Larry Smith and Jordan Rodgers listed as co-starters for Georgia, and other notes from the latest depth chart

Listened to Franklin’s weekly press conference and looked at the depth chart for the Georgia game. Here are some highlights:

1. Larry Smith and Jordan Rodgers are listed as co-starters at quarterback on the depth chart, which was released after Franklin fielded numerous questions about whether Smith would remain as a starter.

Franklin has repeatedly said that Larry gives the team the best chance to win – which of course drives a certain percentage of our fan base crazy – and he also likes to keep opponents in the dark as to the status of injured players. Today he said two or three times that nothing has changed. He said something about competition determining the starter this week and also something about injuries being announced on Wednesday and something again about nothing changing. Franklin said Rodgers played “extremely well” in the first half but that he wasn’t pleased with his performance in the second half.

Everybody's wondering who the starter will be and acting like there's a big controversy. I think it plays itself out without much drama. If Larry's healthy enough to play this week, he'll be the starter. If he's not, Jordan Rodgers will get the nod. But if Larry's reasonably healthy, I think he'll start until Rodgers proves himself without a doubt our best option at quarterback. Franklin's not going to bench Larry just for a change of pace, but he is going to continue to increase Rodger's playing time.

In case you were wondering, Franklin tends to list injured starters as co-starters. For example, he listed Brandon Barden the past two weeks as a co-starter with Austin Monahan. Barden missed the South Carolina game with injury, played in the Alabama game, and is now listed once again as the sole starter at tight end.

2. Carey Spear, who missed two field goals in the first half against Bama, is still listed as the starting kicker. Franklin said he had “no concerns” about Spear and likened a kicker’s mechanics to a golfer’s swing.

3. For yet another week, Jordan Matthews is listed as a co-starter with Chris Boyd at the X-receiver position.

Matthews has started five games this season to Boyd’s one. When asked about Matthew’s struggles at receiver – he has five catches for 63 yards in five games – Franklin said it was a combination of poor play from the offensive line, the plays being called, and the fact the quarterbacks were throwing for a high percentage. He said he expects Matthews to start making some big plays soon and he said the challenge now was keeping him from listening to family members, friends and the media saying that he wasn’t getting enough touches.

4. Archibald Barnes remains a starter at outside linebacker, where he’s filling in for the injured Tristan Strong, whom Franklin actually said he hopes to get back “soon.” DeAndre Jones, listed as Marve’s backup in the middle, is still getting snaps in both halves of every game, and Al Owens, who had a tackle for loss against Bama, is listed as the backup at both outside positions.

5. Redshirt junior Josh Jelesky, who moved to the offensive line from defensive end in the preseason, is listed as a co-starter at guard along with Mylon Brown, who’s started every game this season. Franklin said he wanted Brown to face some competition. He's the most inexperienced of the current starters.

6. Sophomore Logan Stewart will start his second game of the season at center after taking several months to recuperate and gain the weight he lost while battling mononucleosis over the summer. He started the last half of last season. To accommodate Stewart, Wesley Johnson moved back to left tackle, Ryan Seymour moved from left tackle to left guard, and Ryan Fischer remains at right tackle.

7. Chase White has returned to second team, where he’s listed as a backup guard. Other reserves include tackles Caleb Welchans and Andrew Bridges and true freshman center Joe Townsend. True freshman guard Spencer Pulley has dropped off the depth chart after being listed at second team since the Elon game.

8.Another player who’s dropped off the depth chart this week is tight end/fullback Mason Johnston, who was injured against Bama. He's replaced by walk-on fullback Marc Panu. Another walk-on, receiver Jamison Sackey, returns to the depth chart for the second straight week as a backup.

9. Warren Norman, who’s been listed at second team since the start of the season, has been finally removed from the depth chart. It appears likely he will redshirt.

10. True freshman Mitchell Hester, who made his debut on the depth chart last week as a punt returner, did not play against Alabama and is still eligible to redshirt. He’s been replaced this week by Eric Samuels, who’s now listed as a punt returner backing up Jonathan Krause. Sophomore Steven Clarke is now listed as a co-starter at kick returner with Andre Hall, replacing Samuels in that role.

11. Junior Johnell Thomas is still listed as a starter at defensive end after suffering an injury against Bama.

12. Kenny Ladler is now listed as the sole starter at free safety, after being listed as a co-starter with Javon Marshall on every pregame depth chart before today. He’s started two games this season while Marshall has started three.

For James Franklin, getting better at Vanderbilt means getting better players to come to Vanderbilt

What did James Franklin say after last night’s 34-0 loss to Alabama?

He said: “We’re gonna get this fixed, I can guarantee you that.”

What’s he doing to fix Vanderbilt? Sure, he’s installing his system, which includes working hard and believing in yourself and trying to execute as well as you can and all that. That’s not incredibly different from the kinds of things past Vandy coaches have said.

But the biggest thing he’s doing is recruiting. Unlike other coaches, who seemed to believe they were limited by the types of athletes they could attract to Nashville, Franklin believes he can stockpile authentic SEC athletes. The way he closed on last year’s class was a minor miracle – or looked that way to Vandy fans – and the way he’s piled up verbal commitments in the last six months have been nothing short of spectacular by VU standards.

Some Vanderbilt fans are starting to complain that Franklin’s offense is no more productive than, say, Bobby Johnson’s. And the team's biggest problem, they believe, is that the wrong guy on our roster is playing quarterback.

Listen to what Nick Saban said about Vanderbilt last night after the game:

“They are doing a good job with their team. They play hard and create a lot of problems for you on offense and do a lot of things to take advantage and play well with the guys they have.”

Play well with the guys they have. That’s what Franklin’s doing. He’ll tell you that he loves the players he has, and we believe him, but the players he’ll be loving in four years are going to be better than the ones he’s loving today. That’s what he’s guaranteeing us, and I for one believe him.

Listen to what Franklin said after the game about his receiving corps:

“We’re not in a situation right now where we’ve got guys creating a lot of separation. That’s fine. That’s the world we’re living in right now. We’ve got to be able to make the catch with the guy hanging all over you.”

That’s the world we’re living in right now. In a couple of years, the world we’re living in will have receivers who can separate from SEC defensive backs or at least make tough catches.

Last night Alabama receivers made four touchdown receptions with our DBs draped all over them.

James Franklin plans to go get a whole team full of players who can compete with Alabama and South Carolina and Georgia.

Yes, Georgia. Get yourself ready, folks. The Bulldogs aren’t as well-coached as Alabama but they’ve got the same caliber of athletes, even on the defensive side of the ball.

The future of Franklin’s Commodores does not depend on Vandy going to a bowl this season. Army and Kentucky look extremely beatable. Tennessee appears to be having another down year, but they’ve still got better athletes than we do on both sides of the ball. And the other team we’ve been chalking up as a victory since summer, Wake Forest, just embarrassed Florida State and is undefeated in the ACC.

Don’t get your hopes up.

This is not about going to a bowl this season, though it's certainly possible and would be awfully nice. This is about getting the kind of players we need to compete – and who can compete academically at Vanderbilt. Those guys are out there, and James Franklin’s going to find them.

And once he does, the product he puts on the field will sell itself. For now, he's got to sell what's going to happen.

Can Vanderbilt fans handle the truth about their team?

Jess Nicholas (not to be confused with Col. Nathan Jessup) over at TideFans.com has an interesting preview of Vandy. I think it’s important to read what educated fans at other schools say about us. Sure, many Vandy fans would agree that Larry Smith is not a legitimate SEC quarterback. But how many of us would say that Zac Stacy is slower than other SEC running backs or that our defensive backs lack the athleticism of those in an elite program?

And yet, if we dare to fantasize about competing in the SEC we must objectively compare our players with those on other SEC teams (and not just Kentucky and Ole Miss.)

We ask this question every now and then: How many of our players would even get playing time at another SEC school?

I’m not bashing our players. This question is on James Franklin’s mind when he says things like “We have good players here, just not enough of them.”

Yesterday, a reporter asked Franklin what he was doing to improve the offense and he replied that he was recruiting. A few minutes later, he said that Vandy was going to have to run trick plays and take risks in order to compete. Implying, of course, that he won’t have to do this as much when he gets the players he wants. Oh, and if you're wondering why we don't just run a trick play on every down, he was quick to add that you have to wait for the right circumstances to run a trick play even if you're desperate.

I’m starting to see some similarities between Franklin and Nick Saban – apart from Franklin’s superior people skills. Saban said a couple of days ago that Vanderbilt is doing some nice things with the players they have.

Maybe some Vandy fans would be offended by that. James Franklin wouldn’t be.

Anyway, here’s some highlights of what Nicholas had to say about our team. If you find yourself boiling over with anger at his assessment, take a deep breath and realize that he’s comparing us to the team he studies every day, which is getting the kind of results that we can only dream of.

How many matchups does he have us winning against the Tide? Zero. Fair enough.

OFFENSE

Overall observations:
• Ranks 116th in passing offense.
• Ranks 117th in total offense.
• Ranks 116th in sacks allowed.
• Wide receivers remain a weakness.
• If Bama contains Chris Boyd, it should have “no problems” containing our passing game.
• The offensive line is “pretty offensive.” (Ha, ha. The truth hurts.) The interior line “is a question mark.” Vandy doesn’t “protect the passer” and run blocking is “scattershot.” D-line “strongly wins” the battle with our O-line. (Duh.)

Notes on players:
• Larry Smith: Not a legitimate SEC quarterback; mobile enough but lacking in arm strength.
• Jordan Rodgers: Has “showed flashes in limited work.”
• Zac Stacy: “Clearly lacking in speed compared to other SEC starters.”
• Jerron Seymour: “Oddly built” but has been a “capable backup so far.”
• Brandon Barden: Likely a “scratch for this game thanks to an ankle injury.”
• Austin Monahan: “Almost as good as Barden” but without Barden our two tight end set is “a lot less effective.”
• Chris Boyd: “Has some homerun ability.”
• Kyle Fischer and Ryan Seymour: “Decent tackles.”

DEFENSE

Overall observations:
• Ranks 4th in pass efficiency defense.
• Ranks 11th in total defense.
• Ranks 15th in scoring defense.
• Ranks 25th in rushing defense.
• Has 14 interceptions and ranks 5th in turnover margin.
• No glaring weakness on defense for “the first time since the Woody Widenhofer days.”
• Stout rush defense, which could lead to more passing this week from Alabama.
• Good depth on defensive line. The Tide O-line shouldn’t have “much of an edge” over the Vandy D-line.
• Secondary is “deep” and “opportunistic” but with the “possible exception” of Casey Hayward “lacks the top-gear athleticism” of Alabama’s DBs.

Notes on players:
• Rob Lohr, Colt Nichter, T.J. Greenstone: “Good-sized players.”
• Tim Fugger: One of the SEC’s “most underrated and unknown ends.”
• Johnell Thomas: A “matchup problem” for offensive tackles who “lack good footwork.”
• Chris Marve: “Would easily start for Alabama.”
• Sean Richardson and Kenny Ladler: “Among the league’s biggest” safeties.
• Casey Hayward and Trey Wilson: Have “good size” and “can run.”

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Ranks a “respectable” 27th in net punting.
• Punt and kickoff returns are “middle of the pack or worse.”
• Kickoff coverage ranks in middle of pack in SEC but higher than Bama’s.
• Carey Spear even with Bama’s field goal kicker and Richard Kent is the better punter, but Vandy will struggle to contain Bama’s return game, which is among “the tops in the nation” in both kickoff and punt returns.

Warren Norman may redshirt and Jordan Rodgers will continue to take snaps every week

Coach James Franklin was in a generous mood today and actually talked about plans to play certain players.

As for facing Bama, he said, “It’s a tremendous challenge and an even bigger opportunity.”

LOGAN STEWART
He said Logan Stewart had mononucleosis this summer and lost a bunch of weight and “is now back at the weight he needs to be to play in this league.” Expect to see Stewart back in the starting lineup, maybe as early as Saturday. Chase White has been starting since Jabo Burrow ended his playing career with concussion concerns.

JORDAN RODGERS
Larry Smith is rested and ready to smart, he said, but Jordan Rodgers will continue to get some snaps. “Our plan is to play Jordan each week,” he said.

WARREN NORMAN
He said Norman’s role is “Emergency No. 3” and that the junior may redshirt. “There’s a possibility to redshirt him,” he said. “It’s the best option for everybody if he’s not ready and we don’t need him. But if we have an injury he’s ready to go and we’re gonna play him.”

JOHN COLE
He said he expects Cole to return this season. That could be another way to say that, regardless of Cole’s playing status, you’ll see him being honored on senior day and not returning for a fifth year. Just a hunch.

Vandy freshman Mitchell Hester may play against Bama

Here are some observations from the new depth chart and game notes, released today:

THE NEXT TRUE FRESHMAN TO PLAY?
• Freshman Mitchell Hester, who is yet to play this season, is listed at second-team punt returner.

WHERE’S WARREN
• Junior Warren Norman, who’s been injured and has yet to play this season, is still listed along with freshman Jerron Seymour as the backup to Zac Stacy.

SHARING DUTY
• Sophomore Logan Stewart, who’s returning from injury, is now listed as a co-starter at left guard along with redshirt freshman Chase White, who’s started the last two games there. It’s Stewart’s first appearance on the depth chart this season.
• Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd are still listed as co-starters at X-receiver.
• Johnell Thomas is still listed as a starter at defensive end, despite seeing Walker May, who’s listed on second team, start in his place against South Carolina.
• Brandon Barden and Austin Monahan are still listed as co-starters at tight end. Barden missed the last two games with injury.
• Sophomore Andre Hal is now listed as a co-starter to Eric Samuels at kickoff returner.
• Kenny Ladler and Javon Marshall are still listed as co-starters at free safety.

ADDING AND SUBTRACTING
• Walk-on junior Jameson Sackey is listed on the depth chart for the first time in his career, at wide receiver, in place of redshirt junior Akeem Dunham.
• With the season-ending injury to starting outside linebacker Tristan Strong, redshirt junior Archibald Barnes is now the starter, and redshirt junior Al Owens is listed as the backup at both outside slots.
• Sophomore safety Andre Simmons has dropped off the depth chart for the first time this season.

THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS HAVE STARTED EVERY GAME THIS SEASON:

Offense:
• QB Larry Smith, RSr
• RB Zac Stacy, Jr
• C Wesley Johnson, RSo
• OG Mylon Brown, RSo
• OT Kyle Fischer, RSr
• OT Ryan Seymour, RJr

Defense:
• DT Rob Lohr, RJr
• DT Colt Nichter, RJr
• DE Tim Fugger, RSr
• LB Chris Marve, RSr
• LB Chase Garnham, So
• LB Tristan Strong, RJr (season-ending injury against South Carolina)
• CB Casey Hayward, Sr
• CB Trey Wilson, Jr
• SS Sean Richardson, Sr

ESPN boots Vandy-Bama to the U — I don't blame them

ESPN was waiting to see the results of Saturday’s games before announcing its prime time lineup for Oct. 8.

It was going to match its three 6 p.m. CST games – on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU – with the following offerings:

• Auburn at Arkansas
• Georgia at Tennessee
• Vanderbilt at Alabama

Well, the results are in. Auburn upset South Carolina and Arkansas outgunned Texas A&M, so those teams get the top slot on ESPN.

Georgia whipped Mississippi State and Tennessee took care of Buffalo as expected. That should be a good matchup.

Meanwhile, Alabama got behind Florida early in a hostile environment but quickly recovered to systematically destroy the Gators.

Um, which game would you rather watch if you weren’t rooting for Bama or Vandy?

Right. Georgia-Tennessee is on ESPN2, while Bama-Vandy plays on the U.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the Vandy kids, especially our young offensive linemen, respond to playing one of the best football teams in America in one of the most hostile – and exciting – sports venues around. For all those folks who want to see Jordan Rodgers play more than one series or to see Josh Grady burn his redshirt, well, this could be just the moment you've dreamed of.

It’ll be character-building to say the least.

Probably not terribly interesting for the rest of America, but pretty darn interesting to us Vandy fans. Right?

Taking stock in Vandy players: Who's up, who's down?

With our regular season a third of the way finished, here’s a look at the current stock of Vandy players. Who’s up and who’s down?

UP
1. Javon Marshall, S, RSo.
2. Jerron Seymour, RB, Fr.
3. Mylon Brown, OG, RSo.
4. Chase Garnham, LB, So.
5. Thad McHaney, DE, RSo.
6. Trey Wilson, CB, Jr.
7. Andre Hal, CB, So.
8. Colt Nichter, DT, RJr.
9. Joe Townsend, OL, Fr.
10. Johnell Thomas, DE, RJr.

Honorable mention:
• Karl Butler, S, So.
• Rob Lohr, DT, RJr.
• Spencer Pulley, OL, Fr.
• Fitz Lassing, FB/TE, So.
• Chris Boyd, WR, RFr.
• Tim Fugger, DE, RSr.

DOWN
1. Warren Norman (injury)
2. Eddie Foster, CB, Jr.
3. Logan Stewart, OL, So. (injury)
4. Jordan Matthews, WR, So.
5. T.J. Greenstone, DT, RSr.

Honorable mention:
• Udom Umoh, WR, RSr.
• Brandon Barden, TE, RSr. (injury)
• John Cole, WR, RJr. (injury)
• Caleb Welchans, OL, RJr.