A win to remember: Vandy makes home statement

There was no need to ask Bobby Johnson how it felt to beat a Top 25 opponent at home for the first time since 1992. The look on his face following Jared Hawkins’ seven-yard run on third-and-five in the closing minutes, which sealed Vanderbilt’s 24-17 victory over South Carolina last Thursday, said it all.

“I'm sure glad we got (the first down) because I hadn't figured out exactly what I was going to do, whether I was going to punt or take a safety,” Johnson said Monday. “So when (Hawkins) went across that line, I went, ‘Whew!’ That's one decision I don't have to make. That's why I was so happy on the sideline.”

Johnson smiled as he made that final comment and the room full of media members broke into laughter, knowing full well that his display of pure emotion on the sideline was the result of something much bigger than one play. Even the players could sense it.

“He's a native of South Carolina so I know that every South Carolina game means something to him, maybe just a little bit more than the others,” said senior quarterback Chris Nickson. “To please him, that's all you want to do. That's the guy who brought you here, the guy who recruited you, who gave you a great education.

“You want to try to do your best for him, and to see him happy makes you happy. That's all there is to it.”

Senior safety Reshard Langford saw a replay of the game on ESPN and said he felt the same way while watching an elated Johnson tear off his headset and embrace anyone in sight following Hawkins’ game-clinching run.

“I was extremely happy for him and the rest of the coaches because they work so hard and put so much work into preparing the game plan for us and preparing our practices and setting stuff up for us so that we just have to go out there and execute,” Langford said. “My hat goes off to those coaches. It's a great reward for them as much as it is for us.”

That’s quite the statement, one that shows just much how the players respect Johnson and his staff.

And one of the best parts about beating Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks on ESPN? The rest of the country got to see what Langford, Nickson and the rest of the guys already know.

Johnson was on the road recruiting over the weekend and seemed to relish his newfound celebrity status.

“I'll tell you one thing that I realized even more, even though I thought I knew it, a lot of people watch ESPN,” Johnson said. “I was in the Dallas airport and people were stopping us left and right, and in Shreveport and in Nashville. It was kind of cool.”

Asked if anyone mistook him for comedian Steve Martin, Johnson replied, “Not a soul.”
Vanderbilt did not get over any magical hump with the victory, nor is it guaranteed any future successes because of it. Still, it is impossible to downplay its significance.

“For the Vanderbilt community, we finally stepped it up and did something to make them proud,” Nickson said. “They could actually see and feel it for themselves.”

The Commodores have been close to winning these games in the past. This time they finished it.

“We expected to win,” Langford said. “We don't expect to lose going into any game and certainly didn't expect to lose Thursday night. We work hard and put that work in so we know that we're going to get the results out of what we put in.”

Johnson knows that too.

“I think we are now playing good enough to compete with everybody we play against,” Johnson said, “and I think that in itself is a charge to our players to say, ‘Hey, play as good as you can play. If you do, you've got a chance to win.’"

One-on-one with Chris Nickson

Had a chance to chat with Vanderbilt quarterback Chris Nickson this afternoon. The fifth-year senior touched on a number of topics, including what it was like to beat South Carolina, what makes the Dores' offensive linemen so "nasty," and why he has so much respect for coach Bobby Johnson.

What did you see with the offensive linemen up front in that last drive that allowed you guys to close out the game?

Chris Nickson: I remember talking to them before that series and I told them that this is a time where you're in the trenches and you've got to step up and become a man. I told them that on the drive that Hawk scored on. The next drive I told them, "Do you remember what I told you on the last drive?" and they was like, "Yeah." I was like, "Well, forget it. This is the time." (Laughter)

While I was sitting there and talking to them all I saw was eyes and nods and I knew they understood exactly what I was saying. After that, they took it on themselves to finish the game. No one finished it but the o-line and their attitude towards the situation -- they weren't nervous, they weren't scared, they were just ready to kick somebody's butt, and that's what they did. They took it down the field and opened up some holes, large holes, biggest holes of the whole game,, and it showed.

Did you know you guys would run the ball on the last drive?

CN: I knew we were going to run it. Our confidence is in our running game, whether it be me or the running backs.

Surprised to see the young offensive line step up the way it did?

CN: I wasn't surprised, but I was very happy to see them grow up like that. I was very excited about watching them grow up and I think they did a tremendous job and stepped their game up to another level and I hope they can just continue to grow like that.

Is this the nastiest offensive line you've seen here?

CN: I hope so. We've got some nasty guys and they grind it out. With Vierling leading them, I wouldn't be surprised if they were the nastiest bunch we've had.

What is it about Vierling?

CN: Cause he's a nasty boy. He's an aggressor.

How did it make you feel to see coach Johnson so emotional at the end of that game?

CN: He's a native of South Carolina so I know that every South Carolina game means something to him, maybe just a little bit more than the others. To please him, that's all you want to do. That's the guy who brought you here, the guy who recruited you, who gave you a great education, you want to try to do your best for him, and to see him happy makes you happy and that's all there is to it.

What it was like to accomplish exactly what you said you guys were going to do?

CN: For the Vanderbilt community, we finally stepped it up and did something to make them proud. They could actually see and feel it for themselves. We've felt it before when went to Georgia and South Carolina and the people there felt it with us, but we've never been in that situation where we were in the perfect atmosphere so everyone could feel the excitement and joy that we've had.

To beat South Carolina in such an atmosphere it makes us very happy, it makes the Vanderbilt community happy and everyone's pleased with the way the program's going so we're excited about it and looking forward to another big game.

What impresses you most about Jared Hawkins?

CN: He's tough. Jared has been through a lot here and hasn't really gotten a lot of reps like he's probably wanted to. He's just been working his tail off and doing everything the right way, going about things the right way, being a great man, a great man of faith. His opportunity has finally presented itself and what he did was he came out and he put the team on his shoulders and carried us down the field. It showed that hard work pays off. I can't say enough about him.

One-on-one with Reshard Langford

Caught up with senior safety Reshard Langford this afternoon. The co-captain talked about a bunch of topics, including his admiration for Bobby Johnson and the rest of the coaching staff, the great play of his roommate Jared Hawkins and why he did not consider the Dores' 24-17 victory over South Carolina an upset.

What have you learned about your defense through two games?

Reshard Langford: We learned that everybody out there wants to win. If I'm tired, I'm pretty sure my defensive linemen is tired and I know that they're not going to give up. We have that bond between each other as teammates that we're not going to give up regardless of what's going on out there. That willingness to win is what's going on right now with our defense.

Can you describe the feeling you had on Thursday night?

RL: It was fun. It was a great win. I'm not so much speechless, but there's just not much I can say about it. It was a great win and great for our program.

While last week's game should give you guys confidence, do you try to forget about it now?

RL: We can't play last week's game this week. We played South Carolina, that was a good win for us. Now we have to prepare for Rice because we know they're not who South Carolina was. I think you've just got to forget about it and prepare for the next week.

How many text messages do you think you got after the game?

RL: I charted this as a matter of fact. Miami of Ohio game I think I had 17 text messages. I had 19 text messages and one call after this past game so it was fun.

What did it mean to you to see how excited coach Johnson was after the game on Thursday?

RL: I was extremely happy for him and the rest of the coaches because they work so hard and put so much work into preparing the game plan for us and preparing our practices and setting stuff up for us so that we just have to go out there and execute. My hat's off to those coaches. It's a great reward for them as much as it is for us.

I feel like you guys don't see last week's game as an upset. Is that accurate?

RL: We expected it. We don't expect to lose going into any game and certainly didn't expect to lose Thursday night. We work hard and put that work in so we know that we're going to get the results out of what we put in. We weren't expecting anything less.

What about the defense has impressed you most?

RL: The toughness has impressed me the most. Thursday night was a hot night and I know a lot of guys were going out cramping and when they went out, other guys came in and the tempo was still going the same as it was.

How pleased have you been with the younger players thus far?

RL: The way that we practice is the way that we play. Everybody's been practicing hard and it's just showing up on Thursdays.

On the other side of the ball, what it was like watching Jared seal the victory with two big first downs?

RL: Me being his roommate, I know Jared a little more personally than everybody else and I know that his willpower and how he plays is going to show. I know that he works hard and he showed it Thursday and obviously he was one of the better players on the offense and he helped us a lot.

How does it feel to see him enjoying success that you know he deserves?

RL: It makes me feel good because I know his struggles and things that he goes through. Him playing good, him doing well, has been great for us and great for him too, and I'm hoping it's building his confidence as a running back.

What do you like most about the way he plays?

RL: His attitude. He's very humble about what he does and he's a great running back.

One-on-one with Brad Vierling

Had a chance to catch up with co-captain Bradley Vierling this afternoon. The Commodores' starting center touched on a number of subjects, including the improved play of the offensive line and the career day from his good friend Jared Hawkins.

Talk about how much you've seen the offensive line improve in just two weeks.

Bradley Vierling: Every day in practice we get better and better. We're young and we're just starting to flow. With two games under our belt now, we're really starting to get a feel for each other and I'm pretty excited about what we can do.

What was it like to dominate the line of scrimmage when it mattered most in the fourth quarter and keep South Carolina's offense off the field?

BV: We knew we could do it and it was put on our shoulders. Our offensive line coach told us the only way we're going to win is if we do well. In the second half, we started to really get a feel for what they were doing and started being aggressive and had some fun.

What impresses you most about Jared Hawkins?

BV: I wasn't surprised by anything that Jared did or what he can do because I know he's always been a great back for us. I'm just excited whenever he gets that ball. You never know what's going to happen, if he's going to break it for 30 yards for a touchdown or slam it in there for four and just get us a first down. No matter what I know he's going to make great decisions back there and do a great job.

How would you describe Jared as a runner?

BV: Jared's fearless. When he gets the ball all he wants to do is just gain yards. It doesn't matter if he's breaking to the outside and running past people or trying to run them over through the middle, no matter what he's going to get the job done.

How does it feel to see him have success?

BV: It's very exciting for him personally to get the extra carries and extra yards and all that kind of stuff, milestones for him, and I'm just excited to be a part of Jared Hawkins' life and it's just a pleasure blocking for him.

What's your relationship like with Jared?

BV: We came in together, we've been through everything together, we're the same year, we're going to graduate together. It's just great to see him do well and as soon as we get Jeff back, we're going to have a very, very good tandem, and I'm really excited about it.

Do you think he has deserved more carries than he's gotten in the past?

BV: That's coach Kitchings. I have nothing to do with that. I'm not in their meeting rooms, I don't make the decisions. Whoever gets the ball, I'm just blocking for them no matter what.

What area of his game has Jarred improved the most over the past 3-4 years?

BV: I think whenever a running back comes in to college the No. 1 thing they have to work on is pass protection because in high school I don't think you really have to deal with that. You're always stronger and faster than everybody else. It's their hardest job to pick up all pass protections and blitzes and stuff like that.

Has he gotten a lot better in that area?

BV: Absolutely. He's improved on that more so than I'd say anything he's done. Knowing the offense better, knowing where blitzes are coming from, just getting your pads down and blocking better, he's really improving and he's looking good.

What type of person is Jared?

BV: Jared's one of the hardest workers on the team. He's non-stop, go hard, always on the grind. Whatever that guy gets, he deserves.

Catching up with Bobby Johnson

Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson spoke with the media this afternoon and touched on a number of topics, including the significance of Thursday night's victory over South Carolina, the loss of defensive back Darlron Spead, the play of his linebackers, offensive line and special teams, the superb performance from Jared Hawkins and how to prepare for Rice's dynamic offense.

With you guys finally playing a game on Saturday, is there something to be said for getting back to a sense of normalcy?

Bobby Johnson: A lot to be said for it, especially academically. We went to class Thursday at least all the way through the morning and then got them over and settled them down in the hotel after that. It was pretty tough. And then the next day, you've got to get up and go to class. And they had to do the same thing the week before after the Miami game so it's been pretty tough. And then the weekend, you're practicing on Saturday and Sunday and then we went Monday night, so yes, I'm very happy to be back on the regular schedule.

The secondary has obviously played well. Can you talk about their play back there and how the injury to Darlron Spead is going to affect things.

BJ: They have played well and we expected them to play well. They were a good group last year, made a lot of big plays for us, and a lot of the things we do on defense are predicated on the fact that they can give you pretty good coverage on almost every play.

Losing Darlron will certainly be a blow to that group. He was sort of a specialist at the nickel back position and did a great job at it and had a knack for rushing the passer when we were blitzing and also had a knack for getting underneath those underneath routes. The other night (he had) a beautiful interception, read it the whole way. I'm pretty sure he was hoping for the quarterback to throw it to his man because he was ready for it.

We'll figure out a plan that we're going to use to try to replace him and it'll probably be several different scenarios, maybe several different players playing that position.

The other night after the game you talked about upping the ante a little bit and having a responsibility now. Did you talk to your guys about that and what does that mean exactly?

BJ: We've worked hard to try to get us a big win at home and now that we've done it, we've got to prove that that's what we've been preparing for. If we have been preparing for it, we'll go out and practice this week and practice hard and learn what Rice does offensively and defensively and be ready to play when gametime comes here Saturday. You just can't hang your hat on one or two games here or there, or one performance or one big win. I thought it was two big wins. I thought Miami was a big win for us on the road and I think it helped us win the South Carolina game. We just have to keep it going.

Do the stakes need to be raised for a program to move forward, where all your guys do play with that urgency every week?

BJ: I think we've always played with a pretty good sense of urgency. I think we are now playing good enough to compete with everybody we play against, and I think that in itself is a charge to our players to say, "Hey, play as good as you can play. If you do, you've got a chance to win."

Talk a little about Chase Clement. Is that one of the best quarterbacks you'll face this year?

BJ: He does a lot of good things for them. He's fearless and he can throw the ball extremely well, but he also runs the ball very well and makes a lot of plays with his legs. He's a lot like Chris. They're not all scrambles, they're designed runs and he does a good job of running their offense. I guarantee you he's seen every kind of defensive formation you could probably throw at him during his career there.

What has impressed you the most about Jared Hawkins?

BJ: I expected Jared to have a good year. I said earlier that I thought we would be better at the running back position than we were last year, and Jared was going to be a big part of it. Jared runs bigger than he looks. He's 195 pounds. He's a stout kid, but he doesn't look that way if you just look at him on the field. I think he surprises a few people with his power. He doesn't mind at all running between the tackles and bouncing off tacklers and he did a great job of that the other night.

Did Hawkins respond well to the extra carries?

BJ: Oh yea, he's in a great shape. In the preseason he had a little problem with some shin splints and didn't get to practice as much as he or we would have liked, but the strain on his body didn't bother him. He's in great shape.

Do you think the players responded positively to Chris Reinert's injry?

BJ: I think we responded to his gestures. We were a little bit upset, that was a pretty tough injury, and when you've got your teammate down there, everybody's concerned about it. We were certainly glad to see him in great spirits when they took him off, but that was a tough, tough injury. Chris Reinert is a tough guy. He's just one of those guys who's always running around and always has a lot of enthusiasm, and it's kind of contagious to the other guys. I definitely think it helped us out a little bit, and the next run, I don't know...you have to ask Jared, but the next run he bounced off about three of them and got in the end zone.

How hard is it for defenses to prepare for Chris Nickson?

BJ: It's the same problem we're having with Chase Clement. How do you defend everything that they do? I think Chris presents a lot of problems to defenses because a lot of is designed, some of it is off the cuff, and in the passing attack, if you can get some protection, I think Chris is a very fine passer. He'll continue to get better. What I've been really pleased with is his demeanor and how he's run the offense and his leadership ability I think has stepped up a tremendous amount, and that's just what you want out of a senior quarterback.

Schematically, what does Rice do offensively?

BJ: They have a stable of wide receivers that are used to being in that system where they catch a lot of balls and they see a lot of different coverages and react to coverages and they do a great job of that. But, they run the ball too. They make you stay honest.

You just can't drop eight of them back there and play against the pass, you've got to do both, and I think they have a tremendous amount of confidence right now in what they do. They feel like they can score points in bunches and they can do it anytime they need to do it. In the fourth quarter against Memphis, I think you saw that confidence, just step up and say, "Hey, we're gonna get it done," and they got it done.

Talk about the similarities between Vanderbilt and Rice.

BJ: We're smaller schools, but we have 85 scholarships just like everybody else. I've never bought into that small-school thing. They're a good program, they're up-and-coming. Coach has done a great job of getting his guys refocused. They've played two good games, just swamped SMU and has a great victory at Memphis. I think that says a lot for their team and their confidence.

Rice used to be in the Southwestern Conference and had to compete with Texas and Texas A&M and all those guys. Just like with Vanderbilt, it's tough to compete with those guys way back when everybody had more scholarships. Now, everybody has a little bit more even playing field I think and that's why you see so many upsets every week, and you see so many teams that used to not win are winning now. It's just a whole lot different than '61 or '62, whenever they went to a bowl.

When you're not playing on Saturday, how much do you pay attention to the college football landscape?

BJ: I actually was working this past weekend so I didn't get to see a whole lot, but yeah, I'm a fan. It's fun to watch, especially after you've won a game and you kind of relax that weekend. It's a whole lot more fun, to tell you the truth. You look at it like a fan, but you also look at it as a coach. What would you do if you were playing these guys and oh my gosh, look at that. How would we defend that? What are we going to do? It's still fun.

Thoughts on what happened to Washington?

BJ: It's a tough rule. I think that was a pretty obvious violation of the rule. If you want to say that rule was a bad rule, we can debate that, but it's a rule and they violated it. We came close to violating it and probably should have been called, I don't know. That's the thing -- I think you have to have very consistent enforcement of the rules by all the officials in the all the conferences.

The clear thing to me is, in our situation, we didn't violate the rule. We had a guy celebrating with his teammates and that's all he did right there. When you throw the ball 25 feet up in the air, that's a violation.

Thoughts on how the offensive line has done so far?

BJ: I hope we got better. I think we got better in the second half especially in the South Carolina game. I expect them to get better and better as we go along. I've really been pleased with Thomas Welch. I think Thomas has blocked extremely well. I thought Reilly Lauer and Ryan Custer had very good games this past week so if we can continue to develop some depth and if somebody gets dinged up, be able to put somebody in there and not miss any execution of off that, I would really be happy.

Surprised at the way they've controlled the first two games in the fourth quarter when you've needed to?

BJ: I don't know if I was surprised. I was very hopeful that we would be able to get a couple first downs, but that's pretty tough to do. We started at the five-yard line after the punt and then one first down is pretty good, but then to get the second one, I'm sure glad we got it because I hadn't figured out exactly what I was going to do -- whether I was going to punt or take a safety or what we were going to do.

So when he went across that line, I went, "Whew!" That's one decision I don't have to make. That's why I was so happy on the sideline. (Laughter)

Thoughts on the play of linebacker Patrick Benoist, who was named SEC Player of the Week?

BJ: It's a tough job. Against South Carolina, who does a good job of running the football and passing the football, he had a tough matchup. He was having to hang on to Jared Cook and that's a big target to try to settle in on right there. He kept battling and battling and got in and made some big plays for us. Patrick is really smart, and he knows exactly what we're doing, he knows what checks to make, he knows what the other team is going to do most of the time, and that's why he is as effective as he is. He's a smart player.

Thoughts on how John Stokes and Chris Marve have done, stepping in to a starting role?

BJ: It's a lot easier to say you're going to do that than getting in there and playing under the gun and being a starting linebacker in the SEC and they both played very well and are getting better every game. Chris was kind of hesitant in the first part of the Miami game and you could see him get better in the second half and he played much better against South Carolina than he did against Miami.

Thoughts on the play of the linebackers as whole?

BJ: They're pretty savvy. Patrick's had the advantage of playing a lot more, but all three of them study it just like you want your linebackers to do. You want them to anticipate what's happening and be ready to direct things out there on the field, and they're doing a good job of that even though they are young.

Talk about how pleased you are the special teams' performance through the first two games.

BJ: That was one of our goals over the offseason, to try to make our special teams better -- more sound first, and then hopefully make some big plays. The field goal block, that was just an individual effort by Greg (Billinger) getting in there, but I think that pressure and the pressure we had coming from the outside hopefully put a little bit more pressure on (Ryan) Succop on the next one that he missed.

There's always a benefit from blocking one. I think it scares them a little bit for the rest of them. And to tell you the truth, the play off of the punt was a fluke and it the South Carolina player, but our guys were very alert and jumped on it.

How did you go about improving your special teams?

BJ: We just examined each one of them. We sat down as a staff and we got the tape out and we looked at it and we've got some pretty smart coaches and when we get everybody in there and everybody gives their input on what we could do better or what they've seen before maybe at another school or another program and come up with what we want to do with our players. I think our coaches do a good job of getting our players in the right situations so they can be successful.

It was must have been pretty cool to be on the road this weekend in your Vanderbilt gear after Thursday night's victory.

BJ: It was. I'll tell you one thing that I realized even more, even though I thought I knew it, a lot of people watch ESPN. (Laughter). Going through airports. I was in the Dallas airport and people were stopping us left and right, and in Shrveport and in Nashville.

It was kind of cool, but it just goes to show you what exposure you get when you play Thursday night games, even though they're a little tougher to do. They're something we've got to be willing to do and we're pleased with the opportunity to have that this year.

Did anyone mistake you for Steve Martin?

BJ: Not a soul.

I'll have interviews with Chris Nickson, Reshard Langford and Brad Vierling up this evening so be sure to check back later.

Photo [The Tennessean]

Weekend Picks

Southern Miss (+17.5) @ Auburn: Despite last weeks thrashing of UL Louisiana, I am still not sold on that offense. Southern Miss represents a real challenge, ESPN's Bruce Feldman went as far as to pick them, and though I think Auburn will win, the Golden Eagles will keep it close.

Tulane (+30) @ Alabama: I think a bit of a letdown is to be expected from week 1 darlings Alabama. Tulane is no threat to win the game, but after last weeks emotional win in Saban's debut another big effort may be a bit much to ask.

Miami (+22.5) @ Florida: Yes, Miami is young. Yes, QB Robert Marve has never stepped on a college football field. Yes, Tim Tebow is a grown ass man. I still think this will be a closer than expected game. Randy Shannon is bringing the swagger back to the U and they certainly have the talent after last years #1 rated (ESPN) recruiting class to keep this one close.

Georgia (-24) vs. Central Michigan: The Chips feature the nations most underrated QB in Dan LeFevour, but they have always struggled when they step up in class as evidenced by losses last year at Kansas and Clemson by a combined 101 points. This years UGA squad is better than either of those teams so expect a blowout.

Mississippi (+7.5) @ Wake Forrest: Mississippi's speed will present some problems for the Deamon Deacons. Jevan Snead will only get more comfortable in his 2nd start for the Rebels as they march on towards a bowl game.

Arkansas (-13) vs. UL Monroe: UL Monroe continues its trip around the SEC West after getting blown out at Auburn last week. Bobby Petrino's team has some real problems after sqeaking by 1-AA Western Illinois last week, but I think he'll get the Razorbacks in order to beat the Warhawks by 2 TD's.

Last week 3-4, Season 3-4

Other picks I feel kinda good about.

Oklahoma (-21.5) vs. Cincinnati: As former Bearcat QB Ben Mauk tries to regain eligibility in court the still eligible guys try to gain some respect in Norman. Oklahoma's national title aspirations gain some ground here with a blowout of another BCS team.

California (-13.5) @ Washington St: Last week while Cal beat a decent Michigan St. team at home, WSU was busy getting blown out at home by Oklahoma St. Jeff Tedford made the right call in benching Nate Longshore for Kevin Riley last week and it paid big dividends with 38
points.

Last week 2-0, Season 2-0

Q&A with Bobby Johnson

Here's a recap of Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson's press conference following the Dores' 24-17 victory:

Opening statement:
"It was good to win the second one. I was very proud of our football team. I felt they played extremely hard in the second half and overcame some things in the second half. I'm just proud of the gritty effort by them to come out there and win that football game. We had several hurt and we had a bunch on the sideline for a while. I just couldn't be more proud."

On what he told the team after the game:
"I told them I was proud of them just like I'm telling ya'll. We move on from here. This I think ups the ante a little bit. We've got a responsibility now to keep playing this way, play better, get better, work hard, and hopefully we can do that."

On the win's significance:
"I have no idea right now. Hopefully we had recruits watching, we had potential ticket buyers watching, we had potential donors watching. It could mean a whole lot, but we have to follow it up. We just can't say, "Hey, we've done it." That's all it means. We've got to work hard to get ready for Rice this week and they'll present us problems so we've still got our work cut out for us big time."

On executing well when it mattered most:
In the second half we played our best football. When we had to get it done we got it done. We had some pretty tired puppies out there. Jared Hawkins ran hard, the offensive line blocked hard and the defensive line was relentless today. That's how you've got to win these kind of games. You've got to play hard the second half.

On the defensive effort in the first half:
"We sort of gave them their first seven, but after that, they got some good plays on us, but we kept fighting, kept fighting, blocked a field goal. They missed a field goal. That's why you've got to keep fighting. Just give yourself a chance to make a play or have them mess up. I think they played hard every play they were out there."

On beating Spurrier two years in a row:
"I was surprised that so many people thought it would be real hard for us to beat them. We beat them last year and I don't know why everybody thought they got so much better than what we were getting. I was glad to get out there and play the game. It was fun."

On using misdirection plays against South Carolina's quick defense:
"They were very aggressive on defense and we always have those plays in the game plan, but with a team that's going to be going hard at you, they're pretty reliable. You can get some things going."

On Stone's two sacks:
"To tell you the truth, I was watching every receiver they had to see where he was and I couldn't describe them to you if I had to right now. I looked down field. I'm an old secondary coach so I looked down field to see if we've got them covered and then I hear everyone cheering and I look back and we have him on the ground. I can't tell you much about them, but I know Steven Stone is relentless and he works extremely hard, and does exactly what you tell him to do."

On VU's blitzing:
"We had a zone pressure or full-out blitz on almost every down. Sometimes it was designed to just get the ball out. I think they started taking advantage of it in the fourth quarter, hitting some passes in the flat, but if it was third and nine and you can get them over there and tackle them and force them to punt, that's the idea."

On Nickson's play:
"I think he did a good job. He was rushed very hard all night, made some big plays for us, got us some situations where they had some great defenses called for some of the plays that we had called out of the huddle. I think he didn't try to force too many things and didn't try to do something he couldn't do so I was very pleased with the way he ran the game."

On the atmosphere:
"It was a great atmosphere here. You could hear the fans, especially the students, and it was great to have those people in the stands pulling for us. I don't know if we completely blacked it out, but we had a bunch of them there yelling for us."

On having a win like this at home:
"We talked about it before the game, that it was time to validate some of the wins we've had on the road and this is an opportunity we had. We beat Arkansas and then had them on the ropes here a couple of years ago and let them off, we had Georgia on the ropes last year and let them off. We talked about it. I don't know if it did any good, but we won. They were aware of it. Football coaches try, but they don't do a lot of motivating right before the game. It's done out there on the practice field and that's where our guys won the game this week."

On the difference in the two halves:
"Mainly it was sorting out what they were doing to us with their defense. It's a lot harder than most people think to try to change what 11 people do according to what the defense is doing. It just takes a little bit of time and then coach Cain did a great job of getting in the locker room and reformulating the game plan, and it worked."

Commodore Banter: Gameday edition

The day has finally arrived. Vanderbilt vs. South Carolina on ESPN. I don't think I've ever been more excited for a football game. Maybe it's because Erin Andrews is here. Maybe it's because it's my final SEC home opener as an undergraduate. Or maybe it's because there's some part of me that just knows Vanderbilt is going to win.

There's no question that South Carolina is out for revenge, writes Rick Scoppe for The USA Today.

"Vanderbilt probably thinks we're some slack players," said wide receiver Kenny McKinley. "They kind of ran through us last year. They probably think we're soft. We've got to let them and everybody else know that South Carolina's for real."

At the same time, don't expect the Gamecocks to take the Dores lightly, writes Brett Hait of The Nashville City Paper.

“Give Vandy credit,” Spurrier said. “They played outstanding defense, which they can do. They thoroughly beat us.”

Hait also has a number of good tidbits in his gameday notebook:

*Vanderbilt is going to know where McKinley is on the field at all times.

*South Carolina is going to try to make Chris Nickson a passer.

*USC linebackers Jasper Brinkley and Eric Norwood weigh more than 270 pounds. That's more than some Vanderbilt offensive linemen.

While we're only in week two, there's no question that this a huge game for both teams, writes The Tennessean's Mo Patton.

Patton also takes a look at how the Commodores stack up, position-by-position, with the rest of the SEC.

In addition, Patton looks at which team has the edge and predicts a 24-20 victory for South Carolina.

South Carolina is going to need to a better performance from its offensive line, writes The Tennessean's Joe Biddle.

The Post & Courier takes a look at three key matchups, including Moore vs. McKinley
and Chris Nickson vs. the USC defensive front, and predicts a 27-13 Gamecock victory.

ESPN.com's Chris Low predicts a 21-13 victory for the Gamecocks, but writes that it won't be easy.

"The Commodores are a different team when Chris Nickson's healthy, so this isn't a good time to be getting them. Chris Smelley will get his chance at quarterback for the Gamecocks, who will survive thanks to their improved defense."

Finally, here's my take on tonight's game: South Carolina's defense is very good, even for SEC standards. They're quick to the ball, they hit hard and they play with an attitude. With that said, the Gamecock offense is mediocre at best. They're starting a different quarterback, Spurrier's already complaining about his offensive line and their running game is nothing special.

You can say pretty much the same thing about Vanderbilt. The Dores defense is very talented, while the verdict is still out on their offense. So, what's gonna give?

Tonight's game is going to come down to special teams and field position. Seems obvious enough, but I think it's even more important than usual for Vanderbilt. If the Commodores can force a few USC turnovers (and capitalize on them) and then take care of the ball on offense, I truly do like their chances. Furthermore, they'll probably need a big play on special teams to put the offense in position to score.

In addition, it's worth mentioning that Vanderbilt did not show any of its trick plays or creative offensive sets against Miami (OH) so do not be surprised to see D.J. Moore, Sean Walker and even Jamie Graham used in double reverses, end arounds, etc.

Just putting together this post has gotten me fired up. Chris Nickson said earlier this week that games like this are why players come to Vanderbilt. Well, games like this are also why I chose to attend Vanderbilt. It doesn't get much better than this.

Prediction: Vanderbilt 24, South Carolina 20

McKinley excited for matchup with Moore

South Carolina wide receiver Kenny McKinley has not forgotten about the comments Vanderbilt cornerback D.J. Moore made following the Commodores' 17-6 victory a year ago.

Moore, who's generally as modest and respectful as they come, called the Gamecocks receivers an "average" group. Not exactly fightin' words, but since athletes love to feel disrespected, it should come as no surprise to learn that McKinley is still upset.

Here's the exchange McKinley had with South Carolina media members on Monday when asked about Moore (via Stalking Darrin Horn):

McKinley: “He’s pretty good. He’s all right. I think he’s a good player.”

Reporter No. 1 (laughing): “You don’t seem to be giving him too much credit.”

McKinley: “He’s a pretty good player.”

Reporter No. 2: “That’s it? A lot of people think he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the SEC, if not THE best.”

McKinley: “I haven’t played against every cornerback in the SEC. I think he’s a good player though.”

Reporter No. 1: “You lined up against him last year, right?”

McKinley: “Yeah, he’s a pretty good player.”

At this point almost everyone was laughing, including McKinley.

McKinley: “Y’all want me to say something about him. I think he’s a good player. That’s all I can say.”

Then it got to the nub.

McKinley: “After they beat us, he was like, we’re just an average group of receivers, we weren’t all that good, this and that. He’s a pretty good player. Hopefully we’ve got (something) for him this week.”

Reporter No. 3: “Did you go out and cut out that quote for this week?”

McKinley: “Nah, I just go out and play. I feel like if I play my game then –"

He thought a second.

"He’s a good player.”

I'd love to hear what McKinley has to say if Moore picks off two more passes tomorrow night...

Also, make sure to check out The State's Seth Emerson's terrific feature on Moore, a South Carolina native.

Moore always wanted to be a Gamecock, but South Carolina did not offer him until late in the recruiting process, well after he had committed to Vanderbilt. Moore was torn, but ultimately decided to stick with the Commodores. The rest, as they say, is history.

A few nuggets from the story:

*Football might have been Moore’s third-best sport at Broome High School. He was a three-time all-state selection in basketball (I've played against him at the rec and I'm telling you the dude can flat-out ball) and also a state-champion high jumper.

“By far, yes,” said Broome's Quay Farr, when asked if Moore was the best athlete he has coached.

*Somehow, Moore went virtually unnoticed in the recruiting process. He received offers from Wofford and Furman before Vanderbilt, after a long evaluation, offered him for football.

The Vanderbilt coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for identifying players like Moore, along with others, who fly under the radar of other SEC school.

*Moore is acquaintances with many USC players, including wide receivers Freddie Brown and Moe Brown.

“You could tell he’s one special player, and he gets after it real well," said Moe Brown. "He works hard, and he’s just a phenomenal athlete. His whole demeanor just speaks to success.”

Dores plan to make history at home

Chris Nickson has seen the Commodores silence Rocky Top in 2005, win in the hedges in 2006 and pull off the upset in Columbia in 2007.

But, after four years, Nickson is still waiting to watch West End go wild after a home victory, which is why the senior quarterback could not hold back his excitement when discussing Thursday night’s home opener against South Carolina.

“That’s why every player on our team came to Vanderbilt – to have this experience,” Nickson said. “We finally have an opportunity to fill out our stadium, something we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. We finally have the support system. We finally have the fan base.

“This is what you play for. This is the life of SEC football, and we’ve been waiting for Vanderbilt to get there a long time.”

While Nickson said he will treat the game like any other, he knows that in many ways, it is not.

“I think it will be tremendous for the community just to start the season off right,” he said. “We already have one win under our belt and it wouldn’t hurt anything for us to get another one, especially in the SEC. For me personally, I haven’t beat South Carolina as a starting quarterback and it’s something that I look forward to, and I hope to take advantage of my last opportunity.”

Nickson isn’t the only one who’s counting down the minutes until the Commodores run onto Dudley Field for the first time this year.

“I probably won’t sleep much (Wednesday night),” said senior wide receiver Sean Walker, “but I know I need my sleep for the game. I’m just ready.”

They all are, and how could they not? The lights will be on, the ESPN cameras will be rolling, the entire nation will be watching – it’s a football player’s dream.

At the same time, Walker knows that the Gamecocks will be ready too.

“It’s definitely on their mind,” Walker said of Vanderbilt’s 17-6 victory of the then-No. 6 South Carolina. “They’re coming in here with a vengeance just trying to take over our stadium like we did their stadium last year, but we’re not going to let that happen.”

Nickson agreed.

“I feel like we’re a team on their list to beat, and they probably want to beat us pretty bad if they can because of last year and kind of prove themselves to their community as a great team in the SEC this year,” he said. “The way we handle that and the way we look at is we just want to bring our best game and let whatever happens from there take care of itself.”

Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson sees it the same way. It’s the second game of the season against a quality SEC opponent, and he refuses to treat it as anything more than that.

“I've said it probably a thousand times: there is no hump,” Johnson said. “We won't get over a hump if we beat South Carolina. We're still going to have to play good the next week to win.

“Yeah, it'd be a nice win, a real nice win, but I don't think it's going to put us on an extra-special place where everybody says, 'Vanderbilt has arrived.' You have to always go at it every week."

Johnson’s players feel the same way. Still, it’s impossible not to think about what the campus would look like after a victory on Thursday.

“I think it’d be good because we’ve had some huge wins on the road, but our fans really haven’t had a chance to see many of those firsthand,” said safety Ryan Hamilton, a redshirt junior.”I think it’ll be really exciting, being our first home game, to start the season off right at home with a big win like that.”

And as much as it would mean to the fans, it’d matter most to the players, who have been running sprints, lifting weights, watching film and studying the playbook for months – all for moments like this one.

“Man, if we win this game right here, everybody on this campus would just be so happy,” Walker said, “but more importantly, it would be the team. It’s been us since the beginning.”

Vanderbilt Football Notebook: Press Conference Highlights

Just got back from Bobby Johnson's weekly press conference at McGugin as the Commodores prepare for their home opener Thursday night against South Carolina (7:30 p.m. CT, ESPN). Here are 16 things we we learned:

1. Johnson had no problem with Chris Nickson running as much as he did against Miami (Ohio).

"I think everybody has a little bit of a misconception that he just pulled the ball down and ran it all the time," Johnson said. "Most of those runs were designed plays and the offensive line did a great job of executing on those plays and did some great blocks and he took advantage of it. He did scramble some, but nearly as much as everyone thinks."

Asked if he was pleased with his offensive performance, Johnson did not hesitate.

"Sure," he said. "I think if we had to throw it more, we would've had a good chance of doing it, but we were running the ball and had the lead, had some big plays to get the lead, and I don't care who you're playing against, you play to win the game, not to get more yards. We were trying to run out the clock, to tell you the truth."

Furthermore, Johnson is not overly concerned about Nickson getting injured.

"I think he got hurt last year in the pocket so I don't it's that big of a concern," he said. "We know we have to run the quarterback some, we've got to do it to stay competitive and it gives us a chance for some big plays.

"And then we've got three other guys that we feel like can go in there if he gets dinged up or has to come out for a few plays or has to come out for the rest of the game. Chris is stout. If you look at him on the field, you don't realize how stout of an athlete he is. He's a big guy and he can hold his own, but obviously we don't want to get him hit."

2. Johnson dismissed the notion that a home victory over South Carolina would mean much for the program.

"I don't know if this is signature or not. It's the second game, that's the way we're treating it," he said. "We're playing South Carolina, a quality opponent. I've said it probably a thousand times: there is no hump. We won't get over a hump if we beat South Carolina.

"We're going to have to play good the next week to win. I don't care who it is, we have to play well. Yeah, it'd be a nice win, a real nice win, but I don't think it's going to put us on an extra-special place where everybody says, 'Vanderbilt has arrived.' You have to always go at it every week."

I agree with Johnson to an extent. But, at the same time, you can't deny that beating a Steve Spurrier-coached team on national television in front of your home crowd would be huge, especially when every big win over the past three years has come on the road and when the next two games are very winnable (Rice and Ole Miss).

3. Vanderbilt hopes to build off of last season's 17-6 victory in Columbia.

"We did play well (last year)," Johnson said. "We were really executing well on defense and putting some pressure on South Carolina's offense. Then when we got the ball away from them, our offense capitalized several times and got just enough points.

"We were upset. We thought we should have beat Georgia the week before and we had something to prove and our guys went down there and just played hard. I was proud of their effort that day."

4. That D.J. Moore kid is pretty good.

"He just knows how to play football," Johnson said. "It's just a knack he has to know where the ball's going to be. He had an interception, he had a sack, a long punt return right after the sack, he tackled well. He can do it all. He's different than most of them I've ever seen. He's a lot of fun to have on your football team I know that."

5. And Myron Lewis isn't bad, either.

"Myron has gotten better and better every game, and he did a fantastic job in man coverage versus Miami and allowed us to run some defenses where we could get some people in the box and stop the run," Johnson said. "Probably people don't notice Myron as much because of D.J., but he's a good player and he's a physical specimen, probably 6'2" 200 and something pounds, and can run.

"He not only did it on defense, he did it on the punt return. He's manning that gunner up on the outside and kept him from making the tackle so he's becoming a complete player."

6. Vanderbilt's secondary is going to be tested on Thursday.

"I hope they're pumped up. They're going to need to be pumped up because they're going to be tested, there's no doubt about it," Johnson said. "South Carolina has excellent schemes, excellent receivers. Kenny McKinley and (Dion) LeCorn and all those guys can light you up so we've got to be ready to play, but that's usually the case every week."

7. The Commodores could care less who starts at quarterback for South Carolina.

"We've got our defensive scheme and we stick to it," Johnson said. "We're playing faster now, we're playing more aggressive, we're bringing more pressure and I think it's paid off for us.

"We're going to continue to do the same things no matter who the quarterback is, and I think especially with coach Spurrier, you're playing against his offense, not necessarily the quarterback."

8. Vanderbilt hopes to take advantage of South Carolina's offensive line, which has been criticized heavily by Spurrier.

"Our first line has been playing pretty well," Johnson said. "We don't have a lot of guys after who have played in games and been productive, so it just depends on how long we can last in there and if they get any better or we get any better. That certainly will be a key spot because if they're going to pass the ball, we've got to get pressure on them."

9. South Carolina's defense is legit.

Johnson said he was very impressed with the Gamecocks in their season-opening victory over North Carolina State.

"You can see they play with a lot of confidence," he said. "They get up and they play a lot of man, and they crowd the line of scrimmage, and their defensive line is going to be very aggressive. They get up field.

"We had a little bit of problem with that last week with people getting penetration so it's certainly be a challenge for our offense to meet that intensity that they have on defense."

10. In addition to middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, Johnson said the Gamecocks feature several "star-quality people on defense," including:

*Strong safety Emanuel Cook

"Emanuel Cook might be one of the best tacklers I've ever seen in football," he said. "He does a form tackle every time, and people break through the line sometimes and when they run down there about five yards and boom, he's got them on the ground. He's tough."

*Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn

"He is a great cover corner and a dangerous kick returner," he said.

*Linebacker Eric Norwood

"Norwood is sort of like D.J. Moore," Johnson said. "If the ball's somewhere, you can find Norwood there."

11. Johnson is pleased with the performance of Vanderbilt's two specialists, Bryant Hahnfeldt and Brett Upson.

"I was glad to see Bryant knock those two field goals through there with ease. And Brett, we weren't really concerned about his sickness anymore."

Then, Johnson couldn't help but throw a jab at Upson.

"He was over it and to tell the truth, it doesn't take three or four weeks to get a punter ready to play," he said. "Once he got well, he was OK."

12. Vanderbilt is hurting at wide receiver.

"Oh yeah, we've lost Earl Bennett for one. Ya'll remember him," Johnson said. "And then Alex Washington gets hurt the first day of spring practice and then George Smith as a stress fracture before the year starts and then John Cole hurts his meniscus last week and he's going to be out probably for the rest of the year.

"So those are four guys that we could possibly have available on our football team that I think would make a huge difference. So yes, a big yes."

Smith is probably at least one week away from returning.

"George is getting better every day and if you asked Dr. George Smith, he'll tell you that he's ready to go but he's not," Johnson said. "The worst thing that could happen to George is us trying to bring him back early and then he gets re-injured and he can't play for the rest of the year, and that's a possibility if you try to rush that stress fracture injury."

13. Johnson likes the idea of playing on Thursday night...and knows that Vanderbilt students enjoy tailgating.

"Hopefully all the students will be out there. It'll be a night game. They'll go to class and start their partying early enough to get out for the kickoff," he said. "It's 7:30, right? So that ought to be late enough for them to get out there and hopefully it'll be a great atmosphere and I think that's great for our program.

"I think the stadium looks fantastic right now so hopefully we'll get a little exposure there. It's fun," Johnson added. "But, to tell you the truth, I'll be glad to get on the Saturday schedule next week because with our academic schedule here, Thursday night games are tough. It's not that bad to have one every once in a while, but when you have two in a row, it's pretty tough."

14. Playing on Thursday allows the coaching staff to go on the road and evaluate recruits over the weekend.

"We can go out Friday and they'll be a lot of games we can go see," Johnson said. "The two hurricanes might affect us a little bit. It normally would be a day that we can get on some planes and go long distances, maybe to Louisiana or Florida and get some evaluations that we couldn't get during the year so we'll just have to watch the weather and see how we do, but we'll try to take advantage of it."

15. Johnson couldn't help but make fun of fellow SEC coach Nick Saban.

When asked if Johnson was on the road last weekend, he said, "No, because the evaluation period didn't start until this week. You couldn't go out. That would be against the rules."

Then, Johnson got the room laughing when he asked the reporter, "Did you see anybody else out?"

The Tennessean's Joe Biddle replied with "Nick Saban," to which a smiling Johnson said, "Yea, I think he was."

Great stuff.

16. It's not easy to prepare for a Steve Spurrier offense.

"He tries to get the matchup he wants and you try to prevent that matchup from happening," Johnson said. "It's a little bit of give and take there, cat and mouse, whatever you want to call it."

"Is it best for us to execute what we know best or is it best for us to change?" Johnson said. "And that's why coaches spend all night watching film and get up early the next morning and watch some more."

That's all I've got for now, but make sure to check back later for Q&A's with Chris Nickson, Sean Walker and Ryan Hamilton.

Weekend Picks

The first week is always difficult to read. It's hard to tell who's made how much improvement during the off season. So that's my excuse when all these are wrong.
SEC
Mississippi (-7.5) vs. Memphis: The Rebels' season depends on Jevan Snead. Is he the guy that was once a top recruit or have the two years off hurt him? He should start out the season with a relatively easy win against a Memphis team that still hasn't recovered from DeAngelo Williams leaving two years ago.
Louisiana Tech (+8) vs. Mississippi State: I don't really know a whole lot about Tech other than Karl Malone went there, but I am not a MSU believer this year. QB Wesley Carroll was unimpressive enough in camp that JUCO Tyson Lee is likely to get some snaps. 2 QB systems almost never work and I don't think MSU can score enough to cover.
Florida (-34.5) vs. Hawaii: Hawaii didn't travel to the mainland well when it had stars like Colt Brennan and Timmy Chang, no reason to expect things to improve now that they are without a star QB for the first time in awhile.
Clemson (-4.5) vs. Alabama (at Atlanta): Clemson's yearly collapse isn't scheduled for another eight weeks so for now expect them to play the part of the national player they're hyped up to be.
UL Louisiana (+26) @ Auburn: I think Auburn will win this one quite easily, but 26 seems high to me for a team who also has some real questions at quarterback.
Louisville (-3.5) vs. Kentucky: Brian Brohm may be gone, but Hunter Cantwell is pretty good himself and should be good enough at home to beat a bad UK team by more than a FG.
Tennessee (-7.5) @ UCLA (Monday Night): I am a big UT believer this year and I think they'll use the national spotlight as a showcase. UCLA probably has more QB problems than any other team in the country with both their starter and backup out due to injury.
Other picks I feel kinda good about:
Missouri (-8.5) vs. Illinois (at St. Louis): The Border War has traditionally been a bigger deal on the basketball court, but recent successes by both teams have made the football field the newest home for battle for bragging rights. I think Missouri is for real and Illinois will badly miss Rashard Mendenhall.
Northwestern (-11.5) vs. Syracuse: Orange head coach Greg Robinson will be extremely lucky to survive the year. I'm not predicting big things for the Wildcats this year, but SU is going to be awful yet again. As a side note, I love the under of 56 in this game.

Live Blog: Vanderbilt at Miami (Ohio)

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

We're finally back for another season of college football and man, does it feel great. I'll be here providing commentary throughout the contest so be sure to hit that refresh button. Feel free to leave questions and comments below.

6:40: It's amazing what a healthy Chris Nickson can do. He just ran for a big gain on third down to keep the drive going.

6:41: And just like that, Jeff Jennings fumbles. Not how you want to start to the season.

6:44: It's now Miami (OH) 3, Vanderbilt 0 after the Redhawks took advantage of the Commodores' turnover.

6:47: Unsurprisingly, Miami (OH) is kicking away from D.J. Moore. Can't say I blame them.

6:49: Huge third-down catch by Justin Wheeler, who managed to withstand a big hit.

6:51: Two big plays in a row for Nickson. First, he rolled out and found tight end Brandon Barden for a nine-yard gain and then hooked up with Sean Walker for a big gain.

6:53: Touchdown Vanderbilt! Nickson found Walker in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal from the five-yard line. It's now 7-3 Vanderbilt. It's early, but you can't help but be impressed with Nickson, who has looked calm and confident and showed nice touch on a number of throws. Also, George Smith wasn't kidding when he said that Sean Walker poised for a big year.

6:58: After recording six interceptions a year ago, D.J. Moore came up with his first pick of 2008, giving the Commodores great field position.

7:02: Vanderbilt went three-and-out, but Bryant Hahnfeldt nailed a 42-yard field goal to put the Commodores ahead 10-3 midway through the first quarter.

7:08: Like always, third downs are going to be critical in tonight's contest. Miami (OH) just converted on third-and-four to keep its drive going.

7:11: How can you not love D.J. Moore, arguably the most versatile player in college football? After coming up with a sack on a third down, he just returned a punt 91 yards down to the one-yard line.

He now has one interception, one sack, one forced fumbled and a 91-yard punt in less than one quarter. Not too bad.

7:17: It's now 17-3 Vanderbilt after Chris Nickson leaped over the pile from one-yard out, although after looking at the replay, it looks like the Commodores might have gotten a break. Regardless, Vanderbilt has to be pleased with its first-quarter performance.

7:24: A few first-quarter stats

Nickson: 6-for-9, 73 yards, 1 TD
VU: 4-for-5 on a third down
Sean Walker: 2 catches, 53 yards, 1 TD
VU rushing: 11 yards on 10 carries

7:25: Vanderbilt's secondary is living up to the hype tonight. Cornerback Myron Lewis came up with an interception a the first play of the second quarter. Lewis may not get as much hype as Mr. Moore, but he might be just as talented.

7:28: Vanderbilt's drive stalled as the offensive line failed to give Nickson any time to throw on third-and-four. However, it was encouraging to see tailback Gaston Miller rush for 17 yards on four carries. He adds a new dimension to the Commodores' running game.

7:37: We've got ourselves a ball game. The elusive Eugene Harris just caught a 30-yard touchdown to cut Vanderbilt's lead in half. It's now 17-10 Vanderbilt with 6:58 remaining in the first half.

7:45: I'll say it again: When healthy, Chris Nickson has to chance to be a special player. He just took off for 59yards on a designed quarterback draw. Let's see if the Commodores can convert inside the red zone.

7:47: Nickson just put the Commodores ahead 24-10 after scoring from 14 yards out. Nickson made a beautiful read on the QB draw, taking it to the outside after setting up his blocks. The redshirt senior has now rushed for 79 yards on 10 carries and two scores and completed six of 10 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.

7:58: Safety Ryan Hamilton just dropped a sure interception, but Vanderbilt forced Miami (OH) to punt nonetheless. With 2:21 remaining in the half, let's see if Vanderbilt can get on the board again.

8:04: Nickson just took off for a big gain on the third down as the Commodores seek to score before the half.

8:08: Hahnfeldt just kicked a 32-yard field goal to give Vanderbilt a 27-10 lead with 14 seconds remaining in the first half. Nickson has now rushed for 121 yards on 12 carries.

8:25: Great 30 minutes for the Commodores. Here are a few key half-time stats:

Total yards: VU (218), MU (181)
Passing yards: VU (73), MU (113)
Rushing yards: VU (145), MU (68)
Penalties: VU (1-for-15), MU (4-for-35)
Turnovers: VU (1), MU (2)
Third-down conversion: VU (6-for-9), MU (2-for-6)

Key Players
Chris Nickson: 6-for-12, 73 yards, 1 TD; 12 carries for 121 yards, 2 TDs
D.J. Moore: 1 INT, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 91-yard punt return

9:00: Not much to report on this half. Nathan Parseghianjust kicked a 30-yard field goal to cut Vanderbilt's lead to 14 with a little over six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

9:05: Here's my one complaint with Chris Nickson tonight: when he leaves the pocket, he has chosen to hold onto the football and take a loss instead of simply throwing it out of bounds.

9:07: Jamie Graham just got...JACKED UP! I love the fact that he just bounced right back up.

9:08: Props to Andrew Barge, a contributor here on The Sports VU, for representing Vanderbilt well on the sidelines in an interview with ESPNU. Well done, Bargo!

9:40: Jared Hawkins just scored from four yards out to give Vanderbilt a 34-13 lead with 5:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, effectively putting the game out of reach. Encouraging to see the Commodores close out a game in a style.

9:57: Josh Allen just came down with a sweet interception in the end zone to preserve Vanderbilt's 34-13 victory. And that wraps it up from here. Check back tomorrow morning for extended coverage from the guys here at The Sports VU. Have a great night, everyone. Be safe.

Catching up with George Smith and Reshard Langford

Following coach Bobby Johnson's press conference, I had a chance to catch up with captains George Smith and Reshard Langford as they count down the hours until the Commodores' season opener Thursday night at Miami of Ohio.

GEORGE SMITH

Address how the receiving corps looks in your absence.
GS: We’re strong in the receiving corps. Sean Walker has become one of the biggest vocal leaders I’ve ever seen. He’s got a world of confidence.

It's been reported that Sean Walker has had a great camp, even staying after practice to run routes.
GS: Something like that, staying after practice, is a ritual for receivers. Sean has been working hard. Ever since I went down, I think he knew in his head that he had to step up and be a vocal leader and lead by example.

What should we expect from Jamie Graham?
GS: We don’t like at him like a young guy. He’s played basketball and played in front of big crowds and that gives us a lot of confidence knowing that he can perform under pressure.

Do you think playing basketball helps with football?
GS: I think anybody who’s played on TV or played with games on the line, that definitely has to be taken into effect.

What will it be like to watch from the sidelines on Thursday?
GS: I’m going to be the biggest cheerleader on Thursday and that’s not a tough job for me.

You have to be careful not to hurt the foot again.
GS: I’ve got the one hop on lock. I’m looking forward to cheering on my teammates and making sure that they can do the best that they can do on Thursday.

How has it been preparing for two quarterbacks?
GS: I think it’s a great luxury. Both of them are well-prepared and I think I, along with the rest of the team, have confidence in both of them. Both of them have been in big games and made big plays and that’s exciting to know that you have two quarterbacks capable of winning games.

Who are some guys that you think are in store for a big year?
GS: Jamie Graham, Casey Hayward, a lot of guys on the offensive line...And, how can I forget my No. 1 step-up guy, Chris Marve. I'm looking for a great season out of him. He’s not going to be a freshman, especially after the first game.

Talk about the growth of the program in your time here.
GS: I think this is the fastest team I’ve ever seen, fastest defense I’ve ever seen, and that’s exciting because I get to go against them. That makes me better.

You face both D.J. Moore and Myron Lewis on a daily basis. While D.J. gets a lot of the hype, how do they compare?
GS: Myron is just as good, 6’2", 6’3", 190 (pounds), long arms, can steer you any direction he wants you to.

RESHARD LANGFORD

How excited are you for the season to start?
RL: We’re just ready to go out and play. We’ve been talking about it all season, changing this program, changing things around here. We’re just ready to go play.

How much sleep do you expect to get this week?
RL: I didn’t sleep much last night. But I’m going to sleep, and do what I have to do to prepare myself to get ready for this game.

What will it take for the defense to be as good or better than it was last year?
RL: I feel like playing defense is all about will and how much do you not want the other team to score or complete a pass on you or run the ball on you, and I think we’ve got that. We can be just as good or better than we were last year.

What's the biggest question mark you have with your defense?
RL: I don’t have any question marks at all. I think we’ll go in confident, ready to play, we’ll play hard from start to finish.

What impresses you most about Chris Marve?
RL: His attitude about the game. He loves the game. I enjoy when he’s out on the field, I enjoy all my guys out there. Just his intensity, his love for the game, his spirit about it, is just amazing.

How much different is it being a senior?
RL: It’s a little different. I have a lot more knowledge. I know what’s going on. I can see things differently than some other players might see things. It makes the game a lot easier and it slows it down for me.

Vanderbilt football notebook

Just got back from Vanderbilt's first weekly press conference and here's a look at what we learned from coach Bobby Johnson.

And the quarterback is...

As expected, Johnson did not say whether Chris Nickson and Mackenzi Adams would get the nod in Thursday's season opener at Miami of Ohio.

"We’ve got another important day of practice today and we’ll probably make a decision right after that," Johnson said.

Tonight's practice could be critical in determining the starter.

"We’re going to put them up against Miami of Ohio’s defense out there as best we can show it, and we’re going to make reads today and we’re going to make decisions today and we’re going to throw the ball today," Johnson said.

While Johnson did not plan to wait this long to name a starter, he said he is not surprised given the two quarterbacks' similarities.

"I kind of thought it would come this way because I think, again, they’re very capable," he said. "Both guys have done it in the past, both guys have played extremely well for us in the past, and I expected it to be a tough battle."

"I think both guys know they’re capable of running our offense, and they’ve done it before, and they’re both very confident," Johnson added.

Johnson said he plans to stick with a starter during the regular season, since it's important that one quarterback receives the majority of reps in practice. At the same time, he added that they're going to be prepared for all four quarterbacks to play.

"I think that’s the luxury that we have with two quarterbacks, and actually all four," Johnson said. "We don’t have to have a separate game plan for any of them. We can get them in the game and they can execute our game plan without having to make any major changes."

Vandy won't underestimate opponent

Johnson knows his squad isn't going to take Miami lightly, even with South Carolina on the horizon.

"Anybody on our schedule can beat us and we can beat anybody on our schedule," he said. "We have to plan to play well, and that’s what we’ve been preaching to our guys, all the little things – taking care of the ball, no penalties, be great on special teams – we’ve got to be good at right off the bat."

"I don’t care who they are, what conference they’re in, they’re tough," Johnson said. "I think it’s been proven a bunch here in the last few years that anybody can beat anybody. Appalachian (State)-Michigan, Louisiana whoever (Monroe) beating Alabama, it’s hard to win games. You’ve got to be ready to go every week."

Thursday night trade off

The fact that Vanderbilt plays back-to-back Thursday night games on ESPNU and ESPN, respectively, to start the season does not come without a price.

"Two Thursday night games really makes you think it out a little bit," Johnson said. "We’re running around saying, ‘Well today is Monday but it’s actually Wednesday’ and the next thing you know you think it’s Christmas. It is different, especially now that school has started."

Different does not necessarily mean bad, Johnson said.

"It’s not that bad if you do a little planning," he said. "We’ll have to practice next weekend. Saturday, you think you’re playing, but no, you’re not playing, you’re practicing. But, we appreciate the opportunity to go out and play two Thursday games and be on ESPNU this week and ESPN the next week. That is exposure for our program and we’re willing to pay the price of doing that."

Three more observations

1. Regarding the offensive line, Johnson said, "I think we’re more athletic there and hopefully that’s going to mean that as soon as we get those guys some experience, we’ll be just as good or better on the offensive line.

2. Johnson is expecting big things from running back Gaston Miller, who redshirted last season after playing sparingly as a true freshman in 2006. "Over that time, he’s gotten stronger, he’s improved his pass protection, he’s just as fast," Johnson said.

3. A number of true freshmen will contribute on Thursday: wide receiver Jon Cole, safety Sean Richardson, cornerback Casey Hayward and defensive tackles Ryan Seymour and Rob Lohr.

Week 1 Depth Chart

Here's a look at Vanderbilt's depth chart heading into the final week of preseason practice:

OFFENSE

QB: Chris Nickson or Mackenzi Adams
RB: Jeff Jennings or Jared Hawkins
Z WR: Sean Walker
Chris Reinert
X WR: Jamie Graham or Udom Umoh
S WR: Justin Wheeler
John Cole
TE: Austin Monahan
Jake Bradford or Brandon Barden
LT: Reilly Lauer
Kyle Fischer
LG: Ryan Custer
Drew Gardner
C: Bradley Vierling
Joey Bailey
RG: Joey Bailey
Nick Forte
RT: Thomas Welch
Eric Hensley

DEFENSE

DE: Steven Stone
Teriall Brannon
DT: Greg Billinger
Ryan Seymour or Rob Lohr
DT: Adam Smotherman
T.J. Greestone
DE: Broderick Stewart
Theron Kadri
SLB: John Stokes
Brent Trice
MLB: Chris Marve
Chris Johnson
WLB: Patrick Benoist
Nathan Campbell
CB: D.J. Moore
Josh Allen
SS: Reshard Langford
Sean Richardson
FS: Ryan Hamilton
Joel Caldwell
CB: Myron Lewis
Casey Hayward
NB: Darlron Spead
Jared Fagan

SPECIALISTS
PK: Bryant Hahnfeldt
SN: John Stokes
H: Mackenzi Adams
KO: Bryant Hahnfeldt

KR: D.J. Moore and Sean Walker
PR: D.J. Moore and Sean Walker
P: Brett Upson

Pre-Season Football Predictions...

I just thought that I would post a few questions/predictions to The Sports VU readers about this coming football season to get some conversation going.

1) Who are you most looking forward to seeing this year: Jamie Graham

2) Who will emerge this year and surprise people: Jared Hawkins

3) Who are we going to beat: Rice, Duke, Kentucky, South Carolina

a) Number of wins: 4
b) Biggest Win: South Carolina
c) Worst Loss: Miami (OH)

4) Will D.J. leave for the NFL after this season? Yes

5) Freshman that will have the biggest impact: Ryan Seymour (DT)

6) Freshman you are most looking forward to seeing: John Cole

7) Biggest Concern: QB play. Our season depends on it.

8) What do you think is our team's biggest strength this year: I know most will say DBs, but I will say WRs.

9) Best home game atmosphere: Auburn

10) Offensive MVP for the season: Jared Hawkins

11) Defensive MVP for the season: Broderick Stewart (D.J. Moore is too easy)

12) Most Improved Player (Offense): Justin Wheeler

13) Most Improved Player (Defense): Greg Billinger

14) Surprise Team in the SEC: Ole Miss

15) Road games you plan to attend: Georgia, Ole Miss.

16) Game you are most excited to see: Georgia. They could be No. 1, and I have never been to UGA. For a home game, I would have to say South Carolina because I think we will win, and it is on ESPN.

If anyone thinks of any other questions, feel free to add them. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's responses.

Football Notebook: Day 1 Highlights

A look back at the top stories from the Commodores' first day of camp.

1. Fans are going to love Jamie Graham, who's switching from defensive back to wide receiver, writes The Tennessean's Mo Patton.

"I think I can come in and bring that 'fast' mentality to the offense," Graham said, who provided one of the top practice highlights, leaping high between defenders Jared Fagan and Brent Trice to haul in a deep sideline pass from QB Chris Nickson in an early 11-on-11 drill.

"My personality on the football field is a lot more aggressive than it is on the basketball court," he added. "My intensity goes up in football, a whole lot. In basketball, it's high. In football, it'll be out of control."

Johnson agrees.

"Anybody that saw him play in high school would know — he had some unbelievable plays where people couldn't hem him up," Johnson said. "I think he's going to give us an unknown dimension, one that people are going to be fired up about."

2. Few players are more geeked about starting a new season than Chris Nickson, writes ESPN.com's Chris Low.

"I embrace this opportunity more than anything, especially with it being my last year," he said. "I look at it as another opportunity to show the world what you're made of and who you really are deep down inside. I plan to play every down that way."

Johnson said Nickson and Mackenzi Adams will compete for the starting job throughout camp.

"I've got to win the job, and that's how it should be," he said. "When I'm healthy, I feel like I can conquer the world and control the game. It changes things when you don't have to worry about being injured. It allows me to be me and play at a level that I expect."

3. Junior safety Brent Trice has moved to strongside linebacker, reports Brett Hait of The Nashville City Paper.

Coach Bobby Johnson was looking for a way to get Trice on the field and said Trice can be a "hybrid" type of player who is big enough to play linebacker and quick enough to drop back into coverage. He's been playing behind safety Reshard Langford.

4. Hait noted that starting defensive end Steven Stone played some at defensive tackle as the Commodores look to add depth inside.

Doster suspended for season

Redshirt freshman Jermaine Doster was suspended for the entire season by coach Bobby Johnson for violation of team rules, stemming from his arrest two weeks ago for disorderly conduct and two other misdemeanors, Mo Patton from the Tennessean reports.

I'm a little surprised by the harshness of the punishment, but there's no doubt Doster got the message. Johnson holding Doster accountable for his actions should also send shockwaves through the rest of the team to remind them that playing D-1 football is a privilege, and unruly behavior of that magnitude that reflects poorly on the team will not be tolerated.

What do you all think of the suspension? Too harsh? Just right?

Vanderbilt Football Preview: LB Breakdown

The Sports VU's position-by-position football preview continues today with a breakdown of Vanderbilt's linebacker corps. In case you missed it, here's what we've looked at so far:

QB Breakdown
RB Breakdown
WR Breakdown
TE Breakdown
OL Breakdown
DL Breakdown

STRENGTHS: Intelligence and intensity. The versatile junior Patrick Benoist is as competitive as they come and should thrive in his second year as a starter on the outside. Redshirt freshman Chris Marve is the total package, combining great speed and instincts, which is why coach Bobby Johnson said he has a "great chance" to start in the middle. The other starter will be sophomore John Stokes, who is already drawing comparisons to former VU great Hunter Hillenmeyer. "A big rangy guy who can run, but also just extremely smart," Johnson said. "Knows the defense already. Can do anything for you." The Dores also have depth, with Brandon Bryant and Nate Campbell on the outside and Chris Johnson in the middle, along with true freshman DeAndre Jones.

WEAKNESSES: Experience. You can't lose Jonathan Goff and Marcus Buggs and expect to better, at least not right away. Stokes and Marve have the potential to be as good, if not better, down the road, but they're still young. The good thing is that these guys are all students of the game who are constantly looking to improve.

TOP QUESTIONS: How will the hard-hitting Brandon Bryant factor into the equation after an injury-plagued '07? Will Marve be able to replace Goff as the quarterback of the defense? Is Stokes ready to replace the extremely underrated Buggs on the outside? Will Jones see action as a true freshman? With a thin defensive line, how will this unit hold up against the run, in particular?

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Vanderbilt might as well be called "Linebacker U." The Dores consistently recruit big-time players at the position and this year is no exception. Marve appears to be a stud, while Benoist has proven that he can play at the SEC level. I love the fact that Benoist went undefeated and won two state titles as a two-year starter at Carroll, the No. 1 team in the nation. Stokes was one of just three true freshman to play last season and has a chance to be a special player. Throw in Bryant, who battled Benoist for the starting job last fall, along with Johnson, Campbell and potentially Jones, and you have a deep and talented unit. They may struggle somewhat early on, but I'd expect them to improve dramatically as the season progresses.