Zac Stacy and Warren Norman made it happen tonight. The dynamic duo's rushing attack (along with Larry Smith's mobility and a tight Vanderbilt defense) was the difference against Ole Miss in a 28-14 win. Vanderbilt never trailed in a victory that gave the Commodores their first win of 2010 and put the Rebels at 1-2 with losses to VU and Jacksonville State.
Vanderbilt got their first win of the Robbie Caldwell era behind 227 yards rushing and 310 total yards of offense. The Rebels got the score to 14-14 in the third quarter, but the 'Dores instantly responded with an 80 yard Norman run to keep the visiting team on top. Vandy's staunch defense held, and a Larry Smith 15 yard touchdown run made it 28-14 to provide the difference in the final score.
The Commodore defense was the MVP of this game, though the squad's rushing attack made the difference on offense. The secondary snuffed out Jeremiah Masoli's last gasp late in the 4th quarter to repel the Rebel attack, and stuffed Ole Miss on the drive before that before that to end a rally. Though Vandy couldn't run out the clock behind Wesley Tate's running late in the 4th quarter, the defense came up big to shut out the Rebels late in the game and secure the victory. In all, the 'Dore defense forced three turnovers and turned the tide in favor for a VU win.
With the victory, Vandy heads to 1-2, with their first SEC win since 2008. Ole Miss, on the other hand, drops to 1-2, with only a win against Tulane on their blotter. Since 2005, the 'Dores are 4-2 against their SEC West rivals.