Vandy Black and Gold

It's gonna be a long season.

2006-11-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

I chalked up the Georgetown loss to Georgetown being a good team. Turns out, though, that our 'Dores are headed for a long season on the hardwood.

Stallings is probably going to get canned after the season if this keeps up. Tonight Vandy loses to Furman, the first time since 1968 that Vandy has lost to a Southern Conference team. Former assistant Jeff Jackson got the better of the 'Dores tonight.

I said earlier that Vandy is going to live and die by the three this season. Tonight most certainly fell into the "die" category as the Commodores shot 2-of-17 from three-point range, killing whatever chance they had at defeating a middling Southern Conference school. In a loss last week to Wake Forest, the 'Dores shot 9-for-29. 10-for-29 against Elon (another middling SC school)? 81-70 win.

The SEC doesn't appear to be exceptionally great outside of Florida, LSU, and Alabama. Kentucky and Tennessee look like solid teams but not Final Four contenders by any stretch. But Vanderbilt has shown little to make me think that they're anything more than a second-division team. In fact, Vandy may be the worst team in the SEC.

It's gonna be a long season. Brace yourselves.

Hoops: Back to the drawing board.

2006-11-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

Georgetown 86, Vanderbilt 70. Not good.

To put things shortly, there wasn't a lot that went well last night. Sure, Vandy hung around for a while, but for most of the game you knew where the game was going. Vandy wasn't going to win unless it got hot from three-point range.

And that didn't happen. No, guys, 5-for-21 from beyond the arc isn't going to cut it against anyone, much less a top ten team. That doesn't bode well for the season; Florida and LSU are at least as good as Georgetown. Alabama is about on the same level, with Tennessee and Kentucky a notch below (though not by much.)

The good: There wasn't a whole lot. Alex Gordon scored 15 points in just 19 minutes of action. Ross Neltner had 8 boards in his Vandy debut.

The bad: Shan Foster. 0-for-5 from the floor, 0-for-4 from three, two points. And this guy is supposed to be our star?

The ugly: More like "the hideous." Vandy's two big men, Alan Metcalfe and Ted Skuchas, combined for ten fouls in 33 minutes. Metcalfe fouled out in just ten minutes. True, few teams have a big man who's a force like Roy Hibbert (18 points, 10 boards, 3 blocks in just 23 minutes) but this, quite frankly, is terrible. What are these guys going to do when they have to defend Joakim Noah?

More efforts like this, and Kevin Stallings is going to be looking for a new job at season's end. Against the better teams on the schedule, Vandy's just going to toss up threes and hope enough of them fall for the team to stay competitive. When they're not falling, well, we get what happened last night. Vandy had no hope unless the longballs were dropping, and they weren't.

12,414 were in attendance for opening night. That's pretty good, but a top ten team for the first game of the season, and you can't even sell out the place?

There are going to be changes upcoming if this keeps up. Ugh.

Vanderbilt Stadium becomes Neyland Stadium West this Saturday. Even worse.

Basketball Preview

2006-11-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

Last season: wasted.

Last season, there were publications that had Vandy picked second in the SEC East. That's right, second. You're not going to see that this season. This season, with Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky all NCAA-caliber teams, and an improving Georgia team, the consensus for the 'Dores is fifth place.

Let's cut to the chase: Fifth place, and this is likely Kevin Stallings' last season in Nashville. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, since Stallings is a good guy, but he's been about as successful in his seven years as Jan van Breda Kolff was in his. VBK got the boot, and while Stallings has run a clean program and generally been competitive and a pretty good recruiter, I don't see why he should be allowed to stay longer than VBK was.

For the sake of perspective, VBK made one NCAA appearance in six years at Vandy. Stallings has made one appearance in seven years -- granted, the 'Dores made it to the Sweet Sixteen. VBK was hurt because he inherited a team that won the SEC East and made it to the Sweet Sixteen in 1993 -- Eddie Fogler's last season -- and returned pretty much everybody, and made the Final Four. Problem was, he made the Final Four of the wrong tournament (the NIT) and couldn't keep the program at the level that Fogler had it. Stallings got screwed out of an NCAA appearance in his first year in Nashville (admittedly, with VBK's players) and, for the most part, has maintained the program at essentially the level VBK had it. Which isn't saying a lot.

Anyway, last year was a disaster in large part due to the soap opera that was Mario Moore's senior season, but we're not holding that personally against Mario. Stallings appeared to have lost control of the team by the end of the season, and he really needs a big year.

OUTTA HERE

In addition to the aforementioned Moore, Julian Terrell is gone. He was a solid four-year player who will be missed, but not the kind of guy who absolutely can't be replaced.

As if losing Moore and Terrell wasn't bad enough, 6'7" sophomore forward DeMarre Carroll decided to take his 10.8 ppg to Missouri. Carroll was another good player, but with Derrick Byars and Shan Foster on the wings, he's not irreplaceable.

IN THE POST

Even with Terrell last season, this wasn't a strong point for the 'Dores. Serviceable big men Ted Skuchas and Alan Metcalfe are back, and LSU transfer Ross Neltner is now in the fold, but this won't be a strong area.

Skuchas, at 6'11", 250 pounds, appears overmatched by the more athletic SEC big men. Last season, he averaged a meager three points a game in a backup role. Pencil the senior in as a starter, but the 6'9", 260-pound Metcalfe could just as easily be in there. Either way, though, the Commodores are in trouble. We'll get an early idea just how bad the situation is with Georgetown and its skilled 7'2" big man Roy Hibbert coming to Memorial Gym for the season opener on Wednesday.

Neltner transferred for playing time, and he'll get it with the sad situation underneath for the Commodores. Except the 6'9", 240-pound Neltner is probably more comfortable on the wing, from what I've heard.

ON THE WINGS

6'7" senior Derrick Byars is arguably the leader of this team, after averaging 12.4 ppg in his first year after transferring from Virginia. The former Tennessee Mr. Basketball finalist out of Memphis needs to be more productive if the 'Dores are going to be any good.

He'll be flanked by 6'6" junior Shan Foster, the team's best player and leading scorer from a year ago. Both Foster and Byars are good three-point shooters. 6'5" senior Dan Cage is another strong three-point shooter, connecting on 46 percent of long-range bombs last season.

THE POINT

Alex Gordon was supposed to be a backup last season until the Moore soap opera unfolded. The 5'11" junior is probably your starting point guard this season unless he's pushed aside by freshman Jermaine Beal.

THE NEWBIES

Redshirt freshman George Drake, a 6'4" guard from Alabama, will see his first action this season. He redshirted last season due to the fact that the Commodores were loaded on the wings. With Byars and Foster still at Vanderbilt, but Carroll gone, he'll see some action this year off the bench.

Vandy also brings in two well-regarded freshmen. JeJuan Brown, a 6'7" forward from Biloxi, MS, is a pretty good wing, but it's not like Vanderbilt is thin there. More likely to contribute right away is Jermaine Beal, a four-star point guard from DeSoto, Texas. Beal will see significant minutes behind Alex Gordon, if he's not the starter.

OUTLOOK

Is it possible for Vandy to improve on last season's 17-13 record? Sure. Is it likely? Not really.

There's talent here, sure, but not as much as most teams in the East. Certainly less than Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky, and probably less than Georgia, too (though Georgia lacks experience.) South Carolina should be bad enough for the 'Dores to avoid the basement, but this team is going to be an NCAA bubble team at best.

The non-conference schedule is soft enough that Vandy should be able to enter December with three losses at most. There's the tough opener with Georgetown and a game with Georgia Tech, but both of those games are at Memorial Gym. There's also a tougher-than-you-think road game at Rice right after New Year's, and an easier-than-you-think game at Wake Forest. The San Juan Shootout in late December includes Utah and Virginia but little else.

The SEC schedule will undoubtedly be tough; the Sporting News thinks the SEC will be the toughest conference in the country. This has the feel of a .500 team -- good enough that it won't be a total embarrassment, but not good enough to be a serious NCAA threat.

SEC Preview: Week 5

2006-09-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I missed Auburn-South Carolina last night. Both teams looked good, South Carolina had a chance to send it to overtime late, but Sidney Rice couldn't come down with a jump ball in the end zone. That was after redshirt freshman Jared Cook dropped a sure touchdown on a perfect ball over the middle by Syvelle Newton. Had the game gone to overtime, I think South Carolina would have pulled it out after coming back from two touchdowns behind in the fourth quarter.

That said... on to this week's picks. Last week: 8-2 SU, 7-2 ATS.

Temple at Vanderbilt (-34): You know you're bad when you're a 34-point underdog against Vanderbilt. In case you needed further proof that Temple is really, really bad, here's your proof. This article mentions that Vanderbilt, since 1980, has never been giving more than 22.5 points. Normally, I'd be worried about Vandy giving 34 points, but Temple is so ridiculously bad that Vandy just might do it. Pick: Vanderbilt 45, Temple 0.

Game of the Week
Alabama at Florida (-15.5): Assuming Mike Shula removes his head from his ass and either replaces Leigh Tiffin with Jamie Christensen (or foregoes the kicking game altogether), Alabama will be competitive in this game; they're better than you think. Florida, on the other hand... is also better than you think. Pick: Florida 21, Alabama 10.

Other SEC Games
Mississippi State at LSU (-34): The offense with Omarr Conner under center has actually, you know, shown some signs of life (read: scored points.) The trouble with this observation was that the shutouts came against the stout South Carolina and Auburn defenses; Conner's output came against Tulane and UAB, and even against UAB they only scored 10 points in regulation. LSU came back strong last week by blowing out the same Tulane team that beat the Bulldogs, and LSU should do the same this week. Pick: LSU 41, Mississippi State 3.

Georgia (-18) at Ole Miss: Yeah, Georgia struggled with Colorado last week, but Colorado is actually better than Ole Miss. Ole Miss is, in a word, godawful. Bulldogs in a blowout. Pick: Georgia 28, Ole Miss 7.

Other games
Tennessee (-13) at Memphis: This isn't the same Memphis team without DeAngelo Williams, though Williams didn't play when the Vols just barely survived the Tigers at Rocky Top last year. Of course, this doesn't appear to be the same Tennessee team, either. Erik Ainge should pick apart the porous Memphis D, which is without its recently-fired coordinator Joe Lee Dunn. Pick: Tennessee 38, Memphis 14.

Central Michigan at Kentucky (-8): Kentucky is better than you think, but so is Central Michigan. CMU played Boston College tough, beat an Akron team that had beaten NC State, and then avoided a letdown against Eastern Michigan last week. Of course, two of those wins came at home, and while Commonwealth Stadium doesn't provide the advantage that, say, Rupp Arena does, it's asking a lot for the Chippewas to come up with a W on the road. Pick: Kentucky 21, Central Michigan 17.

There you have 'em. Week Five picks.

Week 4 in Review

2006-09-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

It was ugly for a while, but Vandy did what they were supposed to do. A 38-9 win over Tennessee State gives the 'Dores their first win of the season, meaning Vandy is no longer the "best 0-3 team in the nation."

It all happened in a flurry. Midway through the third quarter, Vandy led 10-3. The first half had been rough. Before the game even started, it was delayed for forty minutes because of a thunderstorm in the area. With good field position to start its opening drive, Vandy pushed the ball inside the ten, but TSU stopped them short of the goal line and Bryant Hahnfeldt missed a 19-yard field goal. Maybe it was a hangover from last week, maybe it was the wind and the rain, but it's a 19-yarder (basically an extra point.) Of course, TSU immediately gave it right back on a fumble at their own 9 -- and stuffed Vandy on fourth-and-goal at the 1.

The defense was solid throughout, keeping TSU from getting a first down until midway through the second quarter and only giving up a field goal after Chris Nickson threw an interception that was returned to the Vandy 12. But with the score 10-3 at the half, I had a sick feeling in my stomach that somehow Vandy was going to find a way to lose this game. That feeling didn't get any better when Vandy fumbled deep in TSU territory on their first series of the second half.

And then it happened.

It started when Vandy had a fourth down at the TSU 33. Oddly enough, Bobby Johnson decided to punt in this situation, evidently not trusting Hahnfeldt to do much of anything any more. Punter Bret Upson pinned TSU at their own 1-yard line. On second down on the ensuing possession, TSU quarterback Antonio Heffner retreated deep into his own end zone, avoiding the pass rush. As he tried to throw, the ball deflected off a Vandy defender. Marcus Buggs managed to catch the deflection in the air and keep his balance in the back of the end zone for an instant touchdown.

All of a sudden, TSU folded. They fumbled the ensuing kickoff; Vandy recovered and punched it in two plays later. On the first play of the next possession, Heffner threw another interception; Chris Nickson threw a 33-yard touchdown strike to Earl Bennett on the next play. Suddenly, a game that just minutes before had been 10-3 was 31-3. Ballgame.

The defense looked great in the game. Despite what my gut was telling me, TSU probably couldn't have won because it was doing next to nothing against the Vandy D. Sure, it was Tennessee State, but holding an opponent to 216 yards (55 on the ground) is never easy.

The offense... ummmm...

Chris Nickson still looks uncomfortable throwing the deep ball. Mackenzi Adams finally saw some time on the last drive, after the game was decided, but Bobby Johnson is committed to Nickson. The problems are obvious: if there's no threat of a vertical passing game, opponents are going to load up the box (as Arkansas did) and force Nickson to make plays. Luckily for Vandy, its next two opponents are Temple ('nuff said) and Ole Miss (more on them later.)

To the rest of the SEC:

Georgia 14, Colorado 13: Georgia needed a late touchdown to beat Colorado. Seriously, the Georgia offense didn't show up for the first three quarters but luckily the defense was kind enough to hold Colorado to 13 points and make a comeback doable once redshirt freshman Joe Cox replaced Matt Stafford. Of course, Georgia gets a break in that they'll be playing Ole Miss, who also doesn't have an offense, next week.

Auburn 38, Buffalo 7: You were expecting? Kenny Irons didn't even play, and Aubie still rolled up 261 yards on the ground. So I guess Auburn won't have too many problems if Irons gets seriously hurt and has to miss a few games... or maybe this was just because they were playing, well, Buffalo. Who knows.

Arkansas 24, Alabama 23 (2OT): Is it just me, or does every overtime game in the SEC somehow involve Arkansas? Anyway, Alabama lost on a missed PAT. Mitch Mustain was 7-for-22 for 97 yards and got picked off three times. John Parker Wilson was 16-for-20 for 241 yards and 3 TD's. I'm still trying to figure out how, exactly, Arkansas won this game. Leigh Tiffin's three missed field goals (and, of course, missed PAT) probably had a lot to do with it, but I'm sure Hogs fans will take a win over Alabama however they can get it.

Tennessee 33, Marshall 7: Erik Ainge wasn't great, but he was good enough considering how well the Vols ran the ball and the fact that Marshall wasn't really doing much to make a game of it. Memphis should be a nice tuneup for Georgia in two weeks.

Wake Forest 27, Ole Miss 3: Here's why it won't matter if Chris Nickson can't throw the deep ball for two weeks. Wake Forest threw the ball a whopping five times and basically bludgeoned Ole Miss to death on the ground -- and that was without their starting tailback. Wake also held the Rebel offense to just 213 yards (34 on the ground -- pretty pathetic for a team with a highly mobile quarterback and a reportedly legit RB.) Ole Miss is just so godawful that I'd be surprised if Vandy isn't favored when they go to Oxford in two weeks.

South Carolina 45, Florida Atlantic 6: This game tells us absolutely nothing. Syvelle Newton is now the starting QB, even though Blake Mitchell's suspension is apparently over. Sidney Rice did catch five touchdown passes, however.

Mississippi State 16, UAB 10 (OT): Well, Mississippi State finally got a win. UAB isn't very good, though, and the offense still struggled, getting just 247 yards.

Florida 26, Kentucky 7: A bit of a letdown after the big win over the Vols last week, but it's still a win, and Kentucky has actually shown signs of life this season. The Gators rolled up 468 yards; a couple of turnovers prevented this one from being a blowout.

LSU 49, Tulane 7: Good news, of course, is that Tulane will finally get to play a home game again in the Superdome next week, but before that happened LSU sent them off with this beatdown. Former stud recruit/QB-in-waiting Ryan Perrilloux even saw some action in this one.

On Notice!

2006-09-23T00:19:00.000-07:00

Lincoln Financial Sports
Will the 11:30 AM kickoff ever die? 11:30 kickoff equals 8:30 AM drinking, which is never good.

Also, as much as I like tailgating, remember the primary reason you are at the stadium: to watch football. Entering the stadium in the middle of the second quarter is unacceptable no matter what. Yes, even if you're going to watch Vandy.

Brent Musberger
You just had to do it, didn't you, Brent? Reveal on the air that John David Booty's "hang loose" sign means that a wideout is facing single coverage? I don't know why USC is so angry about this, as though (a) the defense doesn't already know that it's in single coverage on the wideout, and (b) any defensive coordinator couldn't have watched game film and come to the same conclusion himself.

Jim Tressel's Sweatervest
Why the hell not?

Brady Quinn for Heisman
Anybody who caught five seconds of the Michigan-Notre Dame game last weekend got a chance to see the Golden Domer's Heisman candidacy go up in smoke. Now Chris Nickson's performance against Michigan's D doesn't look so bad, does it?

Gordon Riese
Not only was the replay guy for the Oklahoma-Oregon debacle last weekend, but also happened to be on the field for the infamous Cal-Stanford band game.

Bobby Johnson's Playcalling
Always questionable and occasionally effective. Delayed handoff to Cassen Jackson-Garrison on first down. Quarterback draw by Nickson on second down. Arkansas played one safety the entire game, and yet Johnson never saw any reason to have Nickson throw the deep ball. Okay, so Johnson and Ted Cain aren't, say, Jeff Bowden godawful, but when fans sitting in the stands know exactly what's coming, it's a pretty good bet that the opposing team's defensive coordinator does as well.

Mitch Mustain
National freshman of the week? Big deal. Mustain needs to give credit to Marcus Monk (for making those touchdowns possible), his offensive line (for allowing Vandy players into the backfield roughly three times on Saturday), the officiating crew (for ruling a lateral that Vandy would have returned for a score as a forward pass), and Reshard Langford (for dropping a sure pick six that would have won it for Vandy.) But not himself. He doesn't deserve this award.

Mullets
How awesome would it be if Mitch Mustain had a mullet?

SEC Picks: Week 4

2006-09-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Game of the Week
Alabama at Arkansas (-2): Alabama comes into this game 3-0 and sporting a Top 25 ranking. We'll go with the common opponent theory: Alabama played Vandy at home and won by three points. Arkansas played at Vandy and won by two points. Thus 'Bama and Arkansas are really about even. Vandy generally was able to move the ball consistently against Arkansas but not against Alabama; this apparent defensive strength is negated by Alabama's weak offense. Look for a low-scoring game and for the Razorbacks to win with the home crowd behind them. Pick: Arkansas 14, Alabama 10.

Other conference game
Kentucky at Florida (-26.5): Florida is three-and-oh and coming off the big win at Rocky Top, so they're probably about due for a letdown. They also could be looking ahead to that nasty upcoming stretch (Alabama, LSU, @Auburn, Georgia). Luckily for the Gators, Kentucky is coming to the Swamp this week. Kentucky's a decent team, dispatching Ole Miss pretty easily last week, but they're not about to go into Florida and win. That said, with a potential letdown and looking ahead to October, this game could be closer than you think. Pick: Florida 34, Kentucky 17.

Non-conference games
Colorado at Georgia (-27): This could be ugly. You've got a Colorado offense that has scored 23 points in three games (versus defensive juggernauts Montana State, Colorado State, and Arizona State, no less) against a Georgia D that hasn't allowed a single point in its last two. Is it possible Georgia will pitch a shutout three times in a row? Nah, expect Colorado PK Mason Crosby to connect on a long-distance FG or two, but don't expect to see the Buffaloes in the end zone. It's a sad story when your best player is the kicker. Pick: Georgia 27, Colorado 3.

Buffalo at Auburn (-41.5): Need I really say more? Okay, Kenny Irons won't be playing. And why should he? Buffalo isn't as terrible as they've been in recent years, which is like saying McDonald's Big and Tasty is an improvement over the Arch Deluxe. Pick: Auburn 45, Buffalo 6.

Marshall at Tennessee (-21.5): Since the OMGZ BIG WIN!!!! over Cal, Tennessee has looked a bit like, well, 2005 Tennessee, except that Erik Ainge doesn't suck. (Well, not quite, 2005 Tennessee would have found a way to lose to Air Force.) I'd like for the Vols to win... I mean, as much as I enjoy the pain of Big Orange fans everywhere, hating the Vols just isn't as much fun when they're not any good. Hofstra hung 31 points and 269 yards passing on the Herd, so Ainge should have a field day. Pick: Tennessee 42, Marshall 16.

Wake Forest at Ole Miss (-2.5): Yes, Wake Forest is 3-0, but when the teams you have played are Syracuse, Duke, and UConn, if you're not undefeated you have major problems. Wake beat Duke on a blocked field goal and beat UConn despite being outgained by over 100 yards. So I'm willing to bet that this is more just a fluke and Ole Miss will end these shenanigans this weekend in Oxford. Yeah, Ole Miss isn't very good, either, but Wake's starting QB and RB won't be playing in this game and the defense should be able to shut down the backups, so it's not like Ole Miss's "offense" will have to score too many points. Pick: Ole Miss 14, Wake Forest 7.

Florida Atlantic at South Carolina (-30): I'm convinced that even though TSU is I-AA, their game at Vandy will be more competitive than two games involving SEC teams this week (and, perhaps, Vandy's game with Temple next week.) FAU has filled its school's coffers by accepting three consecutive 40-point beatdowns at the hands of Clemson, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State, and are currently in the running with Temple for the title of "worst team that has decided to refer to itself as I-A." On the latter, I'm not sure exactly how many people actually refer to them as such, but I'm guessing the Owls make it four in a row this week. Pick: South Carolina 52, Florida Atlantic 3.

Mississippi State at UAB (-9.5): Hey, the Bulldogs scored points last week! Okay, it was against Tulane, who had gotten lit up for 600 yards the week before, and the Bulldogs still lost the game, so there really isn't much to get excited about. MSU goes for the double shot this week, losing to C-USA teams two weeks in a row. Didn't it used to be that no matter how bad the bottom of the SEC was in a given year, they still beat mediocre C-USA schools? Anyways, as long as UAB's defense shows up, they should hold MSU under ten points and get a win over a bad SEC team. Pick: UAB 16, Mississippi State 10.

Tulane at LSU (-36): The aforementioned Green Wave faces an LSU team certain to be angry about getting jobbed by the officials in Auburn last week. Sure, Tulane beat Mississippi State last week, but that's Mississippi State, and this is LSU. Wait 'til baseball season, Green Wave. Pick: LSU 49, Tulane 10.

Game 4: Tennessee State at Vandy

2006-09-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

In the "pathetic" department, somebody has decided to devote a blog to Vanderbilt sports.

Yes, that's correct, even with Jay Cutler now in the NFL, they still play sports at Vandy, and we watch 'em.

So what do we have on tap this weekend? Vandy gets its first win of the year in a showdown with crosstown "rival" Tennessee State. TSU, according to Jeff Sagarin, is the second-worst team in the I-AA Ohio Valley Conference -- currently the 21st-ranked conference in the country. So this shouldn't be much of a game. (The game, though, is apparently being referred to as the "Battle of Nashville." Every game on TSU's schedule, it seems, has some special name, including the oddly named Black Biker's Classic against Tennessee Tech. The annual Southern Heritage Classic between TSU and Jackson State at the Liberty Bowl normally outdraws the Liberty Bowl itself and most University of Memphis football games (at least, back when Memphis wasn't any good.)

Despite being only a few miles apart, TSU and Vandy have never played each other in football. TSU really isn't bad for a I-AA team (Sagarin's ratings being skewed by his "preseason" rankings that still factor in TSU's 2-9 record in '05.) Sophomore RB Javarris Williams spearheads the offense, rushing for 118.3 ypg in the first three games of the season, while South Carolina transfer (and former Memphis Melrose star) Antonio Heffner leads the OVC in passing efficiency with a 145.2 rating. TSU is better than Vandy in virtually every statistical category.

Of course, all that is meaningless; Vandy has played Michigan, Alabama, and Arkansas, while TSU has played Alabama A&M, Murray State, and Jackson State. Even Vanderbilt will be a big step up in competition. That's not to say the game won't be entertaining. Bobby Johnson has a frustrating tendency to play games conservatively, meaning that Vandy won't win this one 71-0 like some I-A teams would when presented with a similar opportunity. TSU has enough talent to potentially make this one interesting, and Vandy is probably (no, definitely) looking at this one and Temple next week as a breather before going back to SEC play. TSU probably won't win, but they're not going to roll over and die, either. The fact that this is the first meeting between the two schools -- the only two D-I football schools in Nashville -- mean that this should be interesting.

It also could very well be Vandy's most-attended home game of the season. HBCU football games typically draw well -- the 19,487 TSU drew for its season opener against Alabama A&M is more than some I-A schools draw, and the aforementioned Southern Heritage Classic drew 53,441. TSU will bring a few fans, even if Vanderbilt doesn't.

Final call: Vandy 28, TSU 10.

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2006-09-14T00:16:00.000-07:00

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