Vanderbilt Dismantles Ole Miss 30-7 to Improve to 3-0, Posts Largest SEC Win Since Disco was Popular

by Christian D'Andrea on Sep 17, 2011 3:35 PM EDT in Vanderbilt Commodores Football

Tim Fugger realigns Zach Stoudt's vertebrae for him early in the first half Saturday.

Vanderbilt has won SEC games before, but you might have to go back to the pre-war era to find a conference result as dominant as Saturday's win over Ole Miss.

The Commodores trounced the Rebels, 30-7, to keep James Franklin undefeated as head coach and moved halfway to bowl eligibility with their third win of the season. Zac Stacy's career day guided the offense. The junior ran for 169 yards on only 11 carries to constitute nearly half of the team's total offense. His 77-yard touchdown put the team up 30-0 late in the third quarter and sealed the win for the home team. Jerron Seymour was also effective on the ground, gaining 60 yards despite often being stuck in bad blocking situations.

Vanderbilt's defense was dominant all game, keeping Ole Miss scoreless for nearly 58 minutes. Strong play from the defensive line forced bad throws all day, and the 'Dores' stout defense cleaned up from there, recording five picks to ruin the Rebel offense. Tim Fugger and Walker May were disruptive all day, penetrating into the backfield and making Zach Stoudt's job a nightmare. The secondary's crisp coverage ensured that mistakes were capitalized, as Vandy defenders seemingly got a hand on every floated pass Ole Miss put up there.

Trey Wilson had two interceptions for the 'Dores, the first of which he returned 52 yards for a touchdown. Sean Richardson, Javon Marshall, and Eddie Foster also added picks in the win. The team now has 10 interceptions in just three games this season.

The team didn't play mistake-free football, however. The first quarter of the game was a painful one to watch as neither time could get anything going offensively. Vanderbilt finished the game with three turnovers, including a Stacy interception on a gimmick pass-back to Smith in the third quarter. Fortunately, the team's defense was strong enough to overcome these setbacks until waning moments of the game.

The win was Vandy's biggest SEC win since a 49-19 win over Mississippi State back in 1971. Had the 'Dores held on to blank the Rebels, it would have been the team's first SEC shutout since a 6-0 victory against Kentucky in 1968. To say that this was a big win for James Franklin and his staff would be an understatement. This performance will resonate not only through the season but onto the recruiting trail and into the future as well.

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Great game all around

even LS played well …for LS

Vandy Fan. Yankee by birth, Southern by choice.
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by VUfanInNJ on Sep 17, 2011 3:39 PM EDT reply actions

No, he was playing well period

He wasn’t flashy, but he did what he had to do. Once the 2nd quarter got going, Smith looked comfortable. He didn’t throw a single interception, so good job for him!

by Kyle Minardi on Sep 17, 2011 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Nicely done, boys.

I had to miss this one, but was following on my phone. Unreal.

by BrianSWard on Sep 17, 2011 4:46 PM EDT reply actions

dang

I’m sorry you had to miss this game. It was worth it. Vandy is undefeated, lets keep it going.

by Kyle Minardi on Sep 17, 2011 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions

WOW.

This was the best I have seen them look until about 2 15 on the fourth but that was mostly second string. This was awesome! Hope we can go down to South Carolina and play the way we did today. Go Dores!!

by Jamesk715 on Sep 17, 2011 5:34 PM EDT reply actions

For people who watched on TV

Was that offsetting personal foul penalty actually the worst call in recorded history, or did it just appear that way in person?

That looked like a pretty clear 15 yards and an ejection. From my POV, it looked like our guy got a PF for being punched on the bottom of a pile. I was not aware that was illegal.

by The Goche on Sep 17, 2011 5:43 PM EDT reply actions

It was very, very bad

You know it’s bad when even the TV announcers are defending Franklin losing his mind on the sideline.

Probably still not as bad as the Earl Bennett taunting penalty or the Andre Walker offsetting technical foul for…er, existing. (There were a bunch of those in basketball, come to think of it. God forbid an SEC opponent think they’re getting the short end of the stick against lowly Vanderbilt.)

by parlagi on Sep 17, 2011 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

That's how I saw it from my side of the stadium.

I did not see any retaliation or anything to warrant offsetting penalties.

by doredarling on Sep 17, 2011 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Questions from someone who could not see the game

1. How much of the defensive dominance was our excellence and how much their incompetence? Was their QB inexplicably pitching balls that I could have intercepted or were we getting in instantly and hitting him as he threw?

2. Other than the long run, how did the offense look? Peering at game progress on my phone, it seemed like all our points came directly from the defense or from the defense giving the O the ball in places where scoring was inevitable. Did we give any sense that we could sustain drives against a decent defense? Did the O line look better than last week?

by Andrew D. Smith on Sep 17, 2011 5:56 PM EDT reply actions

from the stadium

The coverage appeared dominant. They were all over the routes (but it did seem like the QB(s) were kind of throwing prayers).

The improvement I noticed on offense was small but there. Larry Smith would get out of the pocket and throw it away instead of taking a bunch of sacks—or throwing into double coverage.

by patrickrfr on Sep 17, 2011 6:11 PM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions

Yep.......

The secondary did look destructive at the game. And granted the passes weren’t great, at least we were capitalizing on their mistakes.

And I hate it that when Smith started to look good, he got injured!

by Kyle Minardi on Sep 17, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Most of the INTs were due to throwing under pressure.

Richardson’s pick was a somewhat easy pick, where the QB just didn’t see him sitting down underneath. But it was one of those where SR was just sitting their hiding knowing the QB wouldn’t see him.
For the pick 6 May’s hit made the play.
At least 2 (the last two) were also due to some great athletic catches, though one was a great play on a terrible throw. Javon Marshall’s pick right at the one was on a play that he broke up what would have been a catch and then caught his own tip as he went down.

So basically, these are not just throwing into awfully good coverage, it was more just we covered really well and he was making bad decisions under pressure.

The offense was solid in large part due to playcalling. We mixed it up really well (basically it was doing what everyone has been begging for under CBJ and CRC, just doing whatever we can think of to misdirect.

The other part was Seymour and Stacy. Even though he didn’t have the big plays today, Seymour had a huge game I thought, and it opened things up. JS is just quick enough that even after they blow past the o-line, they still have to square him up to keep him from getting loose to gain a few yards. And he is tough too.

Then Zac was just doing crazy things today. He should not have made a lot of those runs. Despite the broken plays Zac and JS saved, the line actually did better at times to give them some space. Not consistent enough, but not consistently awful like last week.

by The Goche on Sep 17, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Meant to say, they weren’t awful throws into obvious coverage, as much as great coverage and enough pressure to force mistakes.

by The Goche on Sep 17, 2011 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree mostly

But i think you downplay our secondary. We are flat out good. we had 5 interceptions, against an SEC team! I don’t care who you are, that is impressive.

And I agree with the RB analysis, but where was Norman? I haven’t seen him all year? is he injured?

by Kyle Minardi on Sep 17, 2011 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Norman

Franklin said he was available if Stacy or Seymour went down due to injury early in the game, but didn’t want to put him out there when were up by 30. Same reason why Larry Smith didn’t go back out after the long touchdown run. No need to risk him taking more tough hits.

Anchor of Gold
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by KingJamesIV on Sep 17, 2011 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions

I by no means intend to downplay the secondary.

It’s like Trey wilson said it was really about complementary play, starting with the DBs then for the D-line, then back to the DBs.

The really great thing that the secondary did wasn’t the picks. It was the coverage itself.

What I mean is that, while some of those throws were easy catches, none were, oh look the QB threw it into 3 black jerseys. These weren’t generally bad decision picks, they were picks that started with great coverage. There were no open men downfield all game until the TD against the 2nd stringers.

The coverage created an opportunity for the D-line to get to the QB, and they did. The D-line created opportunities for the DBs to make plays on balls, and they did.

But in the end it all comes down to the DBs being in position, all over their men, and when the ball gets in the air, they were where they need to be to get the plays and they made the plays.

It’s the mundane matter of fact of just doing their job really, really well, and it’s the mundane that makes the big plays happen.

by The Goche on Sep 17, 2011 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions

A little of everything on #1. One of the INTs was a wounded duck after he’d gotten blasted by Fugger. Anyone would’ve been picked off that time. One came at the end of the first half, and twice late after it was out of hand. He was just trying to make a big play before time ran out, and you sort of expect those against a very good secondary.

The bigger problem, to me, was their OL and WR. The line supposedly averaged 320 pounds, but couldn’t hold off a 4-man rush. Vandy’s secondary landed 2 big shots on receivers early on (clean, but scary). After that, it seemed like their WRs backed off, short-arming catchable balls, not trying to get open over the middle.

I can’t really say on #2, because a lot of the offense relied on big gainers. The OL looked at least somewhat better to me, at least.

by parlagi on Sep 17, 2011 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions

The Defensive Ends...

Played very well for us, especially on the pass rush. They forced a lot of throws into lockdown coverage. All in all though, a stout defensive performance.

by Sdubya on Sep 17, 2011 9:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Worth noting

We block INT returns like nobody’s business. Someone yells Oskie and the defense turns into a snow plow.

by The Goche on Sep 17, 2011 6:36 PM EDT reply actions

Agreed

Seems like they assume that all picks should be pick 6’s. Love it.

by Sdubya on Sep 17, 2011 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions

nice win y'all

I’ve always wanted Vanderbilt to be competitive. Perhaps y’all have found your man. (lived in Nashville for 3 years…great, great town).

one of my friends has taken you in, and given you codeine - J. Isbell

by JunctionCrimson on Sep 17, 2011 6:54 PM EDT reply actions

God willing

I hope Franklin is the real deal, and this year isn’t a flash in the pan.

by Kyle Minardi on Sep 17, 2011 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions

You must be joking

The only thing you have to worry about is how soon until he’s hired away by a perrenial top 20 program.

I always go first half - coffee, second half - beer, because In LA, the games start at 10:00 a.m.

by Drubaru on Sep 18, 2011 3:26 AM EDT up reply actions

Trey Wilson?

This guy has had i think 3 interceptions this year! And 2 for TD’s! i think this guy could be an all American come years end, and a first round draft pick if he keeps this up. Heyward has been interesting too.

I hate to be too optimistic for Vandy, but I can see us maybe beating S Car. As long as a certain offensive line doesn’t ruin our chances.

by Kyle Minardi on Sep 17, 2011 6:54 PM EDT reply actions

Wilson

benefitting from QBs refusing to target whichever WR Casey Hayward is covering!

Anchor of Gold
Twitter: AOG/JAWiv
Facebook: AOG

by KingJamesIV on Sep 17, 2011 7:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Anyone notice...

Spear calling out the kick returner for ole miss in the second half by pointing directly at him for a nearly a full minute, and then tackling him on the return? Ballsy.

by Sdubya on Sep 17, 2011 9:20 PM EDT reply actions

Spear had tackles on both of our last two kicks.

He’s a bad mother.

If we don’t figure out the guard situation, I think it would only be smart to give him a shot there. He’s tough.

If our linebackers weren’t playing so well I’d be all about it. Vandy’s World Famous 5 foot tall, field-goal kicking linebacker!

by The Goche on Sep 17, 2011 9:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Anybody see that Florida State kicker?

Dude’s sporting some flashy gold slippers … Carey Spear would punch him in the face.

by BrianSWard on Sep 17, 2011 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Spear is a goddamn lunatic

He might be my favorite player on this team. He drinks pints of ram’s blood on the sideline and punches the Asperger’s out of children with social developmental issues between kicks.

Anchor of Gold - for all 45 Vanderbilt fans out there.

by Christian D'Andrea on Sep 17, 2011 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions

This made me laugh

We need a running Carey Spear will [insert ridiculous thing about him punching sharks or bbqing opponents mascots, etc.] joke for every time he tackles a returner.

by Sdubya on Sep 18, 2011 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Done and done.

Already working on Carey Spear facts for next week.

Incidentally, with Cal season tickets and having watched four placekicks blocked already this year, I cannot overemphasize how amazing it is that we have a kicker in whom we can have absolute confidence on kickoffs and any field goal up to 50 yards. You never appreciate how important reliable placekicking is until you’re soiling yourself on PATs.

"Well, if that ain't a show, I'll kiss your ass." - Gov. Jim Folsom Sr. (D-AL), 1948-52

by VandyImport on Sep 18, 2011 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Glad I made the trip

for the Ole Miss game. Absolutely amazing. It’s Monday now and I still don’t have my voice back. A couple of thoughts: when we were up by 14, I noticed that the team all of a sudden looked bigger and much more confident. As CJF says they ARE growing with every six second play. Loved the ovation for Larry when he came off the field, hope he heard the genuine respect he was getting. First time I have heard the crowd on the press box side really get into the game in a long long time. CJF is a genius. We hit the jackpot this time.

by vandygal78 on Sep 19, 2011 6:52 AM EDT reply actions