NCAA Football FanHouse

Twenty Years Ago, One Hit Changed Two Lives Forever

David Whitley — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Brad Gaines will do it again early Wednesday morning. He'll grab some Clorox and glass cleaner, toss them in the trunk of his Buick and head to a little cemetery 175 miles away.

His long, strange trip actually began 20 years ago today.

"I'll be doing it until I die," Gaines said.

He goes to visit a friend he never really knew. Then one crazy football play bound them forever. On a Homecoming afternoon, he collided with Chucky Mullins.

Gaines, a tailback for Vanderbilt, got up and headed back to the huddle. Mullins, a safety for Mississippi, never moved again.

His neck was shattered. He died less than two years later.

We read about such things, wince and move on. It's nobody's fault. It's just football.

Gaines knew that on Oct. 28, 1989. He knows it on Oct. 28, 2009.

It doesn't matter.

"I know it was part of the game," he said, "but it doesn't change the fact, you know ..."

He's tried to explain it a million times why he drives from Nashville to Russellville, Ala. three times a year. If it's the date of the accident or the date Mullins died or Christmas, Gaines has to make it to the grave that's marked simply:

Chucky, Man of Courage.

So what force drives Gaines? Why has he has skipped out early every Christmas or left home at midnight to get back for a morning meeting or barely beat the clock and found himself cleaning Mullins' grave by the light of the moon?

"There have been times I have had to hitchhike because I ran out of gas, had blown out tires, my car's broken down," Gaines said. "But I always make it."

Everybody from his wife to total strangers has worried and wondered. Perhaps the only person who could truly understand is Mullins.

"It's almost like it was fate," Gaines said.

He was a white kid from hoity-toity Vandy. His brothers had played in the NFL. He was a stud running back, the leading receiver in the SEC, a kid whose idea of hardship was getting turned down for a date.

"There have been times I have had to hitchhike because I ran out of gas, had blown out tires, my car's broken down. But I always make it." -- Brad Gaines Mullins was a skinny black kid from a nowhere town. His mother died when he was in sixth grade. He wasn't particularly fast or strong or talented, but Ole Miss coaches loved his attitude. Mullins would do anything to win.

So it wasn't surprising that he lowered his helmet and buried it in No. 44's back. Gaines had gone up to catch a pass. The force from behind knocked the ball loose before he hit the ground.

Gaines scrambled to recover it, but the refs called it an incomplete pass. He didn't even notice No. 38 wasn't moving. Before long, the number would literally mean everything to him.

Gaines couldn't sleep after the accident. He no longer cared about the sport he was raised to love. He didn't even play his senior season.

He did try to get to know the source of his pain. The first time they formally met, Gaines walked into the hospital room and tried not to visibly shake. Mullins was in a halo contraption with all sorts of tubes attached to his body.

A ventilator was rhythmically hissing at his bedside. Gaines shuffled near the bed, bent over and strained to make out what Mullins said.

"It wasn't your fault."

That was Chucky. His spirit never inspired people far beyond the South. Walter Payton visited him. So did Janet Jackson and George H. W. Bush.

More than $1 million was raised for his trust fund. Ole Miss built him a specially equipped house, and he was back in class the next year. Then a blood clot formed in his lung.

Gaines read about it and drove to the hospital in Memphis . Mullins was in a coma, but his friend got there in time to say goodbye. Then doctors removed the life-support system. Gaines went to the hospital roof and wept.

Ole Miss started the Chucky Mullins Courage Award, given each year to a senior defensive player. The winner used to wear No. 38 until the school retired it in 2006.

"You say 'Chucky,' and everybody knows what you mean," Gaines said.

You say Brad, and everybody wonders what that means.

"As I get older I've gotten even more emotional about it," he said. "I don't know, maybe raising my own kids and how fragile life can be."

He has four of them now, three girls ages one to 11, and a five-year-old boy. Gaines is a successful businessman but he still drives a 20-year-old Buick his kids hate.

"I wish your car would die," they tell him all the time.

If it does today, he'll just start hitchhiking. Gaines has lost count of the trips he's made to Russellville, but it's at least 60. None of his kids have ever gone with him. They just know their father has something he has to do.

"When I leave to go to the cemetery, they know why I'm going," Gaines said. "They see the importance of that, the importance of having love for your fellow man."

Mullins is buried next to his mother, who died when she was only 32. Gaines will pluck the weeds then clean the dirt and grime off the brown granite headstone.

Then he'll just sit and talk and pray.

It may seem odd that Gaines carries a picture of Mullins in his wallet. That his phone number still ends with the number 3800. That he just can't let go.

Why?

"He's a person I love," Gaines said, "and I miss."

It's as simple as that.

So what will Gaines' headstone read one day? Is he a Man of Guilt or Craziness or Courage or Compassion?

Whatever it is, Mullins would be proud to clean it.

Twenty Years Ago, One Hit Changed Two Lives Forever originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Notebook: Polls Not Tide's Concern

Jim Henry — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC

When it comes to debating rankings, Alabama head coach Nick Saban is a fuddy-duddy.

So there's no need to waste your time, even if the Crimson Tide leapfrogged SEC rival Florida into the top spot of this week's Associated Press poll. Of course, Alabama is also ranked second behind the Gators in the initial installment of the weekly BCS poll that will determine national title invites by early December.

Saban doesn't mean to be a killjoy -- or does he? -- but his game-at-a-time mantra is focused on Saturday's showdown against visiting Tennessee.

"If anybody asks me any questions about where we're ranked or what the poll is, what matters?" Saban asked. "Why does it matter? What's changed from this week to this Monday to last Monday? What's changed? We've got another game. This is the most important game of the year."

OK, agreed.

The Crimson Tide (7-0) is determined to finish October with a flourish. Off next Saturday, Alabama closes out a three-game homestand with a visit from LSU on November 7 before it positions itself for the regular-season's final stretch.

Of course, Alabama could have its hands full with the Vols (3-3) if not careful. But if the Crimson Tide is need of a hero, a shining star has risen from the Crimson Tide's backfield, and his name is Mark Ingram.

The sophomore has rushed for 905 yards and eight touchdowns for 129.29 yards per game average to rank fourth nationally and first in the SEC. Ingram's flashy -- he leads the nation with 30 rushes of 10 or more yards and also has chipped in eight receptions for 10 or more yards. And Ingram's tough -- he has gained 580 yards after first contact.

Best yet, Ingram is coming off his best performance of the season, rushing for 246 yards against South Carolina last week.

"He's a great competitor and a driven guy," Saban said.

"He works hard in practice every week. He plays fast all the time. He has a great competitive spirit and certainly will stay focused on the things that are going to help him continue to satisfy his goals."

Don't look for Alabama to change its goals, or its approach, according to the philosophical Saban.

"I'm very hopeful that we can stay on the positive side of it and be positive about our approach to what we are trying to accomplish and what we're trying to do and not get risk-aversive and start playing to keep from getting beat and a lot of negative motivation about what's going to happen if this happens and all that kind of stuff," Saban said.

"Not to avoid but to gain, is the way we'd like to approach it."

FINALLY, A STRONG FINISH?

South Carolina has been down this road before.

The Gamecocks are 5-2 and positioned nicely to make this coach Steve Spurrier's most successful season at South Carolina. The Gamecocks can continue their surge with a home victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday, a win that would give Spurrier 105 conference wins and tie him with Vince Dooley for third-most in SEC history.

Spurrier isn't one to relax, even if Vanderbilt has lost five straight conference games. Let's not forget the Commodores have beaten the Gamecocks the past two years.

"We're not a real dominant team," Spurrier said. "I think we're a real good team. We can play with almost anybody. We have to play a lot harder. We have to play with courage, effort and smarts."

That approach could help the Gamecocks avoid an unsettling trend of poor finishes. They lost their final three games last season, their final five in 2007 and, for the record, are 10-15 from the midway point of October under Spurrier.

"The pressure is on us to play the best we can every week," Spurrier said.

"We don't get too much in what happened last year or the year before. They outplayed us the last two years. They were better than we were. Give them credit. We'll try to play better this year and coach better, and see if we can come out on top against Vanderbilt."

ROAD TRIP

Save the postcards.

Florida hasn't enjoyed its past visits to Starkville, Miss.

The Gators travel to Mississippi State on Saturday seeking their first win at Davis Wade Stadium since 1985. They have dropped their last four games there, losing to the Bulldogs in 1986, 1992, 2000 and 2004. Second-ranked UF entered three of the games ranked, and two of the games are among the 12 conference defeats that Spurrier suffered as Florida's coach.

The showdown is also a reunion for Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, a former assistant coach under UF's Urban Meyer since their days at Utah. Mullen last served as the Gators' offensive coordinator, helping quarterback Tim Tebow win the Heisman Trophy and UF a pair of national titles.

"We're coming in, planning to win the football game," Mullen said.

"You never go to play a game that you think you can't win. Our guys are focusing on winning the game this Saturday, and focusing on doing the things you have to do to win the football game. There's nothing quite like winning a football game. It isn't anything crazy we need to do to win, we just have to focus on the game plan at hand in order to come out victorious."

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST

LSU and Auburn tangle in a game where both teams need their offense to set the tone.

LSU, which was off last week, is 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. The Tigers are one of two SEC West teams -- the other is Alabama -- to control its own destiny in the division race.

They will need solid performances from quarterback Jordan Jefferson and running back Charles Scott. Jefferson has been inconsistent as a passer and Scott is in search of a breakout game. LSU figures to rely heavily on the run because Auburn is allowing 181.4 yards per game, 11th in the SEC and 99th nationally.

Auburn, meanwhile, is coming off its worst offensive performance of the season, managing just 315 yards in its 21-14 loss to Kentucky.

Auburn (5-2, 2-2), which opened the season with five consecutive wins, has scored a combined 37 points in its past two games; it scored at least 37 in each of its first four. The passing attack is struggling, too. Quarterback Chris Todd threw 11 touchdown passes in the first four games but just one in the past three.

"You can't pinpoint our struggles on one thing. I don't believe in that," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.

"There are a lot of things that can go wrong. I still feel that we can fix some of the mistakes and get back on track. There's a lot of issues in there, and we really feel very strongly that we're going to get that rectified. But it has been off the last two weeks."

SEC Notebook: Polls Not Tide's Concern originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dawgs Won't Tuck Tails After Rocky Loss

Jim Henry — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC

What's next for the reeling Georgia Bulldogs?

Head coach Mark Richt, the dean of SEC coaches, admits the Bulldogs have "a long way to go" to be a good football team. After consecutive losses to LSU and Tennessee, Georgia has this week to find the necessary answers to beat Vanderbilt Saturday. Off Oct. 24 before meeting top-ranked Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 31, the Bulldogs actually don't return to Sanford Stadium for 35 days.

Considering the foul mood of fans, that might be a good thing.

"People are upset and that's what you expect," senior quarterback Joe Cox said.

"But we work hard. We don't want to come out on a Saturday, get embarrassed and then say 'Oh, well.' It hurts us worse than anybody, worse than fans, the coaches... we're the ones who play the game. It's not like we go out there and play bad then kind of say 'whatever.' We've been working since January every day to play 12 games.

"It's not a good feeling when you work that hard and it doesn't show but I think everybody is eager to work, I think everybody wants to correct mistakes and continue on with our season and finish up strong. We don't want to lay it down; we haven't done that yet. It would be even worse to get to this point and let it keep sliding."

While Richt doesn't expect to make wholesale lineup changes, he indicated that some tweaks could be made as players competed in practice this week. Fans also have voiced their frustration with defensive coordinator Willie Martinez and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.

At 3-3 -- its worst six-game mark since 1996 -- Georgia has struggled across the board. The Bulldogs are 100th in the nation in scoring defense (out of 120 FBS teams), 97th in total offense, 116th in penalties and 118th in turnover margin.

Changes? Take your pick.

"We've got to get better at defense, we've got to get better on offense, we've got to get better at coaching," Richt said.

"I guess what I'm saying is that it's a culmination of everyone. I'm not pointing fingers at any one individual; I'm pointing fingers at all of us as a whole, we all must improve; that's what I'm trying to say."

Cox, who threw for 146 yards and two interceptions against the Vols and agrees he deserves his share of the blame for offensive woes, tried to say it, too.

"I think we all need to have a big gut check and find out how we want to finish out the season," Cox said. "You have to find guys that want to play and want to do it the right way."

The 45-19 defeat at Tennessee was certainly the wrong way.

The Bulldogs have surrendered 37 or more points in three of their last six games, while the offense has managed just four touchdowns in its last three games.

Cox says the Bulldogs need to regroup in a hurry. After throwing for 738 yards and eight touchdowns in the first three games of the season, Cox has 617 passing yards and three touchdowns in the last three. Overall, he has completed 104-of-178 passes for 11 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

"We obviously want to win every game," said Cox, who backed up by redshirt sophomore Logan Gray and true freshmen Aaron Murray and Zach Mettenberger.

"We've had a couple wins -- I know Arizona State, as an offense, we felt like we lost that game. The way it felt after the game, we know we didn't play well. I didn't play well. It was the first time I had won a game but felt like I lost the way I played the game.

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Washington's Kavario Middleton catches a pass for a touchdown against Arizona during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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Washington's Desmond Trufant returns an intercepting of a pass from Arizona's Nick Foles at the end fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Earlier in the quarter Washington intercepted another pass returning it for a touchdown to win 36-33 over Arizona. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Arizona's Nick Foles, left, talks with teammates before taking to the field for the final series against Washington during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Foles gave up two interceptions near the end of the game one scoring the winning touchdown as Washington wins 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Washington players including Taylor Bean, front, celebrate the 36-33 win over Arizona of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian congratulates quarterback Jake Locker after the 36-33 win over Arizona in an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Washington's Devin Aguilar, right, celebrates with Senio Kelemete, left after Aguilar scored a touchdown against Arizona during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Seattle, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. Washington won 36-33. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

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BYU quarterback Max Hall (15) looks to pass against UNLV during the first half of their NCAA college football game at Sam Boyd Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 in Las Vegas. BYU defeated UNLV 59-21. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

"We just have to put everything together and finish the season strong. Obviously we want to win every game -- that's our goal. But right now we are going to focus on Vanderbilt and win this game and go into the off week with a good mindset, give everyone some rest and kind of catch a second wind to finish the last half of the season."

Dawgs Won't Tuck Tails After Rocky Loss originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Snead, Rebels Only Looking Forward

Jim Henry — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:22:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi, Vanderbilt, SEC

Jevan Snead believes better days are ahead.

The junior quarterback doesn't need to read a newspaper or watch television to know what's being said about Ole Miss' disappointing performance last Thursday against South Carolina. Snead looked skittish in the pocket and didn't throw the ball with much confidence in a 16-10 defeat that proved the Rebels' No. 4 ranking nationally wasn't merited.

"It's one of those things where you have to take what you can from it," Snead said Monday.

"You watch the film and see what you did wrong and see what you can correct and then move on. It's tough not to be down, especially the couple of days right after the game. I feel like everyone is responding really well and everyone is doing what they need to do -- which is to continue to work as hard as they possibly can to not let that happen again."

Ole Miss, which tumbled to No. 21 in the rankings, looks to rebound Saturday at Vanderbilt.

Of course, all eyes will be on Snead and his offensive line that features three new starters from last season, including sophomore left tackle Bradley Sowell. Sowell has struggled in replacing first-round NFL draft choice Michael Oher, receiving the bulk of the criticism in the aftermath of the Rebels' defeat.

There are other pieces to the puzzle, however.

Snead, for one, still appears uncomfortable, and it showed in the pocket against the Gamecocks. He finished 7-of-21 for 107 yards and a touchdown and was sacked four times.

Overall, Snead ranks seventh in SEC passing efficiency and ranks 65th nationally, completing 35-of-71 passes (49.3 percent) for 491 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. Snead entered the season with a career completion percentage of 56.2 percent.

Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt said Snead must trust his offensive line, acknowledging that Snead might be anticipating pressure in the pocket after being pressured so often early on this season. Snead has been already sacked seven times.

"We don't want him to see ghosts, don't expect something to collapse or don't feel like you have to concentrate on what is below you," Nutt said.

"We want his eyes down field like he did last year. Just play the game like he is capable of playing. When he does that, we move the football when that happens."

Nutt said he doesn't expect to make any personnel changes up front in preparation for the Commodores, who beat Rice last Saturday but, like the Rebels, are desperate for an SEC win. Snead, meanwhile, stressed that he trusts his offensive line. He also is getting accustomed to new starters at fullback and tight end.

More importantly, Snead, who last season finished as strong as any quarterback in the country and entered this season under Heisman Trophy consideration, admitted he must have a better short-term memory.

"I know there are some times where I had pressure on the previous play and I let that affect the next play when maybe I didn't have as much pressure," Snead said.

"If something bad happens or if you get pressure on the previous play and something bad happens, you have to forget about it and execute on the next play. I definitely still trust (the offensive line). It wasn't all offensive line, by any means."

Nutt remains confident that Snead will regain his late-season form from a year ago.

"The best thing that Jevan has is he has a year under his belt," Nutt said.

"He has to trust. He has to trust his teammates, trust what we're doing and play the game that we're laying out for him. We're going to have a good, nice, simple plan, and he just has to execute it. He's done it before. We feel like we have the things that he can do. This guy, when we lay it out and rep it, he can handle it. There are some plays this year that he's made, but you have to be consistent. I have all the faith in the world in him."

Nutt also has faith that his team has learned from the pressure and notoriety that accompanied its first top-5 national ranking in nearly 40 years. The Gamecocks also snapped the Rebels' eight-game winning streak dating back to last season -- and extended their losing streak to six games in SEC openers.

"We didn't handle that one good," Nutt said.

"The thing about the top five is that it is really hard to tell a team that is in this position for the first time in over 40 years, to forget this and that. Every single day they see it. That's hard. It's hard to put that away and say it is blocking, tackling, executing, throwing to our guys and it's playing together. That is what's hard.

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"Deep down inside, I probably knew that, that we weren't No. 4 or No. 5. But I'm not going to go say we're not No. 4 or No. 5 when (the media) tells me that we are. That is just the way it is. We have to do a better job. They were uncharted waters and I knew that. I can't control the media and I can't control where we are picked.

"If you notice, there are a lot of teams in the same shoes that we are in. You see it every Saturday and you are going to see it again (Saturday) This is the toughest conference in America. You've got to be ready to go. It is the team that plays the best during those three hours. The one that makes the fewest mistakes and takes care of the ball -- that is the team that is going to win."

Snead, Rebels Only Looking Forward originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Notebook: Joe Cox's Many Maladies

Jim Henry — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC

Week 1 was the flu. Week 2 was shoulder soreness. OK, what's going on in Week 3?

The health of Georgia quarterback Joe Cox has been discussed, dissected and debated so much this young season that he could be a regular on General Hospital. Despite a jammed finger on his left non-throwing hand this week, Cox is in one piece -- and in good spirits. The rumors were so rampant last week that some believed Cox wouldn't start against South Carolina.

"It's definitely been interesting to see how crazy it can get just based off of what somebody says, but it hasn't been something that has been a distraction," said Cox, who injured his finger on an attempted tackle following an interception in the Bulldogs' win over South Carolina last Saturday.

"It's honestly something that we've all kind of laughed about."

While Georgia coach Mark Richt joked that Cox needed to wear an eye patch to meet with the media on Tuesday -- let's start another rumor -- Cox and the Bulldogs have been all business in their preparation for Saturday's SEC game at Arkansas. The Bulldogs have won the last five meetings against the Razorbacks, including all three in Fayetteville, Ark., and are on a five-game road SEC winning streak.

After losing its season-opener to Oklahoma State, Georgia rebounded with a dramatic 41-37 win at home over the Gamecocks. Arkansas was idle last week.

"It's like that old song," Richt said.

"You have to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with mister in between. That's what we are trying to do. We are trying to really look at the positive things and build off of them, eliminate the negative things and we'll be OK. We'll keep getting better if that happens."

One positive has been Georgia's production in the red zone. The Bulldogs are a perfect 6-for-6 inside their opponent's 20-yard line, scoring four touchdowns (one rushing, three passing) and connecting on a pair of field goals. Another has been the play from junior linebacker Rennie Curran, who leads the SEC with 23 tackles in two games.

And let's not forget Cox, who was slowed by a flu virus in the opening week -- he lost 10 pounds -- and last week Georgia revealed that nerve damage in Cox's right shoulder prevents him from throwing one day each week in practice. While the throwing schedule gives backup Logan Gray valuable time with the first-team offense, Cox finished with a career-high 201 yards passing and two touchdowns in the win over South Carolina.

"Everybody kind of understands that's the way it is," Richt said of Cox's throwing schedule.

"Nobody really gets too bent out of shape. It's always nice to get your second team guy a lot of work. A lot of coaches won't do that, but we've always done a pretty good job of letting our second team and our third team getting a little work, but it's even more so this year because of that situation. It's definitely helping Logan (Gray)."

Bluegrass Fever

Kentucky has held the upper hand in the state, beating rival Louisville the past two years for the Governor's Cup and winning three consecutive bowl games. Kentucky looks to make it three straight over the Cardinals on Saturday.

The Wildcats enter the home game on a streak of 15 consecutive non-conference wins. It's the second-longest non-conference win streak in the nation and the longest for UK since a 17-game non-conference win stretch from 1954-60. Since mid-season 2006, the Wildcats have won 21 of their last 33 games overall.

Kentucky coach Rich Brooks is well aware how a victory over Louisville makes life so much easier.

"Well, you have to live in a vacuum to not hear about it all year long in this state," Brooks said.

"Any football fan, you hear it on the talk radio, you see it on the message boards, just everywhere and you hear it when you're out in public. You get constantly reminded of what side of that equation you're on but like the last two years we've been fortunate enough to win the game - that really doesn't count - what counts is what happens this year. This Saturday is what is really going to count."

A Familiar Face

Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy will face off against his old high school Saturday in North Texas' Tom Dodge, who coached McElroy at Southlake Carroll High just outside Dallas.North Texas starting quarterback Riley Dodge -- the son of coach Tom Dodge and McElroy's backup in high school -- will miss the game with a separated shoulder, however. Dodge was injured in the third quarter of Saturday's double-overtime loss to Ohio.

"That is disappointing," McElroy said.

"Riley has had a little run of bad luck. I wish I could be playing against him, but they've got to do what's best for them and their season. If holding them out against us will allow them to be more successful down the road this year, then I totally understand why they're doing it."

A Popular Dude

Branden Smith, a freshman cornerback at Georgia, played every position while at Washington-Atlanta and committed to Georgia to play cornerback. Smith also ran the fifth-fastest 100 meters (10.64 seconds) in Georgia high school history. Naturally, his speed and athleticism made Smith an easy candidate to see time on offense.

The first time Smith touched the ball against South Carolina, on a kickoff return in the first quarter, Smith fumbled. The second time, he was gone -- untouched for a touchdown on a 61-yard reverse on offense. Smith was stunned to discover he was an instant hero on campus.

"It has been hard walking around campus and people asking for autographs and everything," Smith said. "But right now I am just trying to stay focused on schoolwork. It has been a little weird that no one before asked me for my autographs, but I had a good game Saturday and now they ask me for autographs. It felt a little good."

Quick Impressions

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen wasn't a happy camper following his team's 49-24 defeat to Auburn. The Bulldogs allowed 598 yards of total offense, including 390 on the ground. Mississippi State travels to Vanderbilt on Saturday.

"Not winning is not acceptable. I don't like using the 'L-word,'" Mullen said. "That is not acceptable for us and, when you don't come out on top, that is extremely disappointing."

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Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno answers a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Temple at home on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno gestures as he answers a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Temple at home on Saturday. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy speaks during a news conference in Stillwater, Okla., Monday, Sept. 14, 2009. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema screams during the second half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, in Madison, Wis. It took two overtimes for a flu-ravaged Wisconsin team to defeat Fresno State. As the Badgers look toward Wofford this week, Bielema gives an update on how his team is handling the flu outbreak that affected 40 players last week. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Northwestern's Stefan Demos celebrates after kicking the game-winning 49-yard field goal against Eastern Michigan in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern won 27-24. (AP Photo/David Banks)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo Penn State linebacker Sean Lee, left, walks away after sacking Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus, right, during the second half of their NCAA college football game in State College, Pa. Lee was so active against Syracuse, it seemed like the Penn State linebacker spent all day leveling opponents behind the line of scrimmage. Any lingering doubts about the health of his surgically-repaired right knee were erased in a dominating performance against the Orange. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Penn State linebacker Sean Lee (45) stands with assistant coach Tom Bradley on the sideline during the second half of their college football game against Syracuse in State College, Pa. Lee was so active against Syracuse, it seemed like the Penn State linebacker spent all day leveling opponents behind the line of scrimmage. Any lingering doubts about the health of his surgically-repaired right knee were erased in a dominating performance against the Orange. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers rushes for a key fourth quarter gain on the wiining drive of the Beavers 23-21 win over UNLV in an NCAA college football game on Saturday Sept. 12, 2009 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Daniel Gluskoter)

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12: Running back Stafon Johnson #13 of the USC Trojans celebrates in the end zone with teammate Jarvis Jones #10 after scoring a two yard touchdown in the fourth quarter over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. USC won the game 18-15. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stafon Johnson; Jarvis Jones

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COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 12: Running back Stafon Johnson #13 of the USC Trojans celebrates in the end zone after scoring a two yard touchdown in the fourth quarter over the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio. USC won the game 18-15. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Stafon Johnson

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Improvement must come quickly. Mississippi State is in the middle of a tough stretch. After Saturday's game in Nashville, the Bulldogs come home to host LSU, Georgia Tech and Houston, which just knocked off Oklahoma State.

"Last week, I was disappointed in our coaching staff as far as not putting our players in better positions to make plays," Mullen said. "There were a couple times we did do a good job and we made some plays and missed some plays, but we still have to be in better position to make plays when it comes to game time. We have a lot of things to still improve on."

Ol' Bully

Steve Spurrier, the Ol' Ball Coach, hasn't been able to elevate South Carolina's program to where he wants it -- yet. The Gamecocks lost an SEC heart-breaker at Georgia last Saturday, and they will be looking to rebound in their home-opener on Saturday against Florida Atlantic.

It shouldn't be a problem.

Spurrier is 36-0 against teams outside the six major BCS conferences. The Owls visited Columbia, S.C., in 2006, losing 45-6. The 39-point margin is the second biggest win for the Gamecocks under Spurrier.

Spurrier, the gracious host, pointed out that the Owls have been to bowl games the past two years, beating Memphis in 2007 and Central Michigan in 2008. But he didn't mention that Florida Atlantic opened its season with a 49-3 loss to Nebraska. And, case if you are wondering, Spurrier wasn't in the mood to talk about the Georgia game either.

"That game is history," he said.

"A lot of guys played well; a lot did not play very well. We're trying to get it behind us, that's all we can do now. We lost as a team. We were a play short. Wherever it was, it didn't work out. We're trying to correct a lot of mistakes we had in that game. We had a lot of mistakes in the first game. I still believe we have a pretty good team here. We're trying to put it all together."

By the Numbers ... Trent Richardson ran for 118 yards and two scores, leading the Crimson Tide to an easy 40-14 win over Florida International last Saturday. McElroy threw for 241 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-24 completions. ...Tim Tebow threw for 237 yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes against Troy. The Gators also tied a school record with its 12th straight win. ... Georgia's kickoff return team set a record with 252 return yards. Brandon Boykin had four returns for 187 yards and a score. ... LSU outgained Vandy, 326-210, in total offense in its victory ... Anthony Dixon paced Mississippi State with 92 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, but he wasn't able to keep pace with the Auburn backs in defeat. ... Stephen Garcia went 31-for-53 with 313 yards, two scores and an interception and added 42 yards on 10 carries in South Carolina's defeat against Georgia.. ... Vanderbilt scored on a safety for the first time since 2004 in its game against LSU.

SEC Notebook: Joe Cox's Many Maladies originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanderbilt Locked in Fight Against History

Jim Henry — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: LSU, Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt hasn't won in Baton Rouge, La., since 1951, when I Love Lucy made its TV debut. The redhead had a nice career, so maybe it's about time the Commodores make a little history, too, in their SEC opener Saturday night at LSU. Can it happen?

"The only thing I can say is that we have to go down there anyway, so let's make the most of it," said Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson, whose team is a two-touchdown underdog.

As promised, Vanderbilt unveiled its no-huddle offense with smashing success in last Saturday's 45-0 victory over Western Carolina. The Commodores had 620 total yards and produced their highest single-game rushing total (433) in more than 30 years. They ran 95 plays (70 rushing attempts), had possession for 34:44 and didn't commit a single procedure penalty.

Granted, Western Carolina is, well, Western Carolina but Vandy turned in a solid all-around performance. The defense recorded its first shutout in 10 years and held Western Carolina to four first downs. Sure, the Commodores have haven't had much luck at 11th-ranked LSU over the past, hmmm, six decades -- they fumbled at the Tigers' 2-yard line in the closing minute in 1991 -- but Johnson's teams have notched five wins over ranked opponents in the last three years.

Johnson also has done his best, if that's possible, to prepare his team for the raucous, evening atmosphere at LSU.

"I think we've played very well on the road," Johnson said.

"Our guys seem to relish the challenge of going to places like that and going up against the very best people in the country and that is what we tell them when we recruit them. We tell them they are coming here to play the best. They will see on the film that they are going to have a great challenge not only with the atmosphere in the stadium, but the players they are playing. What makes those stadiums so hard is the players that are playing in them."

LSU has players, too. For starters, Johnson knows that slowing down LSU sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson is essential to Vanderbilt's chances for an upset. The 6-foot-4 Jefferson threw for 172 yards and three touchdowns in LSU's 31-23 victory at Washington last week. Eight of his 11 completions went to Brandon LaFell and Terrance Toliver.

"When you rush the passer, you've got to be careful because (Jefferson) will pull it down and run it," Johnson said. "They do run some option. They run some zone read. He's very dangerous doing that. And he can throw it."

Vanderbilt will counter with its own sophomore dual quarterback, Larry Smith. Smith ran for 66 yards and threw for 153 yards a touchdown against Western Carolina. The Commodores also showcased a pair of true freshman tailbacks in Zac Stacy and Warren Norman. Talk about first impressions -- Stacy and Norman became the first Vanderbilt duo to rush for more than 100 yards in the same game in seven years.

Stacy's 133-yard rushing total is the second highest single-game rushing total ever by a Vanderbilt true freshman, behind only Frank Mordica's 148-yard total against Air Force in 1986. Norman added 105 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.

"They ran the ball well," Johnson said. "I think sometimes, we got a little picky in there and waited. If we wait against LSU, someone is going to be knocking them on the side of the head.

"We have most of the playbook in, and we're not afraid to call it. Hopefully our signaling system will be good enough that we can get the calls in. Not huddling, hopefully we won't have too many situations where we're running down and don't have enough time left on the clock."

Although LSU's defense allowed 478 yards against Washington, Tigers fans hope the effort was an aberration. Vanderbilt certainly understands the task at hand. The Commodores struggled with offensive production throughout last season, particularly against conference teams. They averaged seven fewer points scored than in games against non-conference opponents.

Vanderbilt is young, too. Seven true freshmen played against Western Carolina. Johnson has fingers crossed that first experience helps when they walk into Tiger Stadium, capacity a mere 92,400. An average of eight nights a year, Tiger Stadium becomes the fifth largest city in the state of Louisiana.

"They will know what our routine is and we will go to the stadium Friday night and give them a chance to look at it," he said. "We are trying to tell the team that it is a great stadium and a great place to play, and it can't be any more fun than this. We are trying to look at it that way instead of dreading going down there. We are looking forward to it."

The only real area of concern for Johnson following Saturday was in the kicking game. Freshman Ryan Fowler missed two of three field goals, and punter Brett Upson struggled after a consistently strong showing in preseason practices.

While the Commodores prepare to open SEC play after posting a 4-4 mark in league action last year -- the win total represents the most SEC wins by Vanderbilt since the league went to divisional play in 1992 -- LSU will be out to snap a four-game SEC losing streak, the longest such streak for the Tigers since 1999 when they dropped seven straight.

On the flip side, LSU has won 30 straight Saturday night games in Tiger Stadium with 19 of those victories under Miles.

LSU last faced Vanderbilt in 2005, Miles' first season in Baton Rouge. LSU beat the Commodores, 34-6, in Nashville as Vanderbilt finished with just 138 total offensive yards, including 26 rushing yards on 25 carries. Vanderbilt was No. 1 in the SEC and No. 19 in the country in passing offense in 2005 with current Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler behind center.

In 1951, with Lucy on the tube, Commodore quarterback Bill Wade, who earlier in the season appeared on the cover of Life magazine, threw for three touchdowns to lead Vanderbilt to its last victory at LSU, 20-13.

"Believe me, offensively we are realistic and we know we won't be able to run the ball as easily against LSU as we did against Western Carolina," Johnson said. " We've got to be attentive to detail with everything we do."

Vanderbilt Locked in Fight Against History originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEC Predictions 2009: Florida's Dance of The Inevitable, Ole Miss' Stumble

Brian Grummell — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC

We don't need to tell you what's coming, you saw it plenty with USC in 2005. Worse, we're not here to necessarily tell you to complain about it. Florida's awesome, deal with it. Enjoy it, even, at least as a college football fan. Everyone seemingly gets revved up for the David's of the sporting world but few things should leave us in more awe than a Goliath at peak brilliance.

Whether Florida can repeat the roll it went on to end last season is debatable, but our early guess is their performance in 2009 will be nearly insurmountable. As for the rest of the SEC, they're not too shabby, either, although we've got some brontosaurus femur sized bones to pick with some elements of the early consensus around programs like Ole Miss.

Our standings preview and records predictions after the jump.

SEC East

1) Florida (13-0 overall, 9-0 in the SEC) The Gators are obviously the most championship-ready team since the 2005 USC train that went undefeated through the regular season before falling to Texas in the Rose Bowl. Little else needs to be said. The schedule is manageable and the Gators can probably count on another trip to the SEC Championship Game and a victory over ... well, look below to see who rises atop the SEC West.

2) Georgia (9-3 overall, 5-3) We've got the Bulldogs losing to powerhouses LSU and Florida, but also a surprise road stumble at pesky Arkansas. With Matt Stafford and Knowshow Moreno the pressure's off and Georgia just seems to perform better in these scenarios. Every other word out of players' and coaches' mouths this year has been "team." We should be able to count on 2009 being a more focused, below-the-radar effort.

3) Kentucky (7-5 overall, 3-5) Somebody had to come out on top of the messy lower half of the SEC East and the Wildcats are it. They'll have the obvious losses to Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia, plus drop one to South Carolina but get rescued by a surprise final-game victory at home against Tennessee.

4)Tennessee (7-5 overall, 3-5) Yeah, that loss to Kentucky will cost the Vols a solid third place SEC East showing for first-year coach Lane Kiffin. It should be an up and down season full of inconsistency and sometimes brilliance for a still-powerful program taking a new direction. The upshot is we have them beating UCLA in a national-interest game as well as upsetting preseason darling Mississippi. The receiver situation is scary and quarterback Jonathan Crompton has failed to impress in his four years but the lines will play fierce and there's that Eric Berry, the finest offensive player on defense in college football.

5) South Carolina (5-7 overall, 2-6) Well, at least they beat Kentucky and Vanderbilt. We like Stephen Garcia. A lot. But the last time he played he looked about as bad as a Steve Spurrier quarterback has played in wilting before Iowa in the Outback Bowl. He's had a long offseason to simmer about that performance and should return a new man but the rest of the offense is in shambles and the defense steps down a notch from solid units the last few years. Do the math.

6) Vanderbilt (4-8 overall, 1-7) In his seven seasons in Nashville coach Bobby Johnson has gone 0-8, 1-7, 1-7, 3-5, 1-7, 2-6 and 4-4 in conference play. This year is going to be another of those 1-7 efforts with a new quarterback taking over last year's 7-6 team. They should hustle for four wins in the first half of the season beating Western Carolina, Mississippi State, Rice and Army, but that final six is ugly with Georgia, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee all lining up for battle.

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Louisville's Lincoln Carr, front, puts down a board to get ammo across without touching the yellow parts of the course during an Army leadership development exercise Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fort Knox, Ky. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

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Louisville's Lincoln Carr, front, puts down a board to get ammo across without touching the yellow parts of the course during an Army leadership development exercise for the Louisville football team Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fort Knox, Ky. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Louisville football players Victor Anderson, back, and Anthony Conner try to get the dummy across the obstacle during a leadership development course at Fort Knox, Ky., Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Louisville football players Daniel Brown, front, and Andrew Robinson try to get a dummy across an obstacle course called "Cate's Culvert" during a leadership development course Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fort Knox, Ky. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Staff Sgt. Dennis Kovalchick, center, gives instructions to the Louisville football team before a relay race course Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fort Knox army base in Kentucky. Members of the Louisville football team took part in an Army leadership development course. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Staff Sgt. Dennis Kovalchick, center, gives instructions to the Louisville football team before a relay race course Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Ft. Knox Army Base in Kentucky. Members of the Louisville football team took part in an Army leadership development course. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Staff Sgt. Dennis Kovalchick, center, gives instructions to the Louisville football team before a relay race course Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Ft. Knox Army Base in Kentucky. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire)

Boston College quarterback David Shinskie, center, takes part in practice during NCAA college football media day, Friday, Aug. 14, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

In this Oct. 25, 2008 photo provided by the University of Miami, Miami Hurricanes football player Chris Hayes (49) hugs his mother Kathie after Miami's win over Wake Forest. Hayes, a walk-on college football player gets word that his father, without warning, has taken his own life. He leaves the team to be at his mother's side for the funeral, is summoned back for game day so he can suit up for the first time, gets lost on the way to the stadium, is sent onto the field for the final play and is carried off atop his teammates' shoulders. (AP Photo/University of Miami, JC Ridley)

Photo provided by University of Miami, shows Miami football player Chris Hayes (49) is carried off the field after the Hurricanes defeated Wake Forest Oct. 25, 2008 in Coral Gables, Fla. The low point in Hayes' life came on the previous Monday, when he got the phone call that his dad had committed suicide. The high point of this Miami walk-on's life came five days later when his team carried off the field. (AP Photo/University of Miami, JC Ridley)

SEC West

1) LSU (11-2 overall, 7-2 conference) The Tigers are back! They won't be as fierce as recent outfits as the defensive line takes it down a notch, but the Tigers will win more behind steady Jordan Jefferson. Two major fixes came about this offseason, with Mr. Pick Six Jarrett Lee losing out to Jefferson in the quarterback battle and coach Les Miles replacing the idiotic two-headed defensive coordinator setup of 2008 with the proven John Chavis who has run excellent SEC defenses at Tennessee for years. That won't be enough to beat Florida in the regular season or in the SEC championship game rematch, but its enough to fend off Alabama and other division foes.

2) Alabama (10-2 overall, 6-2 conference) The Crimson Tide will take a tiny step back this year as they break in a new quarterback. In time, he'll be more effective than the departed John Parker Wilson but the offense will grind until a rebuilt offensive line gets together and the 'Tide figure out who replaces Glen Coffee. The defense will be fierce, but so will Florida's, LSU's and Georgia's. We have Alabama losing to LSU and then dropping to rival Auburn in a final week shocker.

3) Auburn (8-4 overall, 5-3 conference) Where . Is . Ole . Miss ? Well, we'll get to them in a moment, or two. We're talking Auburn right now, patience please. Its not that we necessarily like the Gene Chizik hire but it came with a great offensive coordinator and a schedule in which the Tigers are constantly in a position to ruin others' seasons, something they're adept at. They'll be involved in a pair of SEC shockers this year, losing to woeful Mississippi State in week two but also felling powerful rival Alabama in the final week of the regular season. Oh they'll lose to West Virginia, LSU and Georgia as expected but the rest of the SEC slate is winnable including games against Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky and upstart Ole Miss.

4) Arkansas (8-4 overall, 4-4 conference) OK now we've gone and done it. Again, no Ole Miss. Hey don't blame us, blame the scheduling Gods. Like Auburn, the Razorbacks will play tremendous spoilers all year in the second effort with coach Bobby Petrino and dangerous, dangerous offense loaded with great backs and man-mountain quarterback Ryan Mallett. There won't be much defense here but the schedule sets up nicely. They'll drop the obvious games to Alabama, Auburn, Florida and LSU, but also pick off mighty Georgia at home in week two as well as Ole Miss in late October.

5) Ole Miss (7-5 overall, 3-5 conference) Here's how it will go down: The Rebels will open up 4-0 against the doughy soft slate of Memphis, Southeast Louisiana, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, but then cold hard reality will give way to disappointment. They'll lose at home to Alabama, rebound against UAB at homecoming the next week then stumble at home against sneaky-good Arkansas. That will have effectively ended their season given all the hype and they'll drop the Halloween road game to Auburn. They'll beat up on Northern Arizona the next week and then still crying in their Hotty Toddy's flop against surging Tennessee and powerhouse LSU before a get well road win against hapless Mississippi State. College football is such a psychological game and those two losses to Alabama and Arkansas will be more than enough to engineer a tailspin at a program not used to such great expectations.

6) Mississippi State (3-9 overall, 1-7 conference) Hey, they'll have beaten Auburn on the road so that's good right? Right?

SEC Predictions 2009: Florida's Dance of The Inevitable, Ole Miss' Stumble originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Johnson Hopes to Keep Commodores on Track for Success

Jim Henry — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:55:00 EST

Filed under: Vanderbilt, SEC

Was Vanderbilt's 2008 football season an aberration?

The Commodores recorded three victories over ranked opponents for the first time in program history, recorded their first postseason victory in 53 years and enjoyed their first winning season since 1982. With 19 returning starters overall, an established defense and a change of philosophy on offense to the no-huddle, Vanderbilt is determined to prove last season wasn't a fluke.

"This offseason has been successful," fifth-year senior center Bradley Vierling said Wednesday during SEC Football Media Days in Hoover, Ala. "That really comes off the bowl game victory. Everyone's confidence is really high. Everyone wants to get better. Everyone wants to get to another bowl game."

Even if the Commodores only had to look both ways and cross the street to beat Boston College, 16-14, in the Music City Bowl in their hometown of Nashville, Tenn., the victory has certainly energized the program.

"The repercussions of our season from last year, you know, obviously I think it was the next stage we had to take our program, which was to go to a bowl," head coach Bobby Johnson said Wednesday. "It was a bonus to win it. We're very pleased with that. I think it's helped the attitude of our players, our fans, our donors, our head coach, everybody.

"It was very enjoyable."

In more ways than one.

Vanderbilt, the lone private school in the SEC, has also enjoyed a recruiting surge, collecting 18 non-binding verbal commitments in the class of 2010 compared to just seven at this time last year during the 2009 recruiting period. That also means the Commodores staff has been securing some of the program's top targets on its board. The program's two highest rated commitments, according to recruiting analysts, are the Marietta, Ga., duo of Grant Ramsey (40th-ranked offensive tackle) and Kyle Woestmann (45th defensive tackle).

"Right now, I think we're being received very well in the recruiting battles," said Johnson, the 2008 SEC Coach of the Year. "We think we've recruited well the last two or three years ... we're much better on the food chain right now as far as recruiting is going."

Of course, the trick is making sure Vanderbilt isn't among the smaller fish in the SEC food chain when it opens it season at home on Sept. 5 against Western Carolina.

Plus, thanks to a scheduling quirk, the Commodores play 12 consecutive weeks, punctuated by an October lineup that includes league games against Ole Miss, Georgia and South Carolina and non-conference dates against Army and Georgia Tech.

Vanderbilt opens its SEC schedule in its second game of the season at LSU Sept. 12.

"I'm really not happy about it," Johnson said of playing 12 consecutive games. "I don't think there's anything anybody could do to avoid it. We certainly would have if we could have. It is a challenge to play 12 straight games. You have to plan for it, you have to be smart in the pre season, not just work 'em to death."

A key to surviving the SEC is consistency from start to finish. Last season Vanderbilt opened with five consecutive wins, but it was nearly derailed when it dropped six of its next seven games -- four by 10 points or less, including a non-conference home loss to Duke of the ACC. The bowl victory over BC helped the Commodores feel good about their season and progress.

"As good as we can get at Vanderbilt, our program is going to have to perform at a high level every week to have a chance to win consistently in this league," Johnson said. "You can probably say that for most teams in this league. If you have a bad game, maybe some of 'em can overcome it. I don't think we can right now. But we'd like to build our program that we can get it where one play doesn't keep us from winning or one bad quarter doesn't keep us from winning. If we can do that, that would be huge for our program."

The Commodores (7-6 overall, 4-4 SEC last year) will once again look to their defense for support.

They return nine starters from a unit that ranked among the SEC and NCAA leaders in numerous categories last season, highlighted by 20 interceptions (second in the SEC and tied for eighth nationally). They return every starter with the exception of All-America cornerback D.J. Moore and four-year safety starter Reshard Langford. Senior linebacker Patrick Benoist is expected to anchor the unit after finishing fourth in the SEC with 109 total tackles in 2008.

However, it's Vanderbilt's offense that will sink or float the Commodores' boat. The unit hit rock bottom last year, ranking 117th in total offense (256.2 yards per game), 112th in passing (122.6) and 108th in third-down conversion percentage (31.5 percent).

The offensive line returns every starter, paced by Vierling and fellow fifth-year senior Thomas Welch. Senior Mackenzie Adams and redshirt sophomore Larry Smith -- two of three rotating quarterbacks last season -- and redshirt freshman Jared Funk will compete for the starter's role behind center. Receiver Jamie Graham could follow Moore's footsteps as a two-way player, while Jared Hawkins is the leading returning rusher with 593 yards.

The Commodores could turn to a new offensive look this season.

"Right now we just changed to the no-huddle," Vierling said. "I don't really know how to describe what we are. Whatever we did last year just wasn't working. We were one of the worst teams in the nation when it came to offensive production."

Vierling also thinks Vanderbilt's depth and experience -- the team's lettermen count includes 20 seniors and 20 juniors -- will help it weather the storm of late-season collapses in past years. Those numbers also equate into better competition across the board.

"We are very old. We're an older team now, which is weird for us because we've always been a younger team," Vierling said.

"Last year we were a younger team. We have a lot of seniors in the locker room. We have a lot of backups coming back, which is huge for us. It's always been Vanderbilt's story that we always start well but falter towards the end and that we never had enough depth. Now we finally have that. We have starters coming back and reserves coming back. We have backups pushing for starting spots. It's more competitive than it's ever been."

Ranked for a four-week stretch in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in team history last season, Johnson believes his team's success has helped strengthen the program's resolve, not to mention given players an attitude adjustment.

The Commodores want to post winning seasons more than once every blue moon.

"Well, I think it was satisfying, but it was also necessary I think for our program to move forward," Johnson said. "Any time you do better than what you have been doing in the past, I think it's satisfying, sort of a way to test your program to see if you're making progress.

"We probably had some chances the two previous years before that to make that step, and didn't quite get it done, take advantage of our opportunities to do it. But I was really proud of the team last year. They stepped up when we had a lull in the middle of the season, came back, became Bowl eligible. I think they know what it takes."

Johnson Hopes to Keep Commodores on Track for Success originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kiffin Shatters SEC Coaching Mold

Clay Travis — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:26:00 EST

Filed under: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, SEC, Coaching, Fans

The SEC coaches meetings rolled into Destin, Fla., this week, and Lane Kiffin washed ashore.

You know Kiffin, the man who brought a Molotov cocktail to the SEC tea party, the guy who coaches like tickets have to be sold for the latest WWE event. You halfway expect for him to enter press conferences wearing orange tights, grab the mike, scream invectives at his rivals, then spike the microphone, kiss his biceps, and leave without taking questions. Kiffin coaches college football like Vince McMahon helms the WWE, it's all about creating a buzz.
In six months, Kiffin has soaked up all the news in the college football atmosphere. We can argue about whether that's deserved, given that he hasn't even coached a game, or whether Kiffin's every comment is being treated as bigger news than it is because ESPN just ponied up a princely sum to carry SEC athletic events, and nothing sells better than a crazed renegade running around with a chainsaw in America's most storied conference. The Southeastern Conference is a place where they name streets after coaches, not where coaches moon opposing teams as they drive by. But what all of this attention has missed is something more profound, Kiffin represents a new generation of SEC coach, and people haven't gotten a handle on that yet

If you wanted to define SEC coaches as if you were an archeologist poring over data, the layers would look something like this (and the dirt would overlap quite a bit, but I think you'd see a clear demarcation):

Regional coaches who graduated from the school --From Bear Bryant at Alabama all the way up to Phil Fulmer at Tennessee. These were Southern men who helmed their schools after graduating from the institutions, homegrown boys who became men on the fields of the colleges they'd grown to love. Men without flash or substance who didn't particularly care for the media. Their quotes are emblematic of the time. Think of Bear Bryant saying, "I left Texas A&M because my school called me. Momma called and when momma calls, you come running."

This era ended in the SEC when Tennessee fired Fulmer. Never again will we see the likes of Fulmer's press conference where he broke down crying on national television. That era is over. The SEC has gone national.

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In this undated photo released by the University of Kentucky, Jeremy Jarmon is shown. Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon has been ruled ineligible for his senior season by the NCAA because of a failed drug test. He said at a news conference Saturday, May 23, 2009, he had inadvertently taken a banned substance that turned up positive during a random NCAA test in February. An appeal was denied, in effect ending his college football career. (AP Photo/University of Kentucky)

In this Dec. 27, 2008, photo, Florida State's Corey Surrency signs autographs following the Champs Sports Bowl college football game in Orlando, Fla., against Wisconsin. The NCAA has denied Surrency's final appeal to play another year. The decision Tuesday, May 19, 2009, upheld an April ruling. It means the senior, who played just one year at Florida State, has used up his eligibility. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

In this Nov. 1, 2008, photo, Boston College's Mark Herzlich plays against Clemson in an NCAA college football game in Boston. Herzlich, the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year, has cancer. Herzlich said Thursday, May 14, 2009, he was diagnosed earlier this week with Ewing's Sarcoma after feeling pain in his leg and will undergo more tests in his home state of Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Josh Halter is swarmed by family and friends after being named the drum major for The Ohio State University Marching Band in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (Jeff Hinckley/Columbus Dispatch/MCT)

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Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno speaks to reporters in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Taylor Stokes wears his letter jacket on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2009. Stokes was the first black scholarship football player at Vanderbilt, and has returned 40 years later to finish his degree. He will graduate on May 8. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Taylor Stokes wears his letter jacket on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 1, 2009, in front of a statue of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the founder of the university. Stokes was the first black scholarship football player at Vanderbilt, and has returned 40 years later to finish his degree. He will graduate on May 8. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford, left, and West Mountain Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, right, are sworn in before giving their testimony before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Mercenary national coaches -- Florida's Urban Meyer is the quintessential mercenary, a man who arrived at Florida with no connection to the program and cooly selected the Gators over Notre Dame because he believed it would be easier to win a national championship there. Meyer isn't alone, his hiring set off the trend to look towards men like Bobby Petrino or Nick Saban. Proven coaches who ride into town and immediately announce that their word is law. They set up residence in a baronial mansion and set about constructing a team that can compete for a national championship. They aren't Southern, they're just very good at what they do.

Currently, everyone is chasing Meyer. But Meyer and the other mercenaries, men who bear no connection to their schools or states, share the same staid demeanor of the regionalists. They disdain controversy, consider nothing to be more important than football. While they're mercenaries, they play by the public rules of the regionalists, genuflect at the high altar of Southern college football. While the coaches have changed, the game hasn't. No one has walked into the room, thrown their boots up on the table and struck a match off the end of that boot.

Except once before.

And that man was named Steve Spurrier.

Spurrier demands his own crazy circle. He upset the SEC apple cart when he rolled into Gainesville. A regionalist by era, Spurrier played for and graduated from Florida before taking the helm of the Gator program. But he didn't play by the rules of the regionalists. Spurrier was the P.T. Barnum of college football, a one-man band, a wrecking crew of epic proportions who never met a quote he didn't like, or an insult grenade he couldn't flippantly toss over his shoulder as he walked away from a meeting.

After the explosion, he'd grin and say, "What, me?"

Even if your team got crushed by Spurrier, you liked him. Hell, my team could never beat Spurrier and I couldn't help laughing when he said you couldn't spell Citrus without UT or pronounced the 1996 Vols, who lost to the Memphis Tigers, Knox County Champions. That was genius, and it made football fun, helped strip away the overdone grandiosity that can, at times, threaten the fevered excitement of SEC football. We ain't playing golf down here.

On the field, Spurrier's fun-and-gun offense revolutionized the SEC, took a brand of boring rushing football from the 1970's and brought it into a new era. Every SEC team that has won a national championship since 1990, when Spurrier arrived at Florida (Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, yes, Florida under Meyer), owes a portion of their national title to Spurrier's forcing the SEC to step up their offensive and defensive games and redefine the way football was played. He raised the bar across the region. And he represents his own category of coach.

WWE entertainers -- Spurrier and Kiffin

Only now Spurrier is at South Carolina. Being at the conference's 8th best program and going 26-22 over the past four years there has mellowed Spurrier. Now he's offended by braggadocio. As quick to gig a rival as the last man, now Spurrier quietly stares at golf flags and wonders how his great offenses have been reduced to relying on Stephen Garcia --Stephen Garcia !--at quarterback. Football, at long last, has humbled him. The Spurrier everyone in my generation grew up loving, or loving to hate, is gone.

Enter Lane Kiffin.

There's no doubt that Kiffin is a mercenary. I'm convinced he couldn't have placed Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville correctly in west, middle, and east Tennessee one year ago. But he's also something new, something exciting, a coach who doesn't genuflect at the altar of SEC history and never went to school here. He's just 34. When Bear Bryant died, Kiffin was 7. And living outside the South. There's never been any point in time during which Kiffin wasn't watching sports on television. He came of age in a time when sports was a spectacle sold as high entertainment. He probably bought Wrestlemania on pay-per-view, went to bed at night after putting away his plastic Macho Man wrestler. For him, SEC football isn't life, it's entertainment. And guess what, that's exactly how an awful lot of the top recruits in America feel. Why? Because they've all grown up in the same era as Kiffin.

And that's a seismic departure from everyone who has come before him.

Except Spurrier.

And we all know the wave of change that Spurrier unleashed on the SEC. Spurrier paved the way for almost two decades of Southern football dominance. Everyone raised their games to compete with his teams.

You can argue that Lane Kiffin is too brash, too outspoken not to have won a single game, you can argue that he's a fool. You can point to Spurrier and say that even Spurrier kept his mouth shut until he'd won a few games. I can accept all those arguments. You can even say that putting Kiffin alongside Spurrier is a gross exaggeration of Kiffin's abilities as a coach. I just happen to think you're wrong.

The SEC times they are a changin', and sometimes it takes a mercenary outsider who would make P.T. Barnum blush to make us all realize that the reason we all pay so much attention to SEC football is because it's so damn entertaining. Lane Kiffin is the SEC's newest grenade tosser and while he may not know the stories himself, I know exactly who he is: the SEC's own Br'er Rabbit, the wily rabbit of Southern folklore who could talk himself out of trouble as well as he could work himself into it.

The rest of the SEC keeps on throwing up their arms, gnashing their teeth, and tossing him right back into that thorny briar patch. We all know how that turned out. At least those of us who are Southern do. Rabbits do pretty well for themselves amid the thorns.

Kiffin Shatters SEC Coaching Mold originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 27 May 2009 10:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Faith Journey: Stokes Endures, Graduates From Vanderbilt After 40 Years

Jim Henry — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Vanderbilt, SEC

Taylor Stokes dreamed of playing football at Alabama for Bear Bryant. Instead, he enrolled at Vanderbilt in 1969 as the school's first African-American scholarship football player.

After three seasons, Stokes let his rancorous feelings about football and social slights affect him and he abruptly left school. His experiences left him so embittered he couldn't drive West End Avenue near the university for many years.

In an unlikely turn of events given his history with the school, Stokes walked across the stage in Memorial Gym last Friday and received his diploma. Those few incredible seconds capped a remarkable 40-year journey of new-found spirituality, inspiration and perseverance.

"In a sense I am still on cloud nine and enjoying every moment of it," Stokes told FanHouse Monday morning from his home in Pleasant View, Tenn.

"But at the same point, I am a little bit saddened that I am still not in school in a sense because I missed a large portion of what I could have had earlier. I realized going back that there were a lot of gifts and talents inside of me that I had not tapped into that probably kept us from having this conversation.

"But that was then, this is now. I love that university. Vanderbilt and I are like quarreling lovers. We argued, we fought, we vowed that we would never have anything to do with each other again. But in the end we are inexplicably tied to each other. That's the bond that I feel.

"Vanderbilt belongs to me and I belong to Vanderbilt."

This is not a traditional love story.

Stokes, now 58, overcame clinical depression, the loss of all three brothers -- none of whom lived past the age of 25 -- and his father, a divorce and a life-threatening bout of cancer that nearly derailed his dream to finish what he started so long ago. Stokes credits therapy and a renewal of his faith in Jesus for his healing.

With his 80-year-old mother Christine Oliver, his wife Chandra and a small contingent to cheer him on at the commencement ceremony, which was moved inside from Alumni Lawn due to severe weather, a proud, smiling Stokes turned to the group and raised his diploma high into the air.

The emotional snapshot validated Stokes' decision to return to school in the spring of 2007. Stokes earned a degree within the College of Arts and Science on race, culture and religion and looks to counsel Christians and help minority students and athletes through his visionary MAAP Program (Minority Athletes Assistance Program).

And, in May 2008, Stokes was also awarded his black letterman's jacket with the gold V -- the one he missed picking up at the team's banquet following his junior season in 1971 because he overdosed on a mixture of booze, qualudes and sleeping pills.

Stokes, a devout Christian of the Baptist faith, was on a spiritual high Friday.

"When our row was called to stand, I was excited but I also had a peaceful calm," Stokes said.

"There's a certain level of humility that exists in me now. I am capturing the moment, I am living in the moment. I wasn't boo-hooing and crying, no sweaty palms. As I approached the stage, I could see they were handing out the degrees and it was like, 'Gosh, they have one for me in that box, too.'

"When I got up there they reached into the box and, bingo, it's mine. It was a great feeling of accomplishment. Finally, I had completed this chapter in my journey."

What a chapter, and what a journey.

Stokes' father, Richard, wanted his son to play and earn a degree at Vanderbilt, the school that made basketball player Perry Wallace the first black scholarship athlete in the Southeastern Conference in the fall of 1966. Stokes arrived on campus four decades ago from his home in Clarksville, Tenn., during a time of intense racial tension

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Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno speaks to reporters in Arlington, Va., on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford, left, testifies before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. Also testifying on the panel are, from left, West Mountain Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, President and CEO of Valero Alamo Bowl Derrick Fox and Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier, right, testifies before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. Also testifying on the panel are, from left, Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford, West Mountain Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson, and President and CEO of Valero Alamo Bowl Derrick Fox. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner and Bowl Championship Series coordinator John Swofford testifies testifies before the House Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing on the football Bowl Championship Series on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, May 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

After seeing little or no playing time his first two seasons, Stokes stepped up as a kicker. He made 15-of-15 extra points, including seven in one game that stood as a school record for more than two decades. Stokes also experienced his share of racism form teammates and students alike. As he walked down fraternity row with friends after a football game, the N-word was shouted. Stokes and his buddies reacted and turned over a couple Volkswagen Beetles.

When Stokes' father became seriously ill, Stokes decided he had enough with Vanderbilt and moved to Washington D.C. to run the family painting and contracting business. At his father's urging, however, Stokes tried Vanderbilt one more time in 1974. The timing wasn't right. Stokes left a second time and became a successful businessman. He married, divorced and moved on with a life that always seemed to have something missing.

The Lord's hand works in mysterious ways, according to Stokes.

It took a new relationship with the younger sister of an old friend to push Stokes back to Vanderbilt. That older sister, Chandra, became Stokes' second wife.

Stokes then called former Vanderbilt teammate Walter Overton, a prominent Nashville resident who followed Stokes to Vandy and became the first African American scholarship football player to graduate. Overton got Stokes in touch with Vanderbilt vice chancellor David Williams.

Stokes was 30 hours short of a degree and, with a mix of grants, including funds from Vandy's athletic offices, he resumed classes in the spring of 2007. If not for cancer in his right lung -- doctors operated in August 2008 to remove a portion of his lung -- Stokes would have graduated last fall.

Not a problem. Cancer was just one more challenge Stokes added to his list.

Stokes, polite and personable, was energized by his much younger classmates, many of whom offered encouragement and admitted they were inspired by the "the old man in class" Stokes also befriended Vanderbilt senior safety Reshard Langford and credited him for helping Stokes connect back with Commodores football team and coach Bobby Johnson.

Despite challenges and obstacles over the past four decades, Stokes wouldn't change his life's path. He cites the message from Scriptures that encourages people to press towards tomorrow and not look back. Stokes believes his keys to life are faith, humility and self-accountability.

Stokes' time at Vandy might not be done if he decides to pursue his master's degree. To think there was a time when Stokes, filled with anger and frustration, couldn't even drive past Vanderbilt.

That was a different life, a different time, a different Taylor Stokes.

"I wouldn't change a thing because I have made up my mind to live my life with no regrets," Stokes said.

"The man that I am right now, the spirit that's inside of me -- no way I could have done all this by myself. The Lord and Savior has delivered me. I've come to understand in life that it's not about what happens to you. It's about what you do about what happens to you.

"For me, this was a faith journey."

A Faith Journey: Stokes Endures, Graduates From Vanderbilt After 40 Years originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 11 May 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bowl Season '08: Vandy Wins Bowl Game. Yes, You Read That Correctly

Ryan Ferguson — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:31:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Vanderbilt, Big East, SEC, Bowl Games

FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from Bowl Season '08.

Vanderbilt has won their first bowl game in 53 years. On the strength of three field goals and a big special teams play -- which resulted in the their only touchdown -- the 'Dores eked out a 16-14 win over Boston College.

Vandy finishes with a 7-6 record, their first winning season since 1982. It is truly a monumental accomplishment for the tiny school that competes in college football's toughest conference.

Winning in much the same fashion as their first six victories, the Commodores pinned their hopes on their defense. And it was a good thing that the stop squad was as good as advertised: Vandy's offense only managed 200 total yards and was a dismal 1-15 on 3rd down. The difference: being +3 in TO margin, and coming up with big defensive plays when they counted most.

The question -- beyond how crazy Nashville's gonna get tonight -- is whether this is a turning point for Vanderbilt. Can they springboard the surprise success of 2008 into another winning season in 2009?

Bowl Season '08: Vandy Wins Bowl Game. Yes, You Read That Correctly originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 21:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Now It Can Be Said: Bowl Eligible Vanderbilt

Chas Rich — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:40:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Vanderbilt, SEC

It is not the apocalypse. It is not the end of days. It may have something to do with the global recession, but that is probably just a coincidence. Vanderbilt got that elusive sixth win with a 31-24 win over Kentucky to become bowl eligible.

For the first time since 1982, Vandy will finish with a .500 or better record. They will finish no worse than 4-4 in the SEC this year. They will have their first crack at going to a a bowl game since the 1982 Hall of Fame Bowl (the Commodores lost to Air Force).

Vanderbilt did it much like they did when they started the season 5-0. They ran the ball (44 carries for 228 yards) and controlled the clock (almost 40 minutes on offense). When they did throw, it was short and not particularly pretty (15-27, 156 yards). It worked well enough, and Vandy held on for the win.

Now It Can Be Said: Bowl Eligible Vanderbilt originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Road To Atlanta: Who Can Win the SEC East?

Pete Holiday — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, SEC

Most teams are just over halfway through their conference slate and the SEC conference championship picture is starting to take shape. There are teams with relatively unobstructed paths to Atlanta, while others will need an awful lot of help. We're going to run them all down so you don't sound like a moron around the water cooler on Monday. We'll start with the East. Look for the same treatment for the more interesting West later today (Road To Atlanta: Who Can Win the SEC West?).

With virtually every team sitting on at least one conference loss, it becomes important to understand how the SEC breaks ties (this link also covers basketball, so some of it is more complicated than necessary for football) within the division. This can get complicated in a hurry, but the basic gist is this: in the case of a two-team tie, the head-to-head winner gets it. In the case of a 3+ team tie, CBS and ESPN get to pick.

Just kidding. In the case of a multi-tie, the combined head to head record is looked at first. If all of the teams ended up at 1-1 against the other two, they next look at the divisional record. There are more steps, but once the multi-way tie has been broken, it reverts to the head-to-head match up. Okay, now on with the fun stuff:

1. Georgia/Florida (7-1, 4-1 SEC): both teams are coming off pretty big conference wins, have identical records, and will face-off next week. Both of their losses came against SEC West opponents, and it doesn't really look like anyone else is going to catch them. The winner of the rivalry game formerly known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will have the inside track. But does the loser have a chance to get back in? Yes!

The losing team will drop to 4-2 in the SEC, while the winner will move to 5-1. In order for the loser of next week's game to make it to Atlanta, they would have to win their two remaining conference games while the other team loses both of theirs (Georgia has Kentucky and Auburn, Florida faces Vandy and South Carolina). That's an unlikely scenario, although smart money gives Vanderbilt and the Cocks a better chance of both beating Florida than Auburn has of sniffing the end-zone against the Dawgs.

Prognosis: the game Saturday in Jacksonville is for all of the [SEC East] Marbles. Win and you've got a good shot.

3. Vanderbilt (5-3, 3-2 SEC): Vandy is off this week, but being only a game back has its advantages. They will need a loss from the winner of Saturday's Georgia/Florida game. If the winner is Georgia (who has already beaten the Commodores) they'll need two losses in the last three games. Meanwhile, Vandy will, in all likelihood, need to win each of their remaining three games against Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Losing to any of them will likely put Atlanta too far out of reach, although it will take at least two losses before they're mathematically eliminated.

Prognosis: They're definitely a long-shot to win, but it wouldn't take anything to terribly crazy to sneak in. Still probably not going to happen.

4. South Carolina (5-3, 2-3 SEC): Are you ready for things to get interesting? The Cocks can still make it to Atlanta! Here's how: first, WIN OUT. A conference loss will immediately eliminate them from contention as the winner of the Georgia/Florida game will finish the season with at most three conference losses. They also need Florida to beat Georgia. Georgia has already beaten Spurrier's Cocks, so if the Dawgs win this weekend, they would have the tie-breaker over South Carolina if it came down to that. Assuming Florida does beat Georgia, they would then need to both of their remaining games. In order for a 3-loss SC team to get to Atlanta, some other teams would need to lose as well. Here's a quick look at exactly what it would take (unhighlighted games are insignificant):

Kentucky has already lost to South Carolina and therefore, if SC wins out, they would stave off the 3-way tie with UK/Florida by virtue of being 2-0 against them. They also need Vandy to drop their games to both Kentucky AND Tennessee while beating Florida since Vandy beat South Carolina back in week 2. This is the only way it would work out. Anything happens that doesn't match the chart above kills South Carolina's chances.

Prognosis: Dire. While stranger things have probably happened in college football, they need a LOT of help.

5. Kentucky (5-3, 1-3 SEC): In much the same way that South Carolina still has a shot because they haven't yet lost to Florida, Kentucky has a shot because they haven't yet lost to Georgia. They need a Georgia Cocktail Party win and to win all of their games. What's more, since they've already lost to South Carolina, they need the Cocks to pick up a 4th loss, but it would need to come against UT or Arkansas, since a Florida win would lock Kentucky out of the hunt. Here's what Kentucky's chart looks like:

As usual, Tennessee is out of the race. Vandy would be out by virtue of their head-to-head loss to Kentucky (hypothetically) and the rest would fall into place.

Prognosis: Even more dire than South Carolina's.

6. Tennessee (3-5, 1-4 SEC): Eliminated. Having already lost to both Georgia and Florida, and being able to amass -- at best -- a 4-4 conference record, they cannot win the SEC East.

Prognosis: Dead in the water. No chart can save them now.

Road To Atlanta: Who Can Win the SEC East? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgia Should Rethink Its Offense

Brian Grummell — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Georgia, Vanderbilt, SEC

I write this as a USC fan who thinks they should also rethink their offense. Georgia rolled up 425 yards of offense today, including 230 on the ground at nearly six yards a rush. Yet, until under a minute left they led Vanderbilt just 21-14 before a late field goal ended the game at 24-14.

In four conference games Georgia has yet to go above 30 points with one of the most talented offenses in the country. They're winning games (well, except for that Alabama debacle), but seemingly cutting things way too close. There's no reason to go down to the wire with South Carolina (a 14-point outing) and Vanderbilt like they have.

Mark Richt was hired in part because of his offensive prowess, but he's since ceded play-calling duties and maybe should reconsider his offensive philosophy altogether. No. 1 teams don't grow on trees for Georgia, and unless a few miracles happen, this season is already a golden opportunity squandered. With biggies against LSU and Florida remaining, Georgia's defense could use a bit more offensive help. I'm not sure they'll get it.

Georgia Should Rethink Its Offense originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vandy Gets Croomed

Chas Rich — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, SEC

The phrase "bowl eligible" and Vanderbilt have not been together since 1982. It will have to wait a little longer. The 5-0 Commodores went into Starkville and came away with their first loss. The minimalist offense and shaky QB play finally caught up with them as Mississippi State held on for the 17-14 win.

Vanderbilt's offense was worse than even the score indicated. They had only 109 yards of total offense -- with over half the yardage coming on one scoring drive. The Commodores averaged just over three penalties per game, committed ten. Vandy had seven, three-and-outs and only held the ball for just over 23 minutes.

The quarterbacks combined for 8-19 for 62 yards and two very costly 4th quarter interceptions. The first inside their own 15, that the Bulldogs converted for a touchdown. The other with just over 2 minutes left, that allowed Mississippi State to ice the game. That Vandy even had a chance late in the game is a testament to their defense and the play-not-to-lose offense of Mississippi State.

Some credit for the Vandy offensive woes should go to the Bulldog defense, but the Commodores were not helping themselves. The Bulldogs notch only their second win overall, and their first in the SEC.

Vandy Gets Croomed originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Case of the Mondays: Chat About Vanderbilt, Red River Rivalry, More

Brian Grummell — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:36:00 EST

Filed under: Vanderbilt

Welcome back to our weekly water cooler of sorts. In this Case of the Mondays we'll attempt a conversation about Vanderbilt and the extent of their legitimacy during their surprising start. Also, we'll wash our hands of last weekend and take a look at what's ahead -- Red River Rivalry, anyone?

Grab a Texas state fair corn dog -- ok, maybe one of those knockoffs in the freezer section of the grocery -- and join us for a live college football chat at 2 PM ET after the jump.

A Case of the Mondays: Chat About Vanderbilt, Red River Rivalry, More originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday Hangover: Fool's Gold?

Ray Holloman — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:29:00 EST

Filed under: Auburn, Vanderbilt, SEC

Here's a little something that'll jolt you awake like no morning coffee ever could: Vanderbilt is the final undefeated team in the SEC East.

In the mightiest division of the mightiest football league in all the land, a division which has produced national champions, No. 1-ranked teams and more hype than the iPhone, Michael Phelps and Tom Brady's protective boot combined, the top team belongs to the guy with the big head and the funny hat. And this time, it's not Steve Spurrier.

It's Mr. C. and Vanderbilt.

Go ahead, take a seat, kick your feet back and just let that settle over you like Beijing smog.

It's like the Green Party winning the White House, Pauly Shore brushing up on his Oscar speech or a story about the Redskins actually involving players wearing pants.

Sure, their 14-13 win over Auburn was artistic only in the way cubism is artistic, which is to say only if you're drunk and squinting, but it counts just the same.

And now Vanderbilt is 5-0 and leading the SEC East not in GPA, not in polysyllabic smack talk, but in real honest to God football.

It's history in more than one way. But is there a future follow?

Unfortunately the Commodores, unlike a Travis Henry paternity test, the results aren't all positive.

And the problems are so glaring Sarah Palin can probably see them from her house.

Think alarm bells like Shawn Kemp just showed up to pick up your daughter, or your 401(k) plan just invested in Lehman Brothers.

Heading into Saturday's game, the Commodores were averaging just 278 yards worth of offense. Two-hundred-seventy-eight. That's not a yards per game average, that's a four-round total for Tiger Woods. That's John Daly's cholesterol count.

And the Commodores aren't making up for it on the other side of the ball. Heading into Saturday's game against Auburn, the 'Dores were giving up 80 more yards per game than they were producing. That's a three-wood in the hands of the world's best golfers, an entire touchdown drive from the 20. It's the full length of Charlie Weis' ego.

It's far from elite offenses that are marching up and down on the Commodores. Entering Week 6, Vanderbilt's opponents ranked 94th, 79th, 31st, 49th and 90th in offensive yardage. The high-water 31 belongs to Rice, which managed exactly 10 points and 318 yards against Texas, a team with a secondary so young they probably still get carded trying to watch an R-rated movie.

In Week 1, Vanderbilt only out-gained Miami University (which is now 0-4 against FCS teams) by 20 yards. The Owls racked up 407 yards against 347 for Vanderbilt in Week 3, while Ole Miss dominated the 'Dores 385 to 202 yards in Week 4.

Sure, Vandy outgained Auburn 263 to 208 yards, but Tommy Tuberville's attempts to move the ball can be considered an offense only in the same way the Jonas Brothers and the Rolling Stones are both rock stars, which is to say only technically and in the most general sense.

And the Commodores aren't much more dynamic than the Tigers.

All-SEC receiver Earl Bennett is gone from last year's squad and so too is Vanderbilt's vertical passing game. Completing a 10-yard pass is a Texas Tech moment for Vanderbilt, which is the nation's fourth worst passing offense. The Commodores are completing less than 56 percent of their passes at an anemic 5.45 yards per attempt.

So far, Vanderbilt has had the luxury of playing ahead, and even though the Commodores fell behind 13-0 to Auburn, they still had plenty of time to execute their ground-heavy attack. But at some point in the SEC, the Commodores are going to be forced to throw the ball.

Even the way Vanderbilt uses its quarterback seems to suggest danger. Through the first four games, Chris Nickson was the team's second leading rusher, carrying the ball an average of 14 times per game. That's two more carries a game than Tim Tebow is averaging and two more carries than Vince Young managed with Texas in 2005. In fact, it's only one less carry than Reggie Bush averaged per game in his Heisman campaign. And it's a heck of a lot of hits to ask your signal caller to take, particularly one that's left two straight games with a shoulder injury.

Even if Nickson's health isn't an issue, history suggests Vanderbilt is headed for trouble. Before Saturday's game, the Commodores were 114th in total offense and 73rd in total defense. In the past 10 years, the number of teams with that type of profile that have put together a successful season is roughly equivalent to the number of BCS title Duke has won.

Last year, both Auburn and Virginia Tech finished with lackluster offensive profiles and wrapped up relatively successful seasons. Virginia Tech finished 100th in total offense, but paired a motionless offense with the nation's fifth-ranked defense. The Tigers were 97th in offensive yardage, but sixth in defense.

In 2003, Ohio State finished 11-2 with the nation's 93rd ranked offense, but the Buckeyes were 10th in defensive yardage allowed. Notre Dame finished 10-3 in 2002 against a soft schedule (and was pounded by N.C. State in the Gator Bowl) but still finished with the 13th-ranked defense.

In short, it takes a heck of a defense to overcome an offense like the one Vanderbilt is currently fielding.

So how has Vandy managed to turn a non-existent passing game, a subpar offense and a middling defense into a 5-0 record? Turnovers. Their defense may be giving up yards, but as a unit they're more opportunistic and predatory than payday lenders and Heather Mills combined. The 'Dores are No. 1 in the nation in turnover margin and they've done it the honest way, forcing 11 interceptions. The Commodores secondary has been truly impressive and is even more effective in the short field of the red zone, which might partially explain why Vanderbilt is only giving up 16 points per game despite giving up gobs of yardage.

But can that dominant turnover margin last? A season ago, the Commodores finished 73rd in the nation in turnover margin, losing the ball more often than they took it away. And Vanderbilt had to rebuild its front seven almost after losing Curtis Gatewood, Theo Horrocks, Gabe Hall, Jonathan Goff and Marcus Boggs.

The Commodores' secondary may be best-in-class in the SEC, but if Vandy loses the turnover battle in any game, it may have the kind of uphill climb Edmund Hillary might defer.

Of course, the good news for Vanderbilt is that it's almost certainly headed for its first bowl in a quarter century and, given that the Commodores will likely be favored in all but two of their remaining games, they could be headed to a 10-win season.

So stand up and cheer that one of college football's all-time underdogs is finally in the sun. Just don't bet the house it's going to continue.

Sunday Hangover: Fool's Gold? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 05 Oct 2008 03:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameDay Headed to Vandy. Wait, What?

Pete Holiday — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:47:00 EST

Filed under: Auburn, Vanderbilt, SEC

For the first time in the history of ESPN's College GameDay, Lee, Kirk, and Corso will be in Nashville for a Vanderbilt game. GameDay. Vanderbilt.

I'll give you a moment to absorb that.

The most bizarre thing about this call is that there really isn't much else out there this weekend. Oregon State at Utah is on Thursday night, the #1 Sooners have Baylor, and Texas is at Colorado (the Buffs just suffered a loss to Florida State).

Kentucky at Alabama could be a better game, but the Tide have already been feature teams on GameDay twice this season. #9 USC has a ranked Oregon coming to L.A. and #14 Ohio State is visiting #18 Wisconsin, but USC and Wisconsin just lost to weak conference opponents.

This is really the most logical decision, which is absolutely mind-blowing. The Commodores are 4-0, lead the SEC East, and unless Tony Franklin can get Auburn's offense going, they have a very real chance of sending the Tigers back to the Plains with a loss.

The question that should be on the minds of Auburn faithful this week: will the 'Dores give away enough points for Auburn to escape with a win?

GameDay Headed to Vandy. Wait, What? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vandy's 4-0 and Ranked in the Top 25; Commence Pandemonium

Ryan Ferguson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:14:00 EST

Filed under: Vanderbilt, SEC

Don't look now, but Vanderbilt's gone and done it -- they've started their season 4-0 (2-0 in SEC play including a win over a ranked South Carolina squad) and are now ranked 21st in the latest AP Poll. They also lead the SEC East thanks to byes and non-conference games from Florida and Georgia. We bloggers of FanHouse didn't give Vandy a chance in our preseason SEC rankings, unanimously voting Vandy sixth in the SEC East and last overall, just ahead of Mississippi State. Boy, were we ever wrong!

Vanderbilt's recent win over Ole Miss wasn't the prettiest offensive performance ever, but thanks to three interceptions from the "Baddest Man on Campus" aka Ryan Hamilton, the Commodores chalked up a 23-17 victory.

The burning question: is Vanderbilt really good, or are South Carolina and Ole Miss really bad?

The truth lies somewhere in between. South Carolina proved its defense is legit against top-ranked Georgia two Saturdays ago, losing 14-7 with numerous chances to win the game in the second half. And Ole Miss took Wake Forest, which some pundits say is the best team in the ACC, down to the wire; the Rebels were up with 1:00 to go before a last second field goal destroyed their upset hopes.

Ole Miss and South Carolina display elements of being somewhat solid teams, even if all the pieces aren't there yet. Based on the way they've played their competition -- despite the fact they lost -- indicates that these wins do contain considerable merit for Vanderbilt.

That being said, Vanderbilt's not going to survive contests against teams like Georgia and Florida with 202 total yards (from the Ole Miss game). Ole Miss actually outgained Vanderbilt almost 2:1 in total yardage, but turnovers trump passing and rushing stats any day. So in that respect, Vanderbilt has to be evaluated with a modicum of common sense. Despite their fast start, the 'Dores are not SEC contenders -- but that elusive bowl game, which has been a seemingly impossible goal for Vandy in the last quarter-century -- is only two wins away.

Vandy's 4-0 and Ranked in the Top 25; Commence Pandemonium originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Did You Miss the McCain Speech for This? College Football Thursday Night Live Blog

Brian Grummell — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:48:00 EST

Filed under: South Carolina, Vanderbilt, SEC

Equal time? Sure why not. Last week's Obama speech was historic, tonight's McCain speech should be much less historic, and less dramatic than what Americans witnessed last night with Sarah Palin. Regardless, we're not here to talk politics, but college football.

We're back again, as will be the case all year, for Thursday night college football lives blogs. Of some frustration, turnover-mad South Carolina is back to play upset-minded Vanderbilt. Last week saw us comparing Gamecock quarterback Tommy Beecher to Michael Henig. Out went the quick hook earlier this week and longtime disappointment Chris Smelley gets the start. Vanderbilt's attempting to build on its smashing of Miami of Ohio.

Join us at 8:30, chat software after the jump.

Did You Miss the McCain Speech for This? College Football Thursday Night Live Blog originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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