New feature on AOG. I'm going to rifle through the game notes for each team and post what I consider to be items of interest. They shall be ordered by when I came across them. Here are the links to them in full: VU Notes; LSU Notes.
-
VU looking for first win vs. LSU since 1990.
-
VU had 8 new starters and 10 true freshman contribute vs. Northwestern.
-
VU seeking third win in last five SEC openers. Surprisingly successful of late. A sign that depth continues to be our biggest foe.
-
Chris Marve is the latest Commodore to wear the "KD1" patch, given annually in honor of the late former VU RB Kwane Doster.
-
Tiger Stadium (92,400) seats ~2.32 times as many people as Vanderbilt Stadium. It is big. I have seen it. You know what I didn't see. Mike the Tiger. He wasn't out that day. Asshole.
-
30th meeting between the two schools. Series: VU 7, LSU 21, Nobody 1.
-
Last meeting: VU 9-23 LSU (2009). First meeting? VU 27-5 LSU (1902). 5 spot. Last time you saw one of those?
-
Only the second time ever VU has faced LSU in the SEC opener. First time? VU 24-21 LSU. 1990, FTW!
-
Only 7 VU starters from the 2009 game expected to take the field.
-
VU Notes 5 key games from series? 1991, 1990, 1937, 1933, 1902
-
More on that 1902 game: "In one of the most bizarre roadtrips in Vanderbilt football history, the Commodores beat Tulane 23-5 on Saturday, then drove to Baton Rouge and defeated LSU 27-5 on Monday. One of Vanderbilt's top backs was John Tigert, who later became a Rhodes Scholar and eventually U.S. Secretary of Education."
-
VU has 3 players from LA: Karl Butler (Fr.), Andre Hal (Fr., Port Allen HS), Trey Wilson (So., Evangel Christian). Butler played high school ball with LSU WR Jarred Joseph at Brother Martin.
-
Former Titan and current NFLPA President Kevin Mawae is currently a Strength and Conditioning intern with the VU football team. He was recently blackballed by the 32 franchise owners in the NFL, as the current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire. Mawae's pain is our gain.
-
VU has 5 wins over ranked opponents in the last four seasons. 3 of them came in 2008. 1 in 2007. 1 in 2006. NONE LAST SEASON IN CASE YOU HAD FORGOTTEN HOW TERRIBLE WE WERE. We've lost our last 5 vs. ranked opponents.
-
Since the 2005 opener, VU is 15-7 before October.
-
VU's all-time record in season openers? 77-40-4. We've not lost over twice as many as we've lost!
-
LSU's top player is cornerback/return specialist Patrick Peterson, who set a school-record with 257 return yards (157 punt returns and 100 kick returns) vs UNC.
-
Miles is 10-7 against teams from the SEC Eastern Division, which includes a 1-1 mark in the SEC title game.
-
LSU had a total of eight first-time starters (5 defense, 3 offense) in the season opening win vs. UNC.
-
LSU played 9 true freshman and 18 first-timers in the opener.
-
LSU is 16-7 in road games, which includes a 13-7 mark in SEC away games under Miles.
-
LSU surrendered only 24 yards rushing, the fewest amount by an opponent since Alabama had 20 yards rushing on 11-03-07.
-
LSU has held the Commodores to single-digits and a total of 28 points in the last five games between the teams.
-
The LSU Game Notes do not make mention of the fact that UNC was without 15 players (most of whom were starters). Only that they were, in fact, ranked 18th in the country.
-
This needs to be quoted exactly as is: "For the first time since 1995, LSU will play its first two games of the year away from Tiger Stadium as the Tigers travel to face Vanderbilt in Nashville on Saturday night. The last time LSU played its first two games away from home, Gerry DiNardo was in his first year with the Tigers in 1995. LSU lost at Texas A&M, 33-17, in the season-opener in 1995..." Shudder.
-
LSU lost starting right guard Will Blackwell to a broken ankle on the first offensive play of the game last week. He will be out at least 6 weeks.
-
Ryan Baker, starting LB, may be back this week after missing the last 3 weeks due to a broken jaw.
-
Starting TE Deangelo Peterson (foot) and backup safety Karnell Hatcher (knee) remain out of action this week.
-
The Tigers are 38-4 in night games under Miles compared to a 14-11 mark in games played during the day. LSU is 10-2 in night games away from tiger stadium, which includes a 34-6 victory over Vanderbilt in 2005.
-
LSU is riding a 22-game winning streak on games played on the ESPN family of networks (excluding ABC). The last time LSU lost a game played on one of the ESPN networks came in 2005 when the Tigers dropped a 30-27 overtime decision to Tennessee on a Monday night (due to Hurricane Rita) on ESPN2.
-
When LSU has 100 yards rushing, they are 32-3. When LSU holds the opponents to fewer than 100-yards, they are 32-3. When they do both, they are 31-0.