Vanderbilt Sports Line

Gary Parrish Thinks We're Going to Do Worse Than Kentucky and Tennessee......and Florida...and South Carolina

2009-11-04T10:39:00.004-05:00

A rebuttal, Gary, if I might.

I feel bad for writers who are required to give predictions. It's a total lose-lose. Teams with insane fan bases will send hate mail to your homes and throw crap in your yard just because you say their team is going to finish second and not first in their conference. The only satisfaction you get is to be correct, but that almost never happens. Frankly, I have no idea why we have preseason predictions. I could care less what we're predicted at in the preseason. The only thing I care about is where we finish at the end of the season.

Let me state, first off, that I understand the logic. It's the same logic that most of the members of the media have used: Kentucky will win because they have Calipari, John Wall, Patterson, and a bunch of blue chip freshmen. Tennessee will finish behind them, because they were a tournament team from a punchless SEC last year, and they return all five starters. South Carolina, Florida, and Vandy fall into this three team smorgasbord because

South Carolina won a young, inexperienced SEC East and it's kind of hard to discount them simply based on that fact.

Florida won two national championships, has a solid coach in Billy Donovan, and keeps pulling in top recruits, but for some reason can't seem to put the pieces of the puzzle back together they way they did two years ago.

Vandy had serious growing pains early in the year and has the name Vanderbilt on their jersey. No one knows for sure just how good they are.

Ever the Vanderbilt fan, I'm not going to definitively state where we'll end up due to my fear of jinxing the most anticipated season in my fairly limited Vanderbilt basketball memory. But I will say that I think we'll end up better than 5th. Florida and South Carolina are like the majority of first dates. They looked great upon first sight, but then you actually sit there and look at them and you realize they're incredibly flawed. That's not saying Vanderbilt isn't, we've got a few weaknesses (defense). But I think I'm justified in saying that our weaknesses are less glaring than theirs.

Florida

They have a ridiculous amount of talent. There's no dispute about that. Chandler Parsons loves to kill Vandy from the perimeter. Tyus is a talented guy down-low, and there's a plethora of pretty good players on the bench who could probably have come in and started for other schools in the SEC, including Vanderbilt. Plus they're bringing in a high level point guard recruit, and above all else they've got two national championship banners hanging from the rafters.

But a car with the best parts can't run unless it's got an engine, and Florida's engine is in Greece right now. You can point to all the Derrick Roses and Tyreke Evanses you want to. They are the exception rather than the rule. Most freshmen take lumps except for the phenoms. While Boynton is no slouch of a player and probably will be good, I'm pretty sure he'll take his lumps. Unfortunately that's the one position that you don't want to have those lumps. The Gators will be good and as always will be tough to beat in the O-dome, but the hole Calathes left behind is still glaring, even with Boynton coming in.

South Carolina

They won the SEC East last year. They have an uber quick point guard in Devan Downey who is nearly unstoppable in penetrating, is a pretty good passer, and plays excellent defense. They have a pretty good player in Dominique Archie, who contributed well from the field and on the boards. A lot of their team is coming back, with the exception of Zam Frederick, and they might be the most experienced unit outside of Tennessee.

They also won in an incredibly inexperienced and/or poorly coached SEC East. Darrin Horn's a good coach, Devan Downey's a great player, Dominique Archie is a solid contributor, and they have some other decent players. Zam Frederick, who graduated, averaged 15.5 ppg for them last year, and was one of their better shooters. That's a pretty big loss from a team that doesn't have tons of depth, thanks to Dave Odom's years of mailing it in. Downey is going to give every team in the SEC fits and it's going to make Archie better, but they really don't have a lot of weapons/answers past those two. They also don't have very much post presence outside of Archie, as the healthy A.J. demonstrated in our win over them last year by scoring 28 points (yes there is a difference between healthy A.J. and hurt A.J.) The point is, when the game gets into a grind against a much tougher schedule, they might find themselves running out of gas.

Vanderbilt

I'll start with our negatives. No one outside of Kevin Stallings has any idea how far this team progressed in the offseason. We hear rumblings and rumors and media blurbs but none of us have laid eyes on this team since we declined to accept a postseason tournament we had to pay for last year. Our freshmen made great progress last year but none of them could be relied on to put the team on their shoulders. Our greatest offensive threat, A.J., had trouble staying on the floor due to injury and illness, hasn't demonstrated an ability to absolutely control the post, and was quickly identified as the one player opposing defenses absolutely had to shut down. Our next most experienced player, Beal, had an improved, but still streaky year shooting. Moreover, he wasn't quite as good in the assist department as he had been the previous year. The defense looked stout early on but quickly turned from stout to porous once SEC play hit. They dug themselves into too big a hole early on, and they couldn't climb out enough to get back to a postseason for the first time in quite a while. Once again, the end result is what resonated the loudest.

But sometimes, the end result doesn't tell the full story. This team was vastly improved at the end of the season, winning 7 of their last 10 games, including big victories over South Carolina and Kentucky at home, and an at the time #11 LSU team on the road. They had their usual struggles in the SEC tournament, losing to Alabama in the first round, but we started to see something a tad different about this team towards the end of the year.

And that brings me to why our weaknesses are nowhere near as glaring as those of South Carolina and Florida.

1) We have an experienced and improved point guard in Jermaine Beal, who is and always has been way underrated. Beal was always pretty good at distributing the ball, but his offense last year took a totally new step. The other thing is that Beal has an incredible work ethic and is a real gym rat. I'm real high on Jermaine Beal, I think he's going to set the table for this team nicely.

2) Love him or hate him, A.J. is a polished center and is a key weapon for our offense. The guy has never averaged less than 15 ppg since he stepped on campus. You can bust his chops for not being more beastly in the paint, but the guy has a gift for getting points and he can absolutely destroy you from the free throw line. Further, he is a pretty decent defensive player and shot blocker.

3) This team has an absurd amount of depth and talent. It wasn't like we ran the same players ragged. Everybody got their feet wet last year, and did even more when they played their summer trip in Australia. We may have looked erratic last year, but this team has had a LOT of time to play together. Even more so, we have a real wild card in Festus Ezeli. And by all those reports...the guy is getting to be very, very good.

4) The one thing we lacked last year, surprisingly, was the three ball. We started to see that come around nicely for both Beal and Tinsley, but we weren't the usual clutch shooting group that we have been in the past. So all we do is go out and get the best pure shooting player in the nation. I don't care where you play or who you are, if you're dropping 42 point a game for the year, you might say you have the ability to shoot the ball. Of course I'm talking about John Jenkins. The absolute BEST part about this situation, is that it's not like Jenkins needs to come in and carry the team. We just need him to provide the spark from three so that things loosen up down low for A.J. and Big Fez. Jenkins may well develop into one of the best shooters in the SEC, but he doesn't have to do that just yet, he just has to add to our arsenal.

5) Stability. Aside from Tennessee, and to a certain extent South Carolina, we are the most stable team in the entire conference. We return nearly everyone on our roster with the exception of George Drake (best of luck to you George, by the way). We've had the same coaching staff in place for years and years. Most of the guys are around the same level of experience and have been playing together since they got to Vandy last year or the year before. There is zero doubt or argument that the two teams from Tennessee have the most stability of the rest of the SEC.

I apologize for the inadvertant SEC preview, but this team gets me so fired up that I start rambling on. Here's hoping they prove Gary wrong!

What's the Case Against Giving Jared Funk a Shot?

2009-11-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm just asking. 68% of you (26 people) say Jared deserves a shot at some PT in these final 3 games. I'm honestly more interested in hearing from the 32% of you (12 people) who think, all things being equal, Mackenzi Adams should be the guy to finish out the season at Quarterback without seeing what Funk has. My question is why? I'm in the "Play that Funk-y Music, White Boy" school , but I'm not as resolute in my conviction on this one as am I about say, the offensive play-calling. Make the case for why, barring injury to Mac, we shouldn't see Jared under center this season.

If, Theoretically, Vanderbilt Played UNC in a Basketball Scrimmage Sunday, And Theoretically, They Won, What Would You Think of That...Theoretically?

2009-11-02T21:28:00.005-05:00

The blogosphere is aflutter about a top secret scrimmage that took place yesterday between the Commodores and the Tar Heels. VandySports.com's message board has something on the alleged game (dorepleganger's post 3 from the top is particularly insightful), as does WildCatNation, a Kentucky blog that just finished salivating over King Cal's coronation press conference.

UPDATE: According to commenters and other sites A.J. Ogilvy did not play Sunday because he is recovering from a concussion, but Festus looked good. Perhaps more important than the team being successful without AJ, Vanderbilt, including freshman Jeff Jenkins, lit it up from the outside. Imagine how good such a potent outside threat will be with AJ on the blocks?

I get that this was just a scrimmage, but if this doesn't make you excited, then you really have to ask yourself if you are reading the right site.

Report: Smith's Injury Bad, Mackenzi Adams Likely Starter the Rest of the Season

2009-11-02T09:55:00.003-05:00

Jeff Lockridge has a story in today's Tennessean saying that Larry Smith's hamstring injury is bad, very bad in fact. While the team will await the results of today's MRI to determine whether or not there is a tear, Coach Bobby Johnson is on the record saying: "[Larry has] a pretty severe strain and possibly a tear . . . It's going to be hard for him to get back [this year]." In the meantime, it looks like Mac is the starting QB and Jared Funk is now the No. 2, meaning he will be giving up his special teams duties. Question: Do you think we'll see Jared Funk at some point this season? Should we?

Should Jared Funk Get Quality Playing Time if Larry Smith is Unable to Return this Season?(polling)

David Boclair has a recap of Saturday's loss in the Nashville City Paper, although he's got nothing definitive on Smith's status going forward.

Open Thread: Your Thoughts on Tonight's Vanderbilt/Georgia Tech Game

2009-10-31T23:26:00.002-05:00

Vanderbilt lost 56-31, giving up 28 straight after taking a 31-28 lead in the 3rd. Larry Smith went down in the 1st quarter with a hamstring injury, his prognosis going forward is not currently known. David Boclair's got a recap in the Nashville City Paper, and you can final the final stats here.

When commenting, you might want to consider:

- Georgia Tech's time of possession was 39:45 compared to 20:15 for Vanderbilt

- Vanderbilt lost 3 fumbles

- Freshmen Zac Stacy and Warren Norman combined for 134 yards on 19 carries and 2 TDs (Stacy had 8 carries for 75 yards and 2 TDs, Norman had 11 carries for 61 yards)

- Warren Norman had 245 all-purpose yards, 184 yards on kick-off returns, including an 80 yard TD return

- Tech had 597 yards of total offense (404 rushing; 193 in the air)

- Vanderbilt had 8 penalties for 67 yards; GT had 1 penalty for 9 yards

- Vanderbilt lead Georgia Tech 31-28 with 10:35 left in the 3rd

What did you think about tonight's game?

Commodores Up Against a Tough Test with the Jackets

2009-10-30T12:20:00.002-05:00

It's no secret that the Commodores are facing a tough task this weekend. Our offense up to this point has been stagnant. Our defense has played admirably, but is banged up, isn't very good against the run, and has suddenly failed to stop the pass of late. Georgia Tech boasts a clock-eating triple option offense, an average defense, and a whole lot of moxie after positioning itself as the big dog in the ACC Coastal.

The good news, our secondary will be rarely tested against the Jackets this weekend. The bad news, our front seven will be constantly tested.

Not helping matters is that Vanderbilt's load of tailbacks are banged up and passing game is non-existant. Zac Stacy and Jared Hawkins are recovering from injury. Larry Smith, played an improved game last week, if that's what it can be called, getting his completion percentage up to 50% and not turning the ball over.

Dimon Kendrick-Holmes had a great post about how to stop Georgia Tech, and two of those facts are especially pertinent.

We've gotta stop them on third down, getting our defense off the field, and we've gotta control the clock. Which brings me to my next point:

We need to give every team we face from this point on, including Georgia Tech, a healthy serving of Warren Norman.

As ESPN's Chris Low points out, Norman leads the SEC in All-Purpose Yardage. The guy is a playmaker on an otherwise listless offense. He is explosive in every phase of the game. Simply put, he's the guy who can take it to the house for us.

Let's face it, we're not going to win with Larry Smith throwing the ball 35 times a game. Very few teams outside of Texas Tech are going to succeed playing that kind of offense. This offense needs to stop revolving around Smith, and it needs to start revolving around Norman. Keep the no-huddle, spread option whathaveyou out there, but if I'm Bobby Johnson, I'm saying let's run option with Smith and Norman, and let's run single-back and let Norman do what he does. Sometimes it isn't going to end up well. But until Larry proves that he can throw the ball for more than 5.7 ypc Norman is racking up with a significantly high percentage, we've gotta go with what is working.

You want to beat Tech? Stop them on third down, and control the clock. Controlling the clock has to be in the hands of Warren Norman.

Vanderbilt/Georgia Tech: Who Ya Got?

2009-10-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

VSL Hotline: All Hallow Eve Eve Edition

2009-10-30T08:50:00.005-05:00

There's not much out there, but I think it speaks volumes that the one Vanderbilt story in today's Tennessean is about Men's Basketball rather than the team's match-up with Georgia Tech on the grid-iron. Bryan Mullen writes in the Tennessean about Brad Tinsely's passing ability, and the fact that CKS thinks he's the best passer he's seen at Vanderbilt in 11 years.

Speaking of basketball, you can click here to order tickets.

Jeff Lockrdige is reporting in his Vanderbilt Insider blog on Tennessean.com that Jared Hawkins is out for Saturday's game, while Zac Stacy's condition is improving. Warren Norman, perhaps the only positive thing on the offensive side of the ball, is healthy and ready to go.

Finally, David Boclair writes in this morning's Nashville City Paper that, with the return of DE Steven Stone, the defensive line is back (or close to back) to full strength...and just in time given Georgia Tech's running attack.

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VSL and Facebook

2009-10-29T16:38:00.003-05:00

Become a fan of Vanderbilt Sports Line, and follow us on Twitter (VSLNation).

Others Receiving Votes: 2009-10 Polls Released

2009-10-29T13:31:00.004-05:00

Vanderbilt did not make it into the initial top 25, but did finish 30th with 38 votes (behind Maryland, Illinois, Siena, and UCLA) in the Coaches poll. Vanderbilt is also 30 in the AP with 90 votes behind (Maryland, Siena, Florida State, and Notre Dame). The Commodores will travel to Champaign December 8th to face the Illini, and might face Maryland in the Maui Invitational Finals. SEC bretheren Kentucky (ranked 5th), Tennessee (11th), and Mississippi State (19th) are ranked in this first poll. Ole Miss and South Carolina also received votes.

Jeffery Taylor - One of the Ten Best Players You've Never Heard Of

2009-10-29T07:39:00.001-05:00

Glad you're waking up and smelling the coffee now Jay Bilas!

Andy Katz Gives the Dores Some Love

2009-10-27T12:29:00.001-05:00

Must read stuff right here guys.

Rod Odom Decommits from Arizona and Commits to Vanderbilt

2009-10-26T08:47:00.003-05:00

This is why a recruiting battle is never over until the commitment form is signed.

Rod Odom has decommitted from Arizona. In the same stroke just about, he has committed to Vanderbilt.

Apparently the decision was academic related and a matter of distance from his home in New York. This is excellent news for the Commodores, who add another piece to what is shaping out to be a solid recruiting class.

Odom is ranked #77 on the ESPNU 100 listing with a rating of 93. He is a Rivals 4-star and a Scout 3-star.

With Fuller, Henderson, and Odom in the mix, Stallings has things working real well on the recruiting end. If we make it happen on the performance end this year, you can expect Vanderbilt basketball to reach new heights.

South Carolina/Vanderbilt Link Exchange with Garnet and Black Attack

2009-10-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Greetings from Maryville. As this goes to print, we are headed to the golf course for the obligatory pre-wedding scramble. For those of you unable to join us, here's Part II of our Q&A exchange with Garnet and Black Attack. Here are our questions and their answers:

1. How on earth did you convince Alshon Jeffrey to decommit from Pete Carroll to attend South Carolina?

While I'd like to say that Alshon decided to play for a real football program, I think we both know that's not the case. Alshon likely decided to come here because (1) he's a Gamecock and wanted to stay home and (2) he knew he'd get right into the starting lineup here. I'm sure it helps that he has good reason to believe our program is moving in the right direction and that he has a chance to be one of the difference makers, but let's not kid ourselves; if he wanted to win conference championships and hang out with movie stars, he would have gone to Southern Cal.

2. I’ve heard of some dude named Eric Norwood. Is he the most unsung defensive player in the SEC?

Well, now he's getting more attention, so I wouldn't call him unsung any longer. But up until now, yeah, he has been. Why has that been the case? Norwood has been a star for us since his sophomore year, so it's not like he's come out of nowhere. But South Carolina isn't really on college football's cultural map in the same, say, Florida or Alabama are, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised that no one thought about Norwood in the same way that they think about Rolando McClain or Brandon Spikes. Norwood's propensity to break out in big games, though, has led to his rise in stature this year; see Ole Miss.

3. Is Stephen Garcia a Rex Grossman re-incarnate or can he play well on a consistent basis?

The jury is still out on that one. Garcia has shown that, at the very least, he can avoid being the turnover machine Blake Mitchell and Chris Smelley were at times. He currently has four INTs on the season, or the same number that Smelley threw last year against Clemson. However, Garcia's accuracy and his inability to avoid sacks have cost us this year, especially last week against Alabama. As a dual-threat QB in high school, I think Garcia picked up a lot of bad habits. He never throws it away, thinks he can rely on his feet too much at times, and doesn't have good throwing mechanics. He'll need to work on those things to take the next step. That said, he has shown improvement, so I have high hopes that he'll put in the time it takes to get better.

4. The Gamecocks are 5-2 after a tough game in Tuscaloosa which was closer than the experts claimed. Just how good is this team?

Again, I think the jury is still out on that one. I think this team is going to finish at least 7-5 and will keep the losses relatively close. However, there has been some indication that we can do better and get to eight or nine wins. Doing that will require that the defense toughens up on the run and that the offense begins converting on more opportunities. I think it's doable, but it's going to be a tough haul.

5. Is it just us, or is the Fun N’ Gun finally back at South Carolina?

Not quite, but we're certainly a lot closer than we were this time last year. Quarterback play is better, we now have above-average running backs, we have talented receivers, and line is at least a little better. However, as Alabama showed last week, this offense still isn't ready to score lots of points against elite defenses. We're still weak in the trenches against talented front sevens, and our receiving crew is young even if talented. There's still room for improvement, which I hope we'll see by the end of the year and more so next year.

6. Predictions for Saturday's Game?

This game has me worried, which shouldn't surprise anyone considering how the last two years have gone. However, I think this year's Gamecocks teams is improved even if young, and Vanderbilt appears way down. I'm especially skeptical of the Vandy offense, which probably won't be able to do much on its own against our defense. That means that we should be able to win this game barring game-changing turnovers. This year's Gamecocks team is much less prone to committing those sorts of errors, and I doubt they'll start doing it in a game in which they have lots of motivation to make a good showing. I predict a close, defensive game early on, with the Gamecocks up 6-10 points at halftime. In the second half, Vandy's defense wears down and the Gamecocks pull away for a 24-6 victory.

7. Our boy Seamus is getting married just before kick-off on Saturday. Does the Garnet and Black Attack have any advice for our newly married friend?

Not being married myself, I'm perhaps not the person to give such advice. Having been to plenty of them, though, the one thing I would say is that he should make sure he enjoys the festivities himself in addition to making sure all the guests are happy. At any rate, I promise to pour out a libation in Seamus's honor Saturday night. I'd also like to commend Seamus for getting married on an away-game weekend, so as not to make his friends on the VSL choose between the wedding and a Vanderbilt game.

South Carolina/Vanderbilt Link Exchange with Garnet and Black Attack

2009-10-22T13:10:00.002-05:00

We got together with our friends at Garnet and Black Attack for an Vanderbilt/South Carolina Q&A Exchange. We've Included their questions and our answers below:

1. From a USC's fan's perspective, Vanderbilt's two consecutive victories over South Carolina have certainly ratcheted up the intensity for this game. How do folks at Vanderbilt feel about this game? Where do you view South Carolina on your rivals ranking?

Vanderbilt fans have a special antipathy for South Carolina for one reason: Steve Spurrier. The Ol’ Ball Coach’s quip "there are no Vanderbilt’s in the NFL" has not been forgotten by the Commodore faithful. As far as rivalry, I’d put you guys behind UT, UK, and Ole Miss, but ahead of every other team in the SEC including Florida, Georgia, and the rest of the SEC West.

2. In general, Vanderbilt doesn't appear to be as dangerous as it was last season. Would you agree that that's the case? Why or why not?

Vanderbilt is no where near as dangerous this season as they were last. The defense is probably just as good, but have not forced as many turnovers. Worse, because of the new, inept no-huddle, hurry-up offense, the defense gets even less time to rest than before. Offensively, the team’s stats are actually comparable to where they were this time last season. The difference is red-zone scoring efficiency, which was very good last year (96% efficiency) compared to a less than stellar 68%, including just 10 TDs in 25 trips (and 17 scores overall). That’s not the only problem. QB Larry Smith has struggled, and the wide receiving corps. is pretty inept. The team has been decimated by injuries to boot.

3. Although it has often been put in poor positions by a generally inept offense, Vanderbilt's defense has stood tall and managed to keep games close. How do Bobby Johnson and his staff manage to always field such good defenses despite playing with relatively limited resources? How do you think your defense will do Saturday?

It’s truly amazing. I think it’s clear that Bobby Johnson and assistant head coach Bruce Fowler (formerly the defensive coordinator) are fantastic defensive coaches. Most importantly, they do a great job recruiting and find players that can fit with that they do. As for Saturday, Vanderbilt’s defense is only as good as their ability to stop the run, which wasn’t impressive against the Dawgs.

4. Both Alabama and Kentucky had some success against USC by putting the ball in the hands of their best playmaker in a wildcat formation and letting him make plays. Do you expect Vanderbilt to try to do the same? What other offensive wrinkles should we expect from the Commodores on Saturday?

Perhaps. If there is a silver lining this season, it would have to be the freshmen running back duo of Zac Stacy and Warren Norman. Vanderbilt needs to get the ball in their hands, but given the ineptitude of the passing game (made even worse with the injury to TE Austin Monahan), it’s very easy to stack the box and stop the run. QB Larry Smith can break off some runs, but Vanderbilt periodically runs the option, so it’s doubtful the Commodores will throw anything at the Gamecocks they haven’t already seen on film.

5. If you could have one of USC's players on your roster, who would you choose? Why?

Alshon Jeffrey OR Torrie Gurley. Either would be a huge help for the receiving corps that loves to drop passes.

6. Prediction. Who will win this game and how will it go down?

While Vanderbilt should never be a team to look past, they simply don’t have the horses on offense to turn this into a win. Look for us to pick Garcia off a couple of times and generally frustrate the Gamecock faithful, but in the end picks are only as good as points on the board. South Carolina wins this game 17-3.

Our questions and their answers will appear on VSL tomorrow morning.

Editor's Note: VSL will be pretty well inactive this weekend due to the pending neptuals of founder Seamus O'Toole. Stanimal and I (against Seamus' better judgment) will be up there on the alter when Seamus takes a bride. Unfortunately for her, we'll also be with him up until that happens, which means anything is possible...Maryville, Tennessee, VSL Nation turns it's lonely eyes to you.

Ogilvy Missing Practice Because of Concussion

2009-10-21T10:28:00.003-05:00

Here's the Tennessean story.

Ogilvy had a collision with Steve Tchiengang and it's sidelined him a bit. In addition, his heel has flared up slightly, not as bad as last year, according to Ogilvy, but enough to cause some concern.

One key to this season is keeping Ogilvy on the floor as long as possible. He is the key to this team realizing its potential. While Big Fez can provide an adequate substitute when Ogilvy is injured, he isn't polished enough to assume a starting role.

It's obviously very early in practice and we're nowhere near the season, but anything to do with Ogilvy's health is important news for Commodore basketball fans.

Vandy Picked to Finish 3rd in the SEC East in Preseason Media, Ogilvy Named Preseason 2nd Team All-SEC

2009-10-20T12:17:00.003-05:00

Plenty of logic in these rankings. The media is in love with Calipari, his offense, and his band of blue-chippers. Tennessee returns basically everyone and was a tournament team last year. No doubt the media likes our mix of youth and experience.

South Carolina is a dangerous team for us solely because Devan Downey is exactly the kind of player we can't guard. John Wall may turn into that kind of headache as well, and the media, by placing him on the second team All-SEC without a single second of SEC experience, fully expects him to.

Patterson gets the nod over Ogilvy in the All-SEC poll. But it's not a bad place for A.J. to be. Here's to hoping that A.J. can use his size a bit better and possibly reach that first team at the end of the season.

Is Kevin Stallings Concerned, or Is He Keeping This Team Humble and Hungry?

2009-10-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Coach Stallings and some of the players met with the media before the opening of practice on Friday to discuss the season. When asked what his expectations were for this team, his response was very cryptic.

"I was asked that yesterday by a member of the print media, and that's not a question I would answer publicly. We'll talk about that within our group...It doesn't really matter what I think we can become, what I think matters is the kind of job we do on a day in, day out basis. As I told [the team] in our meeting before we came out here, we can only become a great team if we practice like one."

Stallings' sentiments don't necessarily mirror those of his fan base, who are more excited about this season than any in recent memory, including the Commodores runs to the Sweet 16 in 2004 and 2007, and the Shan Foster led 4 seed team of 2008.

"We talked about how young we were last year, and this year we have 1 senior and 2 juniors. That still sounds pretty young to me. But we are confident, I will say that. At this point of the year, it's as confident as I've been in quite some time in what a team can become. These guys have really worked hard."

Don't take Stallings words the wrong way. It isn't that he's pessimistic about this team's chances. He knows this team's talent, he knows it's a more seasoned group. Stallings is doing what he's always done, ensure that his teams know that if they want to be the best, they have to work the hardest.

To briefly interject my Atlanta Falcons homer-ism (sue me, if Bobby can have a post about Mark Sanchez, I can write what I want), one phrase that Coach Mike Smith uses is "humble and hungry." Simply put, it means that last year was last year, and you can't become satisfied, or listen to the hype.

While Kentucky opened the Calipari-era with a megolithic rock concert complete with massive dunks by his series of blue chippers, Vanderbilt quietly went about their business, answering a few questions from the media and getting to work in an empty Memorial Gym. Some might ask why Vanderbilt doesn't make the first day of practice more of a fan fare. I'd speculate that the reason is simple: this team is Clubber Lang to the rest of the SEC's Rocky.

Vanderbilt basketball has never been about hype. It's never been about a high pre-season ranking. It's never been about rolling out a buffet of blue chip prestigious prospects. Vanderbilt basketball is about being the underdog. It's about dismissing pre-season drivel with performance. It's about taking five guys who will simply out work you, without a whole lot of fan fare. Why? Because they expect to, and their coach expects it as well.

Deep down, all of us, including Stallings, know that this team has the makings of greatness. But teams are great only by what their record says at the end of the season. For now, the Commodores are just a group of guys working hard to be the best they can be.

Personally, I'll take humble and hungry over rock star diva any day.

BREAKING NEWS: TE Austin Monahan has torn ACL

2009-10-19T14:18:00.001-05:00

He is done for the year per Bobby Johnson's weekly press conference

More on Saturday (but not much more)

2009-10-19T11:18:00.005-05:00

Jeff Lockridge reports that the offensive line was unhappy with CBJ's criticisms after the game in today's Tennessean. David Boclair took the time in today's Nashville City Paper to highlight the one impressive drive the Commodores had on Saturday. I would agree that that drive should give Commodore fans (some) hope. I've said it here before, and I'll say it again: Vanderbilt is better off with Larry Smith under center than Mackenzi Adams going forward. Mac is a 5th year senior. If he leads the team to 2 wins (a tall order given Vanderbilt's remaining schedule), the Commodores are still 4-8 and watching on New Years Day. Vanderbilt is, at this point, destined for a disappointing season. Don't compound that by robbing an offensive unit of the time to struggle and hopefully progress together. 5 of Vanderbilt's 11 offensive starters for the UGA game are seniors, 4 of whom are on the offensive line that came under fire. Unfortunately, Thomas Welch went down to injury, and his status is unknown going forward. The silver lining is some inexperienced guys might get a chance to get some significant SEC game-experience. If the staring, "experienced" guys are not getting it done, maybe it's time to see more of the youngsters. Alex Washington hasn't been productive at all, let's see some more of Colin Ashley and Brady Brown. Am I wrong, is it time to give the young guys a chance?

Am I wrong, is it time to give the young guys a chance and sit some of the seniors?(online surveys)

In case 2-5 wasn't bad enough...

2009-10-18T19:53:00.002-05:00

Army lost to Temple 27-13 yesterday. Oh yeah, and the Jets just screwed me in my survivor pool. Great weekend on the gridiron.

2009-10-18T15:00:00.002-05:00

I've got a post about the opening of basketball practice and the outlook for this year coming on Monday, but since football season is unmercifully not over, since the 'Dores next opponent is South Carolina, and since I'm in the heart of Gamecock country, I thought I might as well include a few of my thoughts on our next opponent. I don't want to talk about UGA because it'll only make me angry (or happy, I'm conflicted).

The Gamecocks are excited about their football team this year, and rightfully so. They beat Ole Miss in a nationally televised upset. They gave Alabama a run for their money last night. They are young and talented on both sides of the ball and there's reason to believe, despite the media quibbling, that they are actually making some upward progress. South Carolina doesn't have much of a running game. Their offense primarily revolves around passing, so it's much more like the Spurrier offenses of old. Stephen Garcia isn't an elite quarterback, but he's a young player with a strong arm who can make plays with his feet if need be. He's apt to make boneheaded plays at times, but he can also make big ones and he has two high level players in Alshon Jeffery and Torrie Gurley who can more than make up for any inaccuracies. The real strength for Carolina lies in their defense. They are absolutely staunch in the middle and cannot easily be run on. Eric Norwood is the leader of that unit and he can move all over the field. The secondary has some decent playmakers as well. The Gamecocks thrive off momentum, and conversely they wallow in frustration. If things are going well for them, they can run with just about anyone. But if things aren't falling their way, they don't have the maturity to dig themselves out of a hole. The real weakness for the Gamecocks is that they have a tendency to look to the next biggest game on their schedule. Unfortunately, they've been burned twice by that approach against Vandy (they swear I've jinxed them, only in the SEC...). This isn't to say that Bobby Johnson and his staff can't find a way to make it three in a row, it's just a point that Spurrier simply won't let this team come in foggy headed as they did in the past. If we can strike first and find a way to keep our offense on the field, then we can do exactly what we've done in the past against South Carolina: take their momentum away and use their immaturity against them. But that's going to entail offensive improvement. We don't have to outshoot this team, we just have to play well enough to get the ball into the end zone a couple of times and burn some clock.

All this is moot without some semblance of offensive improvement. As stated, we don't have to be lights out, we just have to be good enough enough to put up a few points so our D can do the rest. EVENTUALLY we need to learn how to put together a drive.

So that's that. It really can't be broken down more simply. Doing it, well, that's another story.

Vanderbilt/Georgia: First Quarter Thoughts

2009-10-17T12:14:00.002-05:00

These thoughts/observations/questions are in no particular order of importance, but rather just stuff I wrote as it occurred to me:

1. Why have Jamie Graham play both ways now? Are you telling me we couldn't have used him last week against Army at wide receiver? How about against Ole Miss when we had close to 10 drops? I don't understand why, only after 6 games and 4 losses, are we trying to put our best team on the field on offense. With Casey Haywood's interception and keeping his feet inbounds, maybe it's time we have both our starting receivers play both ways.

2. I thought the play-calling on the offensive end was better to start the game. There was a good mix of passing and running plays. It didn't result in much, but it was better.

3. PLEASE STOP RUNNING THAT REVERSE. No one is surprised...in fact, defenses are expecting it. Yet another 4 yard loss.

4. To be as experienced as they are, the offensive line is pretty bad. I know we lost James Williams and that has had an impact. But one of the reasons Larry gets so many balls batted down is because he's got defensive ends in his kitchen all game.

4a. Larry Smith has to get more accurate. I know his line doesn't always give him time, but he doesn't put the ball where he needs to. He's also got to stop staring down his receivers. That interception was handed to the UGA safety on a silver plater.

4b. Alex Washington has to step to the ball on that throw. If he does, the ball is probably not picked-off, and he might even get the flag,

4c. Larry Smith does make some very good throws (like when he threaded the needle to Brandon Barden for what would have been a first down) that get doped.

5. The defense is fantastic. Except for AJ Green's 65-yard scamper, they are very good. As Stanimal texted me: "I feel so damn sorry for our defense...[the defense is] wasted on such a pathetic offense." He had more to say, but this is a family blog.

6. I think the "chess match" the announcers referred to when CBJ called not 1 but 2 time outs at the end of the quarter to force UGA to punt the ball into the wind. A few problems: first, the Georgia kid still had a booming punt; second, Vanderbilt only got to run 1 play on offense and then had to go into the wind.

That's all I've got (for now). As I hit send, UGA just scored a TD. 14-3 Dawgs.

Homecoming Weekend, Vanderbilt/Georgia: Who Ya Got

2009-10-16T13:23:00.000-05:00

Homecoming Weekend, Vanderbilt/Georgia: Who Ya Got?(polls)

Coaches Stand Behind Larry Smith

2009-10-15T10:22:00.004-05:00

CBJ and Ted Cain continue to hold their ground, leaving Larry at the helm and trying to fend off calls for a change at QB while also seeking to avoid letting this season spiral completely out of control. Meanwhile, Mackenzi Adams is getting more and more fumed -- and less and less shy about vocalizing it to the media. I'd say this internal conflict is a recipe for disaster or a harbinger of implosion, but it's possible we've already crossed that bridge. What say you?

In related news, I knew we'd hit rock bottom when our fearless leader CBJ resorted to whining about the late-game pass interference call against Army. I mean, a bad call it may have been, but seriously...ARMY.

Vanderbilt Sports Line

Gary Parrish Thinks We're Going to Do Worse Than Kentucky and Tennessee......and Florida...and South Carolina

What's the Case Against Giving Jared Funk a Shot?

If, Theoretically, Vanderbilt Played UNC in a Basketball Scrimmage Sunday, And Theoretically, They Won, What Would You Think of That...Theoretically?

Report: Smith's Injury Bad, Mackenzi Adams Likely Starter the Rest of the Season

Open Thread: Your Thoughts on Tonight's Vanderbilt/Georgia Tech Game

Commodores Up Against a Tough Test with the Jackets

Vanderbilt/Georgia Tech: Who Ya Got?

VSL Hotline: All Hallow Eve Eve Edition

VSL and Facebook

Others Receiving Votes: 2009-10 Polls Released

Jeffery Taylor - One of the Ten Best Players You've Never Heard Of

Andy Katz Gives the Dores Some Love

Rod Odom Decommits from Arizona and Commits to Vanderbilt

South Carolina/Vanderbilt Link Exchange with Garnet and Black Attack

South Carolina/Vanderbilt Link Exchange with Garnet and Black Attack

Ogilvy Missing Practice Because of Concussion

Vandy Picked to Finish 3rd in the SEC East in Preseason Media, Ogilvy Named Preseason 2nd Team All-SEC

Is Kevin Stallings Concerned, or Is He Keeping This Team Humble and Hungry?

BREAKING NEWS: TE Austin Monahan has torn ACL

More on Saturday (but not much more)

In case 2-5 wasn't bad enough...

Next

Vanderbilt/Georgia: First Quarter Thoughts

Homecoming Weekend, Vanderbilt/Georgia: Who Ya Got

Coaches Stand Behind Larry Smith