SB Nation - Brandon Barden

Matchups to Watch vs. Vandy

Richard Pittman — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:40:28 -0000

by John Froschauer - AP

By the end of a long week with lots of chatter about an upcoming game, you really feel like you've said pretty much everything that needs to be said. I think that here too. With it still being early in the season, we don't know enough about these teams yet to really be able to talk intelligently about what we expect. That said, the mystery is itself somewhat enticing. Let's take a look at some of the more interesting matchups we will be seeing on Saturday.

Jordan Jefferson vs. Myron Lewis: We talk about Myron Lewis on here almost as if he is Superman. He's not Superman, but he's an All-SEC calibre cornerback on a defense that doesn't have as much SEC-calibre talent as many of our opponents will. I don't know if they move Myron Lewis around to match him up with their opponent's best receiver. If they do, I suppose we will have to challenge him at times, because I can't see us going the entire game avoiding Brandon Lafell. Personally, if I was Jefferson, I wouldn't try to make my living in this game challenging Lewis on the outside. I would go to the other side of the field or to the middle of the field. You have to go to him once or twice to keep Vandy honest and not let them roll coverage away from him. If Terrance Toliver can consistently give us the kind of play he gave us last week, we can exploit their pass defense without ever having to go after Lewis.

LSU Offensive Line vs. Vandy Defensive Line: Well, duh. You could say this about every game. In this case, it is especially important because our OL did not perform up to snuff against Washington's DL. Vandy's defensive line is a pretty solid bunch in their own right. I truly believe that if our offensive line can consistently get a push against Vandy's defensive line, we will probably win this game by multiple touchdowns. If Vandy's defensive line can get a tie here, we could be in trouble. Watch Charles Scott's production. Last week, he started the game with a 21 yard run, then averaged less than three yards per carry the rest of the game. That was due to a lack of push by the offensive line. I will especially be watching the center-left guard, where we are breaking in two new starters.

LSU Defensive Line vs. Vandy Offensive Line: Again, I know I'm not exactly thinking outside the box here. I keep pointing to the offensive line's poor showing against Washington, but Poseur keeps pointing to the defensive line. The defensive line definitely lost contain on Jake Locker much too often last Saturday night, and we face another quarterback with good legs this Saturday. I don't put Larry Smith in the same category as Jake Locker, but he can do some of the same things. Vandy's offensive line is big, and supposedly pretty solid. They definitely ran up tons of yards against Western Carolina, but last year's overall rushing statistics were pretty modest. With Pep Levingston likely out with a hand/knee injury, and with Vandy running a hurry-up offense, it will be very interesting to see how we rotate defensive linemen in the game. I imagine Lavar Edwards and Chancey Aghayere will rotate in Levingston's spot.

Vandy's Receivers vs. LSU's Back 7: Who are Vandy's receivers? Their leading returning receiver is Brandon Barden, who caught 28 passes for 209 yards last year. Last week, he caught 3 for 38 yards. Their leading yard-gainer last week was a tight end who didn't catch a pass in 2008. Without much proven talent on the outside, and with a running quarterback, is Vandy in a position to exploit our pass defense that Washington was able to exploit? It's one of those doubtful propositions that seems to almost always come true anyway. I expect Vandy to run the ball between half and 2/3 the time unless they fall way behind. I just don't see where they have the throwing and receiving talent to make this a big part of their offense except by necessity.

The Return Games: I still find it inexplicable that on a team with as much athleticism as LSU has, it has been years since we have had a good punt/kick return game. Last week, Washington for some reason decided to kick away from our back return men and conceded decent field position after every kickoff. I doubt Vandy will do that, but we shall see. Trindon is definitely a home run hitter, but doesn't get the consistently good returns you'd like to see. Vandy, for their part, struggled in the return game against Western Carolina. They only returned one kickoff, so you can't really get anything from that, but they also failed to generate anything in their four punt returns, netting a total of 9 yards in those return opportunities.

I'm not sure where this game will be won or lost. Frankly, I hope we win and that no one particular area provided the difference.

SEC 2009 // The Dores' Depth

cocknfire — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:22:22 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Chris Nickson won't be back, but the quarterback competition will.

Browse more photos »

When was the last time Vandy returned 18 starters from a bowl team? I'm not certain, although you would have to go back until at least 1983, the last season in which the Commodores came off a season that included a bowl trip. If there is any reason to believe that Vanderbilt will return to the postseason in 2009, it comes from the number of players returning.

That doesn't mean, however, that there are no meaningful position battles that will have to be hashed out between now and Sept. 5, when Western Carolina comes to Nashville. At the top of the list is the same fight that has plagued Vandy so mightily over the last two years: Quarterback, where a back-and-forth between Mackenzi Adams and Chris Nickson will be replaced by a competition between Mackenzi Adams and Larry Smith.

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
2008 - Mackenzi Adams	9	77.9	77	156	49.4	882	98	11.5	5	8	62	136	15.1	2.2	0	-	-

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
2008 - Larry Smith	2	101.2	19	34	55.9	167	83.5	8.8	1	1	17	40	20	2.4	0	-	-

Smith might have given himself a bit of lead by going 9-of-14 for 117 yards and 2 TDs in the spring game, though that will mean very little by the time Vanderbilt returns in the fall. For his part, Adams was a more pedestrian 4-of-9 for 39 yards, 1 TD and a pick. From the sample size we have now, at least, Smith appears to be the better passer. His relative inexperience will likely weigh into Bobby Johnson's thinking, but look for Smith to get the nod to start the season. WCU is a gimme, even for Vanderbilt, so they can afford to experiment for at least a game.

The Commodores are set at offensive line, where five starters come back, and running back -- Jared Hawkins (139 carries, 593 yards, 4 TDs) missed spring but will be in the backfield for the season opener.

But WR will be a puzzle. TE Brandon Barden is the leading returning receiver, with 28 catches for 209 yards and 4 TDs, but wasn't even listed as a shoo-in on the team's pre-spring depth chart. (He was listed in a tie with Austin Monahan, whose one catch for five yards in the spring game matched his career total.) Barden will start when the season comes around~~, as will t~~Top returning wideout Justin Wheeler (16, 145, 1) is out for the year. Transfers Tray Herndon and Terrence Jeffers will contribute. (Thanks to commenter DaronVU05 for pointing this out.)

Beyond that? Udom Umoh should get more playing time. CB Jamie Graham, listed as a backup for Myron Lewis, had 17 catches for 125 and 3 TDs as a WR last year. Alex Washington or John Cole will likely factor in at some point. A half-dozen receivers not listed here might at least provide some push for the front-runners.

On defense, the only real issue comes in the secondary. Lewis will start at CB. Ryan Hamilton is set at SS. But FS and the other CB position could go to a handful of players, with Graham and Casey Hayward the likeliest candidates for the other CB spot. Sean Richardson or Joel Caldwell will probably take over at FS.

Of course, there's one other returning starter that will be needed to build on last year's success: Luck. The Dores wouldn't have gotten to seven wins without it last year, and they won't match it unless they at least get a few breaks this season.

MONDAY: Vanderbilt Strives for a Sustainable Future
TUESDAY: The Commodores Calendar
LATER TODAY: Bobby Johnson: How Good a Coach Is He?; The Apprentice: SEC Coaches Finale
FRIDAY: Predictions; Final Thoughts

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!