Tuesday, December 30, 2008

VANDERBILT SEASON REVIEW: All the plays of the year, plus some honorable mentions


So we've just given you our 12 Plays of Christmas for offense, defense and special teams. Here's a recap, with some honorable mentions thrown in for good measure:

OFFENSIVE PLAYS

1. BARDEN’S CATCH (AUBURN 10/4)
2. TD TO D.J. PART 1 (AT KENTUCKY 11/15)
3. NICKSON GOES LONG (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4)
4. MACK TO WHEELER FOR SIX (AUBURN 10/4)
5. TD TO D.J. PART 2 (AT KENTUCKY 11/15)
6. HAWKINS STEPS UP (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4)
7. HAWKINS...COULD...GO... (AT OLE MISS 9/20)
8. GRAHAM GRABS LEAD (RICE 9/13)
9. NICKSON GETS ROLLING (AT KENTUCKY 11/15)
10. MACK KEEPS DRIVE ALIVE (AUBURN 10/4)
11. NICKSON TAKES COMMAND (AT KENTUCKY 11/15)
12. HAWKINS LOOSENS REBEL FRONT (AT OLE MISS 9/20)

DEFENSIVE PLAYS

1. MARVE’S GOAL LINE STRIP (AT OLE MISS 9/20)
2. HAMILTON GETS DORES ON BOARD (AT OLE MISS 9/20)
3. D.J. SEALS THE DEAL (AT KENTUCKY 11/15)
4. HAMILTON LEADS GOAL LINE STAND (AT OLE MISS 9/20)
5. HAMILTON PULLS HAT TRICK (AT OLE MISS 9/20)
6. DORES BUILD BRICK WALL (AUBURN 10/4)
7. SPEAD ROBS SMELLEY (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4)
8. TRICE SACKS AND STEALS (RICE 9/13)
9. D.J. COOLS OFF CATS (AT KENTUCKY 11/15)
10. MYRON PUTS TIGERS ON ICE (AUBURN 10/4)
11. LANGFORD HALTS DRIVE (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4)
12. DORES SACK SMELLEY LATE (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4)

SPECIAL TEAM PLAYS

1. UPSON PUTS GAME OUT OF REACH (AUBURN 10/4)
2. BOUNCE GOES VANDERBILT’S WAY (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4)
3. D.J. RETURN GETS THINGS ROLLING (AUBURN 10/4)
4. STOKES BLOCKS FIELD GOAL (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4)
5. TIGER MISS TURNS OUT TO BE DIFFERENCE (AUBURN 10/4)
6. D.J. NEEDS 92 YARDS, GETS 91 (MIAMI-OHIO 8/28)
7. UPSON PUNTS, HAMILTON RECOVERS (AT OLE MISS 9/20)
8. UPSON PINS OWLS (RICE 9/13)
9. HAHNFELDT GIVES BREATHING ROOM (RICE 9/13)
10. UPSON BACKS UP REBELS (AT OLE MISS 9/20)
11. D.J. MAKES FAMILIAR LANDING (RICE 9/13)
12. RETURN OF HAHNFELDT (AT KENTUCKY 11/15)


HONORABLE MENTION


Offense

• HAWKINS RUNS OUT CLOCK (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): With the Commodores backed up to their own end zone with two minutes remaining and a seven point lead, running back Jared Hawkins carried the ball five straight times, the last carry going for 7 yards and the first down that would end the game.

• NICKSON ANSWERS (RICE 9/13): Early in the second quarter and finding himself in a shootout with Rice, Chris Nickson tied the game with a 14-yard run that capped a 9-play, 68-drive that featured two Nickson passes for 25 yards and four Nickson runs for 35 yards.

• BOMB TO WALKER (MIAMI-OHIO 8/28): Chris Nickson’s 49-yard pass to Sean Walker in the first quarter of the season opener against Miami put the Commodores on the 1-yard line, leading to a short touchdown pass from Nickson to Walker that gave Vanderbilt a 7-3 lead and a shot of momentum.

• WALKER TAKES TO GROUND (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): With Vanderbilt having trouble running the ball against South Carolina, Sean Walker took a pitch and raced 29 yards to put the Commodores on the SC13 late in the third quarter. Two plays later, Chris Nickson scored to put Vanderbilt up by a touchdown.

• NICKSON RUNS WILD (MIAMI-OHIO 8/28): After the Commodores surrendered a long scoring drive in the second quarter that cut their lead over Miami to a touchdown, Chris Nickson carried the ball twice for 72 yards, with the second run going for a 14-yard score.

• MACK AND WALKER BURY TIGERS (AUBURN 10/4): On third down at his own 33 early in the fourth quarter, Mackenzi Adams fired a 32 yard pass to Sean Walker, dealing a blow to Auburn in the battle for field position. The Tigers wouldn’t cross midfield the rest of the game.

• D.J. JUMP-STARTS OFFENSE (RICE 9/13): With the Commodore offense trailing Rice 7-0 in the first quarter and needing a jump-start, DJ Moore ripped off a 24-yard run, his first of the season, and the Commodores would score three plays later to tie the game.

• MACK GETS A HANDLE (AUBURN 10/4): With 2:30 left and nobody around him, Mackenzi Adams inexplicably fumbled the ball, which bounced back into his hands at his own 44.

• WALKER GETS DORES ON BOARD (DUKE 10/25): Early in the fourth quarter, Mackenzi Adams and Sean Walker hooked up for a 79-yard touchdown play. It would be Vanderbilt’s only score of the game in a bitter lose to Duke.

• JUMP BALL TO JAMIE PART 1 (AT GEORGIA 10/18): Late in first half in Athens, Mackenzi lofted a pass in the corner of the end zone and Jamie Graham, also a basketball player for the Commodores, leaped up and got the score, cutting Georgia’s lead to 7.

• LARRY SMITH GOES FOR IT (WAKE FOREST 11/29): On the first play of the fourth quarter, Bobby Johnson decided to for it on fourth and 4 at the Wake 5 yard line, and freshman Larry Smith calmly tossed a touchdown to Brandon Barden to cut the Wake lead to 17-10.

• JUMP BALL TO JAMIE PART 2 (AT GEORGIA 10/18): In a replay of the second quarter touchdown play, Mackenzi Adams tossed another scoring pass to Jamie Graham in the corner of the end zone, again cutting the Georgia lead to 7.

• NICKSON JUKES GATORS (FLORIDA 11/8): In mop-up duty, Chris Nickson shaked and baked on an 18 yard run against Florida in the third quarter that showed why, despite his ups and downs, he’s the Commodores’ best athlete. He would toss two touchdown passes against the Gators and earn a start against Kentucky.


Defense

• BRODERICK GETS BIG SACK (AUBURN 10/4): Early in second quarter, with Auburn leading 14-0 and roaring past midfield, Broderick Stewart sacked quarterback Chris Todd for an 8 yard loss and the Tigers’ passing game was never the same again.

• MYRON LEWIS DEALS A PAIR (RICE 9/13): On the opening drive of the second half and the Commodores in a 21-21 shootout with Rice, Myron Lewis sacked quarterback Chase Clement on third down to force a punt. Lewis would do the same thing on the Owls’ next drive, and Rice was held scoreless in the second half.

• PAIR OF SACKS STOP TIGERS (AUBURN 10/4): Patrick Benoist and Steven Stone registered back-to-back sacks to force an Auburn punt late in the game.

• HAMILTON GETS SECOND PICK (AT OLE MISS 9/20): In the middle of the second quarter of the Ole Miss game, Ryan Hamilton intercepted a Jevan Snead pass and returned it 24 yards to the Rebel 37. It led to a Bryant Hahnfeldt field goal that tied the game before halftime.

• D.J. PICKS REDHAWKS (MIAMI-OHIO 8/28): DJ Moore’s point-blank interception of a Daniel Raudabaugh pass in the first down of the Miami game gave the Commodores the ball on the MU20 and led to a field goal that put them up 10-3.

• LANGFORD GETS OFFENSIVE (TENNESSEE 11/22): In the third quarter, with Vanderbilt down 20-0 with no hope of scoring, Reshard Langford picked off a B.J. Coleman pass and went 41 yards for Vanderbilt’s only touchdown of the day.

• MYRON STRIKES EARLY (TENNESSEE 11/22): On the second play of the game, Myron Lewis intercepted a Jonathan Crompton pass. Unfortunately, Vanderbilt can’t capitalize.

• MARVE, GREENSTONE GIVE HOPE (DUKE 10/25): With Duke on the VU2 late in the third quarter and about to put game away, Chris Marve sacked the quarterback and knocked the ball lose and T.J. Greenstone recovered to complete yet another Vanderbilt goal line stand.

• D.J. TAKES STAFFORD TO SCHOOL (AT GEORGIA 10/18): After burning Vanderbilt earlier in the first half, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford went deep again, but this time D.J. Moore snatched the ball at the VU2 for yet another interception.


Special teams

• UPSON UNLEASHED (AT WAKE FOREST 11/29): Late in the first half, Upson hit a 60-yard punt that was downed at the Wake Forest 1 yard line.

• TRUE FROSH GETS DORES STARTED (AT WAKE FOREST 11/29): Early in the game, freshman Sean Richardson recovered a fumbled punt on the Wake 20, leading to a field goal and a 3-0 lead. It was only the second time all season that Vanderbilt scored first.

No comments: