Midterm Evaluation Time
by VandyImport on Oct 19, 2011 6:41 PM EDT
in Vanderbilt Commodores Football
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Print(This is a legit post that I already had in draft and not at all a way to push that picture down the page. YIKES.)
So here we are, sitting at 3-3 coming into the Army game for Homecoming. I think we are sitting exactly where most folks expected us to be - winning the first three at home and then dropping two tough road games. As for the Georgia game, I think most people would say it was a competitive loss, certainly more so than the two preceding it - and in all three games, a touchdown in the last minute of the first half obscures a pretty good 29 minutes of football in adverse conditions. But still, despite the three-game losing streak, a .500 record at the halfway mark is about as good a result as we could have hoped for back in December when we were first introduced to our rookie coach.
It's worthwhile to consider the quality of our wins, too. While we always should have beaten Elon - and the performance of their stud receiver made that a lot scarier than it ought to have been - the way in which we won the other two was a clear demonstration that things have changed. Against UConn, we took their best shot, rallied, and came back to take charge of the game. Against Ole Miss, once we got rolling, we never took our foot off the gas and very nearly delivered a beatdown for the ages; at the very least, we may well add Houston Nutt to the collection of "coaches who lost their job because of Vanderbilt."
What else? We certainly miss Warren Norman, but Zac Stacy and Jerrod Seymour are certainly doing their best to take up the slack. Next year, with Norman back and Brian Kimbrow in the fold…the possible speed we could deploy next year would be unprecedented in our history. Quarterbacking…it looks like most of Dores Nation has settled on Rodgers, and I don't doubt he will probably see the bulk of snaps Saturday. Regardless of how you feel about Larry Smith, his nagging injury problems alone will probably make him the second option going forward. I suspect that the arrival of Austyn Carta-Samuels (from my wife's arch-rival high school, no less) will complicate matters, as will the presence of redshirt freshman/recruiting coordinator Josh Grady.
Defense…what can you say? Fifteen interceptions. The legacy of Corey Chavous and DJ Moore is safe in the hands of Heyward and Wilson, and Heyward's change-up power on offense has bailed us out of more than one sticky situation this year. Chris Marve is exactly what we expected, Tim Fugger is a bad mo--oh I can't even. Anyway, Tim is a BAD BAD MAN behind the line of scrimmage. Guys are stepping up and doing work.
The thing that really stands out to me, though - no sacks against Alabama. I would have bet my house, my automobile, my sister, the complete contents of my liquor cabinet and my iPhone that we would never hold Alabama's defense without a sack. Hell, only one against Georgia. Is it possible that Herb Hand is paying dividends at last? The offense certainly seemed to have the measure of Georgia, barring that first disastrous triple-coverage end-zone pick.
So what's next?
I think, again, most folks were and are predicting 3-3. Army at home: winner. Kentucky at home: winner. Wake Forest, on the road or at home or in the parking lot of the Green Hills Kroger: winner.
That leaves the conference road games. Of what's left, I dread Arkansas the most. Florida and Tennessee both have quarterback injury issues, and while we won't be favored in either matchup, they suddenly look eminently steal-able, especially in a Neyland Stadium where fans may well have tuned out and checked out by mid-November. At last check, Tennessee is getting even more points from Alabama in Tuscaloosa than we did.
But assuming we don't pull the upsets, is 6-6 still a successful first year? I don't know how anyone could think otherwise, especially coupled with the recruiting coups and the changed attitude and energy around the program. There are things left to handle, of course. Getting a packed student section from open gates to final gun is something that desperately needs to happen. An indoor practice facility is something else we really shouldn't be doing without in the new era. The big-time recruits have to be kept in the fold all the way to National Signing Day.
But for right now, the dream is alive and the future is bright. Anchor down? ANCHOR DOWN.
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On the Mark
I agreed wholeheartedly with this post. A very successful first half of the year. Attitude, energy and three wins at least matches expectations. Quite honestly, 2-4 was not out of the question before the season. I would add one comment to the analysis of the defensive side. Rob Lohr has been golden. Big stops for losses in key situations. The defensive line as a whole is exceeding expectations. You have to love the aggresiveness. I look forward to what this coaching staff can do with a few more horses in the stable.
by Smoke n Mirrors on Oct 19, 2011 8:24 PM EDT reply actions
My gut says we're better, but it's biased
As a Vandy fan, I look down on the field and I sense this is a different Vandy team, one that I now expect to snag a bowl big by beating Army, Kentucky and either Wake or Tenn (though probably not both).
However, when playing Devil’s advocate with myself, I think I can make a pretty good argument that this team hasn’t proven anything yet.
Elon was WAY closer than the score indicated and, beyond a stud at WR, they have basically no one who’d ever be offered an SEC scholarship, along with (I presume, given the size of the school) a vastly inferior coaching staff, training facilities and everything else. Yet it was a sorta tight game till the end.
UConn should have beaten us but for some astonishingly bone headed moves down the stretch. Worse, subsequent games have proven that UConn genuinely sucks, which means, but for some very good fortune, we would have lost to a lousy team.
Ole Miss was a good game. They’re a terrible SEC school, but they’re still an SEC school and we clobbered them.
USC and Alabama were both terrible losses. Men-and-boys losses. Quit-football-and-retreat-to-Himalayan-monastery-bad losses.
Georgia was much more heartening. I think this may be the first time this season when I take a more positive view than the AoG braintrust but I was more impressed with UGA than any other game except Ole Miss. For all the obvious problems, like the QB who played better completing just one of 500 pass attempts, we were still one missed tackle from beating a ranked team. That, to continue the hyphenated metaphors, is spotting-Bigfoot rare.
But it still leaves me with only two impressive games compared to four that range from shaky to vomit-inducing.
Ah, screw dispassionate viewing. We’re winning seven and going to a bowl I’ve almost heard of.
by Andrew D. Smith on Oct 19, 2011 10:18 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
It does seem to have a way of coming out in the wash...
Seems like we always win at least one we should have lost (Auburn 2008) and lose at least one we should have won (um…about 3 games in 2008). Hopefully Georgia is the only loss we should have won this year, and I’m happy to trade it for Tennessee…
I keep trying to believe this year is a shredder. It’s Franklin’s first year. We still have to bring in more of his recruits to fit his plan. (Although there are rumblings in DC that Maryland’s Danny O’Brien might be looking for a transfer…) And yet, you see the beatdown we put on Ole Miss, and you see the offense rising up against Georgia, and you start to think that Jordan might play like his brother and Wes might play like HIS brother and that the defense is leading the universe in picks and…at some point you think, hey, California Golden Blogs might want their Sunshine Pump back…
We got our three wins. Everything else in 2011 is gravy. Next year…
(breathes into paper bag)
"Well, if that ain't a show, I'll kiss your ass." - Gov. Jim Folsom Sr. (D-AL), 1948-52
by VandyImport on Oct 19, 2011 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions
As much as he’s already proven, Franklin has a ton left to prove next year, and the more we accomplish this season, the more he has to prove next year.
This season the schedule could hardly have been more perfect for starting to build something. As many good teams as we play every year, we had wins on the schedule this season, particularly with playing our 5 most beatable opponents at home.
Next year, he’ll really have to bust it to keep it up. It will be interesting to see how TAMU changes things, but we are set at this point next season’s schedule will be tough. If we win as many games next year as we do this year, it will be a huge success. But I’m so excited to see how much better we’ll get between now and then that I’m not even worried about the schedule.
I don’t think we haven’t proven anything yet, but we are still a question mark.
We thought the Ole Miss and UConn games would be games that could go either way, but really they both ended up being games we should win.
We’ve proven we can upset a team, but knowing you can isn’t exactly the same as proving that you probably will.
But it’s also worth pointing out that we are clearly, easily, better than we were against Elon and UConn. We should beat UK and Army, we really can beat UT and Wake. (And I wouldn’t be completely shocked beating anyone left on our schedule).
That's the really amazing thing
It’s partly “how the mighty have fallen” but I don’t see a game left on the schedule where a win would require printing a DVD ;]
"Well, if that ain't a show, I'll kiss your ass." - Gov. Jim Folsom Sr. (D-AL), 1948-52
by VandyImport on Oct 20, 2011 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Really? Not Sure if Serious
I think beating Arky at home would be an incredibly impressive win. Beating UF or UT at their house is difficult even for teams that consistantly compete in this league. I know we are glossy eyed over a good game against UGA but UT is not a toss-up even now. I think we have a 70% shot at beating Army, and UK and every other game is <50% chance. Until we get a consistant offense, we cannot rely on our Defense to keep us in the game against the likes of Arky or UF (even with their HerpDerp Offense). Like the Bama game, these teams will just wear us down.
Vandy Fan. Yankee by birth, Southern by choice.
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Oh, they'd be upsets...
…but nothing on the order of the South Carolina win in 2007. More to the point, I don’t know how much credit we’d get and how much people would point to how down FL/TN are right now.
"Well, if that ain't a show, I'll kiss your ass." - Gov. Jim Folsom Sr. (D-AL), 1948-52
whoa whoa whoa
I would have taken a bet similar to TI’s concerning sacks at Alabama over us being 4-2 (which almost happened)…. There is no way that last December anyone felt that we would be comfortably at 3-3… Ole Miss and UCONN were ABSOLUTELY NOT preseason gimmies
I am as happy as I could be with 3-3, because there is a real serious chance that we could have been 1-5 right meow. Every thing else is literally gravy…
anchor down.
by CorneliusHimself on Oct 19, 2011 11:31 PM EDT reply actions
Thrilled that ...
- we have Franklin and all the other coaches because they have been making adjustments and changes in every game. I didnt even feel bad about the Bama game since our OL was so much better. We are getting better and better.
- we are 3-3
- Franklin has the team completely onboard
- we saw a team come back time and again against UGA. They never ever gave up.
- recruiting is awesome
- there is talk and buzz about Vandy from other SEC schools. (other than UGA – who would have thought they would become our new hated rival?)
- in a half of a year, Franklin has this team rated at between eighth and ninth in the SEC. HUGE.
- I trust what Franklin and the team are doing. That doubt that all Vandy fans carry deep in their gut is actually starting to dissipate.
- VCDW and Zeppos are involved and engaged in our football program. Hopefully a specific plan will be released as part of a fundraising initiative letting us know exactly what Franklin wants and how much he needs.
I agree with VI's assesment but I do have add some things
1) Fans – while they are still not where we want them, I think fans have become less cynical of the team this year than years past. I have heard less of the “waiting for the bottom to fall.”
2) Franklin’s demeanor ruffles feathers and in doing so he has created an ‘us against the world’ mentality that attracts hyper competitive players – see Sealand, Kimbrow, Azibuke
3) Never in my Vandy fandom have I heard of a coach so active on the recruiting trail mid season – He really is 110% focused on this team.
4) I have heard more about Vandy football on NAshville sports radio this year than I ever did before. Even Clay Travis (for what its worth) called Franklin a better coach than Dooley.
5) I have been incredibly impressed with Archie and Chase – they have played lights out this season. Great tackling, closing speed and tenacity.
Vandy Fan. Yankee by birth, Southern by choice.
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Don’t forget Tristan. All 3 of our previously questionable non-Marve LBs have played really well. Real shame Tristan got hurt. LB has been kind of the silent strength of the team. The glue that lets the DL go for tackles for loss without forcing the DBs to sit down in the box.
Agree completely - with those three back next year,
I will be geeked to see this defense. I just wish we had Hayward and Marve back for one more go with this D.
Vandy Fan. Yankee by birth, Southern by choice.
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I think 6-6 meets expectations
I do think if we fall to 5-7 it’s a disappointment. It’s still a lot better than our last 2 win seasons but considering what this team is capable of and the remaining schedule we should get to 6-6.
I’m not sure Wake is a chalk up win considering our history with them and how they’ve performed this year but I do think we could upset UT.
I think it’s a success in itself that we can even suggest that winning 5 games would be a letdown, but it’s true that it kind of would, I think mostly due to the way the schedule is put together.
If we get to the UT game 5-5, having beaten every team on our schedule worse than UT or Wake, it would be a bit disappointing.
It almost seems unfair to suggest that a team that was 4-20 going 5-7 would be disappointing, but I’d bet CJF is pumped that he’s raising our expectations.
I know expectations are high
but I really can’t imagine how a 5 win season would be a disappointment. Given the fact that we are without our best rusher, have a below average offense and rely heavily on man-to-man with at least three games against pass heavy teams (Arky, UT, WF) that can burn us like the UGA game i think 5-7 is reasonable. We may win a couple that we weren’t expected to win but I cannot see how beating Army and UK and going into this offseason with a 5-7 season is not a huge leap up. We beat every team we should beat (which was not the case even in 2008)
Vandy Fan. Yankee by birth, Southern by choice.
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Grady: Recruiting Coordinator?
What does it mean that Josh Grady is the recruiting coordinator? I’ve heard that tossed around a lot.
Ever since he signed, and especially since he’s been on campus he’s been recruiting for us. Twitter, Facebook, talking to recruits. He’s really bought into the program and has been getting other guys excited about it. He often on Twitter is the first person to break that we have a new recruit (though he doesn’t say who it is until it’s public) because he is pretty personally investing in getting these guys on campus.
It’s not uncommon for guys who are recruited to push other guys in their class (Sealand is doing that with the other Georgia guys this season), but he has been maybe even more involved this year than he was last season.
Remember
that this kid, like so many of the Franklin recruits were promised playing time. And in most cases, when you don’t deliver that, you will see alot of transfers or gripes but instead Grady is the biggest cheerleader on the sideline, in the locker room and in the media. He embodies the passion and commitment to Vanderbilt that Franklin looks for in his players. He recruits as much by example as he does by word of mouth
Vandy Fan. Yankee by birth, Southern by choice.
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Remember the 5!
by VUfanInNJ on Oct 20, 2011 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
What I expected back then
I knew our offense was, and still is, one of the worst in FBS Football. We are #116 out of 120. Because of that fact, I thought 1-11 was a definite possibilty at the start of this season. The O was the same guys, minus some O-line experience, that was ranked in the bottom for like 3 of the last 4 years. That has to change BIG TIME before we have consistant winning seasons. I am all in on CJF, but also realize it might take a few years to get more recruits in. Gottta be pleased with 3-3 and hope the O can continue to improve. We should be 10 point favs vs Army and KY, and 10 point dogs @ TN and FL. Wake is a toss up. IMO.
Let’s get 3 more wins and go bowling!!!!
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