgia, at South Carolina, Georgia Tech, and at Florida. No way do they make it through there without some injuries, so the lines and backs might be pretty dinged up at that point. It's a home game for the Commies, but Kentucky always travels well down to Nashville and the Dores have a tough time filling their stadium.

Conclusion: I think that the constant pounding in Vandy's schedule and what I hope is an emerging offense from UK will be too much for the Dores to overcome. Thing is, though, this game is always hard-fought and extremely important to both teams, and anything can happen. When the week before this game rolls around in a few months, you can probably throw all of the above out the window. Just be careful when you do that, though, there might be a person down there.

Post-Spring Previews: Vanderbilt Commodores

Gamecock Man — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:04:46 -0000

After traveling to Tuscaloosa for a likely loss to the Tide, South Carolina returns to Columbia to host the Vanderbilt Commodores. Vandy has administered excruciatingly painful upsets to the Gamecocks in both of the past two seasons. If anything hurts more than losing to Vandy while you're riding high with a #6 national ranking, it's losing to them again to spoil what looked like a promising early season right after you've reentered the top 25. It's hard to pick up the pieces after losing to Vandy in the second game of the year. To make matters worse, we've had every chance to win these games but have killed ourselves with turnovers and inane special teams play.

I think it's safe to say that we should now consider Vandy a rival and one of the "must-win" games of 2009, and not only because of the aforementioned embarrassment factor. With no disrespect to Bobby Johnson and Vandy, which are doing a great job considering their resources, we simply can't make it to the next level if we keep losing to these guys. The best SEC teams just don't do that.

Let's take a look at how we stack up against the 2009 'Dores.

Offense

Despite their success, Vandy had a fairly anemic offense last year. When they weren't able to create points with turnovers and special teams play, they had a lot of trouble moving the ball. They failed to exceed 14 points in all of their losses and finished the year ranked 117th in the nation in total offense, which shows you that this is a team that lived and died off of defensive opportunism. Although they should be at least a little better with nine returning starters, more of the same offensive struggles could be in store for Vandy this year.

Quarterback

Vandy appears to have chosen to go with Larry Smith at quarterback after Smith beat out the more experienced Mackenzi Adams this spring. Neither, though, has been particularly effective under center for Vandy, although Smith won 'Dores fans hearts by leading a late game-winning field goal drive against Boston College in the Music City Bowlr. Smith will need to improve his completion percentage and yards per attempt for Vandy to take a step forward this year. Like Adams and the now-departed Chris Nickson, Smith is fairly mobile, which will come in handy it the 'Dores end up having protection issues. Expect Adams to see the field if Smith falters.

I would call this a strong advantage for us. For all the hoopla surrounding Smith right now, he finished the year with a 100.97 QB rating. Stephen Garcia finished was at one point around 140 and still finished at 113.68 even after his horrific performances against Florida and Iowa. One thing Vandy does have is over us is the luxury of having an experienced backup in Adams, not that Adams exactly strikes fear into the hearts of anyone that has seen him play.

Verdict: Strong advantage South Carolina

Running Backs

Vandy will look to senior Jared Hawkins to lead their running game, which was the heart of their offense last year. Hawkins, a short, stocky back, has had a serviceable career in Nashville and will look to finish with a bang in 2009. While he won't break too many long ones, he can get tough yards and has never fumbled. Hawkins was the only Vandy back to finish with over 100 yards last year (QBs Nickson and Adams and WR Jamie Graham also did), so finding another back to help Hawkins shoulder the load will be important for the 'Dores.

I'd call this a push. We have a deeper stable of talented backs, but until we prove that we can pick up the pieces after fielding last season's joke of a running game, we can't call this an advantage considering that Vandy returns an experienced back like Hawkins.

Verdict: Push

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Vandy's sluggish passing offense graduated top receiver Sean Walker, who caught over 500 yards last season. Their top returning receiver is tight end Branden Barden. (You may remember Barden as the guy that made an impressive 31-yard TD grab against us to tie the game early in the second half last season.) Finding a reliable wide out to complement Barden will be a huge priority for the 'Dores this year. Luckily, they picked up transfer Terence Jeffers, who caught for over 500 yards at UConn two years ago.

This is a slight to strong advantage for us. Vandy loses its top player from a group that struggled enough to get open last year and will rely on a transfer with no SEC experience to carry the load. While we lost Kenny McKinley, on the other hand, we have several talented players that are ready to move into McKinley's spotlight.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Offensive Line

Vandy has often struggled to field a reliable line over they years, hence Bobby Johnson's tendency to favor mobile quarterbacks. However, this year's group, which features four seniors and a junior on the first team, appears to be pretty good. If they can avoid injuries, Vandy should be solid here.

I'd call this a push. Surprisingly, Vandy's line appears to be it's greatest strength on offense due to the experience. However, this unit had some problems protecting the quarterback last year, and if they falter early this year, I'll be ready to call this an advantage for us by game day.

Verdict: Push

Let's take a look at Vandy's defense after the jump.

Defense

Vandy's defenses under Bobby Johnson have typically been decent. Last year's unit was a marvel in opportunism, always seeming to be able to come up with a turnover at the right time. It doesn't take a Head Ball Coach to figure out that Vandy's early season five-game winning streak was won on a +9 turnover differential and their late season slide came due to their return to the mean in that department. Although they lose star corner D. J. Moore, this year's group may be even better than last year's. That's good for Vandy, as the 'Dores will need this group to shoulder the load for the offense.

Defensive Line

With three seniors and a junior in the starting lineup, Vanderbilt returns a very experienced defensive line. The star, perhaps, is Broderick Stewart, who has managed to become an adept pass rusher despite only weighing in at around 225. Tackles Greg Billinger and Adam Smotherman also look solid. This is a good group, but they'll need to toughen up against the run this year.

This is a slight advantage for us. I'd call Vandy's line average as SEC lines go, whereas I'd call ours a fair bit above average.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

Vandy linebackers are led by ILB Patrick Benoist and and WLB Chris Marve. Benoist was second-team All-SEC a year ago. SLB John Stokes rounds out the first team. This could be one of the conference's better all-around units if Stokes steps up his game. Vandy also has reasonable depth at these positions.

I would call this a push to a slight advantage for us. Vandy doesn't have anyone like Eric Norwood, but they do have a pretty well-rounded group of players.

Verdict: Push

Secondary

With Gamecocks kryptonite D. J. Moore gone, Vandy will be hard-pressed to duplicate what was one of the nation's best pass defenses from a year ago. However, cornerback Myron Lewis and safety Ryan Hamilton head up a good, experienced secondary unit for Vandy. Both Lewis and Hamilton have a shot at all-conference and would be welcome additions on almost any SEC team. Casey Hayward and Sean Richardson round out Vandy's secondary.

While we probably have a bit more athleticism on the depth chart than Vandy here, we also have more youth and less proven experience. Vandy gets the advantage.

Verdict: Slight advantage Vanderbilt

Head Coaches

Forget his horrible W-L record. Bobby Johnson is doing something very, very right. Before Johnson arrived in Nashville, Vandy not only typically posted bad records. They also usually lost by large margins to the rest of the SEC. Since Johnson took over, Vandy has turned into a dangerous team that plays even the better SEC teams very tough and usually manages an upset or two. He's now even beginning to bring somewhat respectable recruiting classes to Vandy, which is an incredible feat considering that Vandy's academic standards make it one of the toughest places in BCS football to recruit to. Make no mistake, succeeding at a school like Vanderbilt in a conference like the SEC is an incredible accomplishment, yet Johnson appears to be doing just that. Why a school with a potentially more competitive football program hasn't pulled the trigger on this guy is beyond me.

I have to give Johnson the advantage over Spurrier. Why not? He owns the Head Ball Coach.

Verdict: Slight advantage Vanderbilt

Overall

Despite all the excitement around the Vandy football program last year, in the back of 'Dores fans minds must be the fact that they won with smoke and mirrors last year. 2008 frankly wasn't even Johnson's best team in Nashville; the 2005 team with Jay Cutler and Earl Bennett actually had a prolific offense and was a few points away from a bowl berth. The difference was that that team didn't get the bounces quite as often. (Remember this game?) A reversion to the mean may be in store with this year's Vanderbilt team, which appears to seriously lack offensive firepower. When they come to play us, they'll be going up against a talent differential. Moreover, if we can't get up for this game after what's happened the last two years, then we don't deserve to play in the SEC. I think we'll win this one by a couple of touchdowns.

Prediction: South Carolina wins by 14 points

Wanna know more about Vandy in 2009? Check out these previews:

UK vs. Vanderbilt: Personnel, stats, and a prediction

Ken Howlett — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:34:15 -0000

Thankfully we have what should be an exciting football game to look forward to, which hopefully will take the Big Blue Nation's mind off the unfortunate start to the basketball season.

The game versus Vanderbilt (5-4, 3-3 in the SEC) Saturday night in Commonwealth Stadium isn't a 'must win,' but it is a 'must win in order to play in a warm weather bowl game.' Atlanta and Tampa are a heckuva lot warmer than Nashville in December.

Vandy has fallen on hard times of late, losing four in a row. UK, at home, with a newfound offensive effectiveness, should most certainly come out the victor, but Vandy games have historically been close: UK has won the last four games by an average of only six points. Even though Bobby Johnson's club is reeling, I expect the Commodores to battle (smart guys don't give up) for their elusive sixth win, and their first bowl game since 1896 (or something like that).

Commodore Offensive Personnel

Quarterback Mackenzi Adams: 6'3", 215 lb junior -- This year Adams has thrown for 619 yards and five touchdowns to go along with six interceptions. He has rushed for 144 yards on 52 carries (2.8 yards per carry). For his career Adams has completed 172 of 319 passes for 1,886 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His career rushing stats:158 carries for 519 yards and three touchdowns. Adams started the last six games of '07. Last year versus UK Adams threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-20 Wildcat victory.

Adams has taken over the starting quarterback spot from Chris Nickson, but after last weeks Florida loss, Nickson may have regained his starting position. Last week Adams was 5 for 8, with one interception. He ran for seven yards on seven carries. More importantly, Vandy did not score while Adams was at the helm.

Quarterback Chris Nickson: 6'1", 212 lb senior -- In '08 Nickson has thrown for 378 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's rushed for 351 yards on 84 carries (4.2 yards per carry). In his rather impressive career, Nickson has thrown for 3,239 yards and 26 touchdowns, with 20 interceptions, as well as rushing for 1,272 yards on 304 carries (4.2 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns. Two years ago the former Mr. Football in the state of Alabama (and Earl Bennett) lit up the UK secondary for 446 yards in a classic game at Commonwealth Stadium (a 38-26 UK victory).

As I noted above, Nickson lost his starting quarterback spot to Mackenzi Adams, but he may get another chance today versus UK. He experienced a bit more success than Adams did last week versus the Gators: 7 of 14 for 67 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 10 rushes for 39 yards.

Nickson is the prototypical spread/option quarterback. Which means when he's 'on,' he's extremely dangerous with both his feet and his arm.

Wide receiver Sean Walker: 6'0", 178 lb senior -- This year Walker has become Vandy's top receiver. He's caught 26 passes for 386 yards and three touchdowns. That's an exceptional 14.8 yards per catch. He's also rushed 14 times for 105 yards (7.5 yards per carry). For his career, Walker has made 67 catches for 969 yards (14.5 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. Last year versus UK, Walker caught a 14 yard touchdown pass.

Wide receiver Jamie Graham: 6'0", 190 lb red-shirt freshman -- Graham has made 13 catches for 98 yards and three touchdowns. Graham also started playing basketball for the 'Dores last January.

Wide receiver Justin Wheeler: 6'1", 178 lb junior -- Wheeler has 12 receptions for 113 yards (9.4 yards per catch) and one touchdown. For his career, Wheeler has made 22 catches for 200 yards (9.1 yards per catch) and two touchdowns.

Tight end Brandon Barden: 6'5", 245 lb red-shirt freshman -- The Virginia Tech transfer has made 18 catches for 162 yards (9.0 yards per catch), and two touchdowns.

Running back Jared Hawkins: 5'10", 202 lb junior -- This year Hawkins has rushed for 487 yards on 114 carries and three touchdowns. He's also caught 12 balls for 72 yards and one touchdown. For his career he's ran for 1,052 yards on 217 carries and six touchdowns. He missed the final two games of the '07 campaign after suffering a concussion versus UK.

Commodore Special Teams and Defensive Personnel

Corner back and kick returner D.J. Moore: 5'10", 185 lb junior -- Moore, a First Team All-SEC selection represents a double-threat to the 'Cats. As a corner back Moore has recorded six pass break-ups and four interceptions in '08. Last year he picked off six passes and had 10 pass break-ups. As Vandy's primary return man, Moore averages 15.2 yards per punt return (16 returns), and 19.2 yards per kick-off return (19 returns).

Kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt: 5'11", 185 lb senior -- This year Hahnfeldt is 7 of 10 on his field goal attempts (6-9 beyond 30 yards). But the senior has missed his last four kicks (one kick is listed as a 'team block'). For his career Hahnfeldt is 40 of 64 (62.5%), with a long kick of 51 yards. This year Hahnfeldt has executed 39 kick-offs (7 touchbacks).

Linebacker Patrick Benoist: 6'0", 220 lb junior -- Benoist began starting for Vandy midway through the '07 season. He has recorded 124 career tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. This year Benoist is second in the SEC with 78 tackles (8.7 per game), he has also recorded 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He had a sack last year versus UK.

Linebacker Chris Marve: 6'0", 225 lb red-shirt freshman -- Marve was the Tennessee 5A Football Lineman of the Year his senior season. This year he is second on the team with 74 tackles (8.2 per game).

Strong safety Ryan Hamilton: 6'2", 210 junior -- Hamilton is very experienced, having started every game since the beginning of the '07 season. He has made 184 career tackles, to go along with four interceptions and seven tackles for loss.. This year Hamilton has recorded 73 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions. In '06 versus Kentucky he recorded 9 tackles.

Commodore Schedule

Vandy started the year looking like Florida, instead of the hard luck 'Dores we've come to know and rely upon. They opened their season on the road with a 34-13 victory over Miami, OH. They followed that win up with a second-in-a-row win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, 24-17. Vandy next welcomed Rice to Nashville, and unceremoniously sent them back to Texas as losers, 38-21. They traveled to Oxford and beat Ole Miss 23-17. Auburn was their next victim, 14-13, in a game played in Nashville.

This is where the good times, and SEC Championship Game talk ended:

17-14 loss to Mississippi State -- Vandy recorded only seven first downs in the contest. The 'Dores rushed for 45 yards and threw for an anemic 62 yards. Nickson and Adams were a combined 8 of 19, with two interceptions. The two quarterbacks rushed 14 times for four yards. Ouch. UK, on the contrary, ran for 128 yards against the Bulldogs, and thew for 146 yards.
24-14 loss to Georgia -- Knowshon Moreno went off: 172 yards and one touchdown. As a team Georgia ran for 231 yards (5.8 yards per carry). Georgia's electric freshman receiver A. J. Green caught seven balls for 132 yards and a touchdown. Vanderbilt quarterback Mackenzi Adams was 16-32 through the air with two interceptions. Against UK, Georgia rushed for 144 yards (4.8 yards per carry); Moreno ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
10-7 loss to Duke -- How Vandy lost this game is a mystery to me. Well, actually it's not: Vandy fumbled on their own 15 yard line and Duke went four plays for nine yards. The result was a game winning field goal. But consider this: Vandy won the turnover battle 3-1. Duke only ran for 28 yards. Duke put the ball on the ground five times, but Vandy only recovered one fumble. Duke had seven penalties for 68 yards, Vandy had only three penalties for 33 yards. Vandy quarterback Mackenzi Adams was 14 of 31 for 210 yards and a touchdown, but he was sacked four times. Receiver Sean Walker had a big game with six catches for 138 yards and one touchdown.
42-14 loss to Florida -- Vandy was down 35-0 at the half (UK was down 42-3 at halftime). Tim Tebow had a stellar day going 12 of 17 for 171 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 88 yards on 11 carries, and two more touchdowns. The Commodore quarterbacks combined to go 12 of 22 with one interception and two touchdowns (both with Nickson at quarterback).

'A Tale of Two Seasons' indeed. But, Bobby Johnson's offense over the last few years has given UK fits, especially in '06 with Chris Nickson taking all of the snaps. So I wouldn't put too much credence into the talk of Vandy being dead. There seems to be something about UK's blue uniforms that bring out the best in the 'Dores, and I expect nothing less than a stellar effort tonight.

SEC Statistical Comparison

Scoring Offense -- UK 23.5 points per game (7th), Vandy 20.2 ppg (9th).

Scoring Defense -- UK 20.1 ppg (7th), Vandy 19.3 ppg (6th).

Total Offense -- UK 314.7 yards per game (9th), Vandy 255.7 ypg (12th).

Total Defense -- UK 324.5 ypg (9th), Vandy 334.3 ypg (10th).

Rushing Offense -- UK 135.8 ypg (8th), Vandy 144.9 ypg (7th).

Rushing Defense -- UK 128.6 ypg (8th), Vandy 140.3 ypg (10th).

Pass Offense -- UK 178.9 ypg (8th), Vandy 110.8 ypg (12th).

Pass Defense -- UK 195.9 ypg (9th), Vandy 194.0 ypg (7th).

Kick-off Return average -- UK 26.7 yards (2nd), Vandy 19.5 yards (11th).

Punt Return average -- UK 9.9 yards (8th), Vandy 12.0 yards (5th).

Interceptions -- UK 12 (t4th), Vandy 14 (t3rd).

Net Punting -- UK 35.1 yards (9th), Vandy 35.8 yards (7th).

Sacks By -- UK 25 (2nd), Vandy 26 (1st).

Sacks Against -- UK 10 (1st), Vandy 15 (7th).

Third Down Conversion -- UK 31.8% (12th), Vandy 35.0% (10th).

Opponents Third Down Conversion -- UK 32.2% (6th), Vandy 38.1% (10th).

Turnover Margin -- UK +6 (3rd), Vandy +6 (2nd) - Nine games.

Red Zone Efficiency -- UK 25-36 - 69.4% (10th), Vandy 24-27 - 90% (3rd).

Red Zone Defense -- UK 19-25 - 76% (4th), Vandy 19-30 - 63% (2nd).

UK's SEC Standouts

Tim Masthay leads the SEC in punting with a 45.9 yard average.

Micah Johnson is eighth in the SEC in tackles, averaging 7.9 per game (63 total). Johnson is also seventh in the SEC with 9.0 tackle for loss.

Braxton Kelley is tenth in the SEC in tackles, averaging 7.4 per game (74 total).

Johnny Williams is tenth in the SEC with 4.0 sacks.

Trevard Lindley is second in the SEC with 13 passes defended (nine break-ups and four interceptions).

Prediction

I'm betting UK covers the spread (get it?) offense, and doesn't allow Chris Nickson (if he plays) to go all Tebow on 'em. Both teams get to the opposing quarterback with regularity, but UK is a little better at protecting their signal caller than Vanderbilt. I say that trend continues.

I'm excited about UK's offensive look over the last six quarter, and I say they only get better this week.

Kentucky - 30 Vandy - 20.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, get number lucky number 7!

SEC Power Poll, Week 4: Margins

cocknfire — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:11:15 -0000

1. Georgia, 247 points (11 first-place votes)

2. Florida, 245 (8)

3. LSU, 232 (3)

4. Alabama, 199.5

5. Auburn, 167.5

6. Vanderbilt, 161

7. Kentucky, 111

8. Mississippi, 100

8. South Carolina, 100

10. Tennessee, 86

11. Mississippi State, 34

12. Arkansas, 33

...and forth.

Georgia and Florida's back-and-forth battle for first place continues. Week 1 brought us first-place Florida. Week 2, first-place Georgia. Week 3, first-place Florida. And this week, two points give the spelling-challenged Dawgs the nod for No. 1. These teams have essentially been deadlocked the whole season, and unless one gets upset, the argument won't be settled until they meet in Jacksonville on Nov. 1. LSU isn't far behind; Alabama has a ton of ground to make up. Auburn and Vanderbilt round out the top half.

Then comes a yawning 50-point gap before Kentucky comes in. By contrast, only 25 points separate the Wildcats in 7th place and the Volunteers in 10th.

And Arkansas has now fallen into possession of the "Worst of the Best" Cup, as Mississippi State's dominated performance against Georgia Tech isn't quite enough to underwhelm Arkansas' self-immolation against Alabama. This race should also go down to the end, as each team looks to one-down the other.

Voters expand upon these thoughts after the jump.

GEORGIA

Still working out some issues with penalties and leaky kickoff coverage, but clearly the most complete team in the league so far this season.--The Dead Guy

For years now I've been asking Santa, "Please bring me a game-breaking receiver for Christmas," and when I got to Tempe ... he finally came.--Hey Jenny Slater

The Dawgs went from posting a minus-37 total yardage deficit at Carolina to a plus-249 surplus at Arizona St. Fair to say Georgia's doing its part in making the SEC look good.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

FLORIDA

While the defense is markedly better than the 2007 version, there may be some concerns for the offense. The coaches in the SEC are the best in the country and they're developing ways to slow them up.--The Dead Guy

What, precisely, are we to take from Saturday's conquest, though? The first downs were even at 16 apiece; had the Big Orange held the ball for two fewer seconds, the time of possession would have been divided equally between the two combatants; the home team outgained the visitors from Gainesville in total yards (258-243). Three Tennessee turnovers and a 78-yard punt return allowed this one to get altogether out of hand, but how good are the Gators? Considering that they converted over 60 per cent of their third downs against U.T., I'm going to err on the side of saying they're pretty good.--Dawg Sports

The vaunted offense has been coasting through most of the games so far, and UF has won by 46, 23, and 24 points. The defense and special teams have been championship caliber.--Year 2

LSU

Impressive win in Auburn. Maybe Les is smarter than we give him credit for. That onsides kick was brilliant.--Garnet and Black Attack

So much for the lingering effects of the Ryan Perrilloux Xperience. Anyone who thought that the QB situation might be enough to sink LSU this year might want to start exploring other options.--Hey Jenny Slater

If Jarrett Lee's second half on the Plains isn't a fluke, the rest of the West can start heading for the exits. Everything is, infuriatingly, in place.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

ALABAMA

When, oh when, will SEC teams stop scheduling so many cupcakes? Oh, wait...--Save the Shield

Convincing victory made even more impressive when you factor in the number of freshmen and sophomores Saban is playing.--The Dead Guy

I'm really surprised with the Crimson Tide so far. They are top 15 in all of the key defensive statistics with the exception of third down defense, and they're No. 16 in that.--Rocky Top Talk

AUBURN

They need to figure out this offense. I know they are in a transitional phase, but 1.9 ypc against LSU is awful, I don't care how good LSU might be up front.--Alligator Army

The Tigers fought down to the end against LSU, but couldn't stop the Hat. The defense was strong, and the offense showed signs of life. Auburn is a good team and lost to another good team. No shame.--Gate 21

The Plainsmen clearly have some problems, and not just on offense, as evidenced by the fact that their once-smothering defense allowed an inexperienced sophomore QB to turn into a hero Saturday night.--Hey Jenny Slater

VANDERBILT

Somehow managed to clip Ole Miss despite a less than stellar performance. Are they opportunistic or just lucky? We'll see next week against Auburn.--Garnet and Black Attack

4-0. 4-0. No, it's not their GPA, it's their record.--Pelican State Sports

It's like the 'Dores saved up all their luck over the last 20 years just for this season.--Joe Cribbs Car Wash

KENTUCKY

Pass efficiency defense ranked 11th and rush defense ranked 5th. Offense, though, is atrocious, statistically speaking.--Rocky Top Talk

Here's an SAT question for you: "Choose the best answer. The Kentucky Wildcats have not: A. lost to anybody, or B. beaten anybody." Every answer is right, but every answer is also profoundly wrong.--Red Solo Cup

Who knows? Unless they struggle against Western, we figure to have to wait until their trip to Tuscaloosa to know anything.--A Sea of Blue

MISSISSIPPI

Somehow managed to lose to Vandy despite outgaining them by almost 200 yards.--Garnet and Black Attack

For the next several days Jevan Snead will keep waking up in a sweat at 3 am, thinking that Ryan Hamilton just picked off another pass.--Save the Shield

Jevan Snead is teetering on the edge of the abyss that is the Ole Miss Quarterback position A.E. (After Eli)--Deep South Sports

SOUTH CAROLINA

Unimpressive Wofford win, but 'Cocks' two close SEC losses don't look so bad, and the NC State win looks a lot better.--Save the Shield

A 10-point win over Wofford? Isn't Wofford an English soccer team?--Alligator Army

After tuning up with *Wofford*, I suspect that Spurrier continues his prodigious offensive revolution against UAB.--Loser With Socks

TENNESSEE

The Clawfense is befuddling Crompton, leading to a curious lack of production for an offense with lots of good players. If they lose to Auburn this weekend, which they should, they might have to battle to stay out of the East cellar.--Georgia Sports Blog

The Vols' defensive stats are fine. Offensively, they're still struggling, but much of that is probably attributed to productivity-killing mistakes.--Rocky Top Talk

The death march has begun. No more blaming things on assistants. No more rebuilding years. The Vol Navy is in shambles. Knoxville is burning to the ground.--UK Wildcat Country

MISSISSIPPI STATE

MSU's offense has taken a major step backwards this year, which is tough considering how bad it was last year. You've got to think that Woody McCorvey's days in Starkville are coming to an end.--The Dead Guy

Sly continues to croom himself.--Loser With Socks

If you were a child psychologist and asked a six-year-old to draw a picture of "sad," the result would probably look a lot like MSU's offensive playbook.--Hey Jenny Slater

ARKANSAS

Casey Dick impressed me with 190 yds passing, but he threw more passes to the other team than he did to his own. If he keeps throwing 4 picks a game he's going to have to work harder on his tackling.--Gate 21

Hey, at least Casey Dick had 3 Touchdown passes. Two of them were to the opponent, but let'snot get worked up about who we're tossing it to since Arkansas needs something to build from.--Tide Druid

On the bright side, everyone agreed that the halftime show was very nice.--Razorback Expats