Thoughts on Vandy's WIN over UConn

[BrentVU]

Lots of times you hear football fans, when games are starting to get out of hand, use the cliche with each other, "I've seen this movie before." But Vanderbilt putting together a game-winning drive in the last two minutes after losing a lead? That's not a movie you've seen very often as a Vanderbilt fan, but you've now seen it twice this season. So, sure. Vandy made lots of mistakes, and benefited from the mistakes of a Huskie team that was playing above its reputation. But when it came down to absolute crunch time, Ken Seals, Joe Bulovas & Co. didn't blink. And that's something very, very good.

After the ETSU loss, many thought Vandy was staring down the barrel of 0-12; we're now 2-3. We ticket holders hadn't witnessed a home win since 2019; kudos to all who endured the rain to the end and saw Bulovas stroke it. It's SOOO much nicer to be able to shout "Conquer and prevail!" at the end of the game, when the team has actually prevailed.

Vandy's defense had prepared all week to face running QB Tyler Phommachanh, then got thrown a curveball when he went out injured. Steven Krajewski, who'd recently been benched, proved to be a very serviceable replacement (with our old nemesis Noel Mazzone calling the shots). It was simply not a good night for the Vandy defense. Receivers ran a step or two ahead of Vandy's DBs most of the night, and the DBs were bailed out only when Krajewski was off target. Vandy got almost zero pass rush, even after making it a point of emphasis. We did get two interceptions (but fumbled one of them right back); Alex Williams got a big sack, only to have it nullified by grabbing the QB's facemask. Vandy gave up first downs on a 3rd-and-16, a 3rd-and-17, and on the final drive, a 4th-and18 (!!!!). In the fourth quarter, Krajewski had our D on its heels, and the ease with which UConn moved down the field on those last two TD drives was disturbing.

Ken Seals, who went the whole way, finally looked comfortable and had his best game of the season. He found Will Sheppard open on some downfield passes for TDs, and with Vandy up 27-16, it looked as though the game might be in hand. It wasn't. Vandy had the ball with five minutes left up 27-22, but got stuffed running up the middle on second and third downs and had to punt. The next time Seals touched the ball, Vandy was behind 28-27, but Seals had that look in his eye. On a monumental 4th-and-4, he found Devin Boddie for a clutch completion. Three plays, four timeouts, and one kick later, the party started.

So this week, the offensive coaches are back on my good list (all those endgame situation drills have paid off twice), while the defensive coaches are in my doghouse. The offensive gameplan provided a few headscratchers, but Seals ultimately made his coaches look good (we did break 30 points for the first time this season). The O is improving a little each week. But the defense: how much can it really improve? There's a dearth of speed in the second and third levels, and all that pregame talk of generaing a pass rush produced little. (I can't stop thinking about those eight experienced defensive players who left last year for the portal.)

So, No. 2 Georgia destroyed Arkansas 37-0, and Stanford upset No. 3 Oregon, did they? Does that change perceptions about Vanderbilt at all? Probably not to anyone but us. However, I will say this. The UConn team we beat is not the cupcake they'd been made out to be (though they did give us 94 yards in penalties). With Noel Mazzone calling the shots on offense, UConn is going to win a couple of games, and soon. Once they do, last night's win is going to look a little better.

- That Errington Truesdell really is a force on special teams! (Even if he did draw a penalty body-slamming that returner.) A number of other freshmen are starting to get more snaps: DB Marlen Sewell and Tyson Russell, DL Marcus Bradley and Devin Lee, and obviously James Ziglor and Patrick Smith.

- And as for Clark Lea, he showed a lot more emotion than we've seen so far! The head bump was Erk Russell-esque.

[AuricGoldfinger]

At this point in the season, it's obvious the defense is what it is. There is a monumental lack of speed, strength, and talent on that side of the ball, and the coaches just have very limited opportunities to scheme and plan for anything resembling a cohesive unit. I shudder to think what Ole Miss will do to us.

Offensively, I was baffled at times by what we were trying to do. UConn was ranked 123rd versus the run coming into the game, and after some early success running the ball we seemed to go away from it. The series of downs inside the UConn 10-yard line early in the 4th quarter which resulted in a short Bulovas FG was just bizarre: two keepers by Ken Seals around the right side that both resulted in a loss of a yard, followed by a pass incompletion. Running the ball there was the right call, but those two Seals running plays had zero chance.

As you noted, we shot ourselves in the foot many, many times last night. Fortunately, so did the Huskies. It was ugly at times, but losing that game would have been unthinkable. You gotta love the comeback. As bad as this season has been at times, the fact that we have two wins achieved on end-of-the-game drives and FGs is a nice thing to build on. It hasn't always happened.

[VU1970]

I had a bad feeling we could lose that game on a missed FG. It was hooking sharply left but made it past the goalpost, thank goodness. Bulovas will miss one now and then, but he has come through when it mattered most.

UConn should get at least two wins this season, with their next two games against UMass and Yale. They could get a third win if they can upset Middle Tennessee. But the Huskies still have to play Clemson, UCF, and Houston.

We will face some sure-enough riled-up Gators next Saturday, so let’s enjoy this one. I said I would be happy with a one-point win, and we did twice as good.

[Go Vandy!]

So, Brent, did your friends have to stand thru the entire game?

[BrentVU]

So, Brent, did your friends have to stand thru the entire game?

My friend ended up buying a couple of tickets for the game for $60 apiece from some scalpers outside the stadium. But the sightline was so bad, and when Vandy fell behind 6 to nothing in the first quarter, he had a flashback to the ETSU game. He said he couldn't bear to sit through another Vandy loss to a big underdog, so he left.

[BrentVU]

We will face some sure-enough riled-up Gators next Saturday, so let’s enjoy this one. I said I would be happy with a one-point win, and we did twice as good.

You know, I think just the opposite. I think that loss to the Gators should take some starch out of them, and they may not be ready to give their best in an early morning kickoff. If Vandy comes into the game with the right attitude... who knows?

P.S. Ten years ago, an unexpected home win over UConn in Game Two was the catalyst for a season that ended 6-6.

[BrentVU]

Here are some "movies" Vanderbilt fans HAVE seen before, when Vanderbilt is driving for the winning score...

1. Quarterback throws an interception.
2. Team maneuvers into position for field goal... MISSED.
3. Team maneuvers into position for field goal... BLOCKED.
4. Team maneuvers into position for field goal... PENALTY puts us out of range.
5. Team scores tying touchdown, only to MISS the extra point due to penalties on two plays in a row.

And on and on... extra points to anyone who can name the opponent and year.

[jpmando]

LSU, home final 7-6 Woody years.

And what running back got knocked out of the game? He made it to the NFL.

[vandytoad]

That was Vanderbilt under Woody Widenhofer and LSU under Gerry DiNardo in 1996. VU lost 7-6. Woody was originally going to go for the win with a two point attempt. The team was celebrating so much that VU got a delay of game penalty and then another to put the extra point attempt on 13 yard line and the kicker missed the extra point.

UK had Tim Couch as QB that year and Hal Mumme as coach. A UK fan and I agreed if you had put the UK offense with the VU defense that year, that team would have won the national championship.

[jpmando]

and who caught the td pass?

Oh the curse of VU football fandom

[MrMemorial]

Real Time RPI says UConn will be a slight favorite over Yale and MTSU. Winless UMass has given up an average of around 50 points per game. They should be able to pull that one out. Maybe.

It also says we are now favored over Missouri by five.

[BrentVU]

6. Vandy maneuvers into position for the game-tying field goal... it's a FAKE! Run comes up short of the first down.

[AuricGoldfinger]

LSU, home final 7-6 Woody years.

And what running back got knocked out of the game? He made it to the NFL.

Cecil Collins. He actually never made it to the league, as his career was derailed by that knee injury and subsequent legal problems.

[AuricGoldfinger]

Here are some "movies" Vanderbilt fans HAVE seen before, when Vanderbilt is driving for the winning score...

1. Quarterback throws an interception.
2. Team maneuvers into position for field goal... MISSED.
3. Team maneuvers into position for field goal... BLOCKED.
4. Team maneuvers into position for field goal... PENALTY puts us out of range.
5. Team scores tying touchdown, only to MISS the extra point due to penalties on two plays in a row.

And on and on... extra points to anyone who can name the opponent and year.

Missed FGs at the End of Game:
Georgia 1985
Duke 1988
Auburn 1991
Alabama 2001
at Tennessee 2007
Arkansas 2011

Blocked FGs at End of Game:
MSTU 2005

QB Throws an Interception:
at Tennessee 2011

You omitted...Team Driving for Winning Score, but Fumbles:
at LSU 1991
Kentucky 1999
Georgia 2007
Army 2009

[MrMemorial]

Missed FGs at the End of Game:

Duke 1988

What was particularly annoying about that one, VU had the ball 3rd and goal inside the Duke 10. All Watson Brown had to do was have the QB put it in the middle of the field and kick the game winner. (like last night)

He tried a backwards pitch play to the student section side to Brad Gaines who got sacked for a big loss. And the kicker missed it.

[JWCommodore]

The series of downs inside the UConn 10-yard line early in the 4th quarter which resulted in a short Bulovas FG was just bizarre: two keepers by Ken Seals around the right side that both resulted in a loss of a yard, followed by a pass incompletion. Running the ball there was the right call, but those two Seals running plays had zero chance.

Absolutely yes.... I much prefer someone else running the ball besides Seals.

[JWCommodore]

My friend ended up buying a couple of tickets for the game for $60 apiece from some scalpers outside the stadium.

Please tell me you're not being serious.

[jpmando]

And Vandy RB Jimmy Williams got knocked silly and he did get to the NFL

[jpmando]

TD was caught by Tavarous Hogans

[VUinFL]

That LSU game is on YouTube…

https://youtu.be/IUiu8U3SChU

Talk about a coaching staff crapping the bed…that was an all-timer