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2009 Opponent Previews - Vanderbilt

Will — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:21:32 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

He's checking to make sure the official didn't say a dirty word.

We'll wrap up our opponent previews with Vanderbilt and Kentucky this morning, before turning our attention to the final competitive scrimmage of fall camp, which kicks at 12:21 this afternoon to simulate conditions for Western Kentucky. Look for our contribution to Team Speed Kills' SEC Preview tomorrow.

The Series

Once General Neyland showed up with the mandate to beat the Commodores, the Vols have mostly done just that: Tennessee leads 70-27-5 against the Commodores, and Vandy has won only once since 1982, in the infamous 2005 season.

Last Year

The downward spiral of Tennessee's season finally stopped in Nashville, though Fulmer's fate was already sealed and there would be no bowl game in UT's future. Still, the Vols used key interceptions from Brent Vinson and Eric Berry to keep Vanderbilt's offense at bay, and despite more mistakes from every quarterback who touched the ball, the Vols found enough offense to score a 20-10 win. Still, Vanderbilt found a way to win six games - including wins over South Carolina, Ole Miss and Auburn that put the Dores in the Top 25 early on - and play in (and win) their first bowl game in decades. Bobby Johnson has raised the bar. The next goal is consistency.

Vanderbilt Offense

Mackenzi Adams returns at quarterback, though if he struggles with consistency again you might see others get a shot under center. And Jared Hawkins has experience in the backfield. There are several question marks at wide receiver, but the Dores do get Terence Jeffers, a UCONN transfer who led the Huskies in receptions in 2007. All five starters return on the offensive line...there's potential here.

Vanderbilt Defense

The defense was a big reason the Dores found success last year, and they'll have a chance to duplicate that feat in 2009, perhaps with an additional boost from the offense. Three players with starting experience return up front, and linebackers Patrick Benoist and Chris Marve are both playmakers. DJ Moore is in the NFL, but Myron Lewis is back at the other corner spot and could fill Moore's role as the best player on this team.

Best Case Scenario for the Vols

On Senior Day, the Vols score a big win over Vanderbilt and send the seniors off in style. Simply put, if the Vols could beat Vanderbilt last year, there's no reason they can't overwhelm them again this year. The Dores may have gotten bowl eligible last year and could sneak in there again this year, but Kiffin can keep them squarely as an afterthought in the minds of Vol fans.

Worst Case Scenario for the Vols

Vanderbilt gets bowl eligible again, the Vols stay home again, and both feats are accomplished with a VU win in Knoxville. There's enough experience in Nashville from guys who are all more and more accustomed to winning to make Vanderbilt no longer a sure W. There would still be no more embarrassing SEC loss than this one for Tennessee.

Game Importance Ranking: 7.4

Vanderbilt knows its place behind the Vols right now - no reason for things to be any different under Kiffin. No matter how much the Vols may struggle this season, this is not a game any Tennessee fan would excuse away.

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!