Some final thoughts before Vanderbilt plays Boston College in the Music City Bowl

A few highlights from listening to Bobby Johnson in a press conference and a radio interview today:

• Jamie Graham will play at tailback and Vanderbilt will use him catching the ball out of the backfield.

• Jared Hawkins will get some snaps too, but hasn't scrimmaged in a month and Johnson doesn't know how long he'll last in the game.

• Johnson compares Boston College's defense to Auburn's and their offense to Tennessee's when Cutliffe was the offensive coordinator.

• Johnson said one Boston College stat jumped out at him: The Golden Eagles lead the nation in non-offensive touchdowns, and have a non-offensive touchdown in seven straight games.

• Jeff Jagodzinski, the Boston College coach, pointed out that a Music City Bowl win would give his team three straight double-digit victories and make this senior class the winningest in BC history.

• Johnson wouldn't say which of his three quarterbacks would start the game for Vanderbilt. "Will they let me play all three at the same time?" he wondered aloud.

• Jagodzinski said that Vanderbilt and Boston College are what college football is supposed to be, with academics "important" and playing football "fun."

• When Jagodzinski realized the weather will be 40 degrees at kickoff, he said "our guys will try to get a tan tomorrow."

• Jagodzinski said he planned to play Atlanta Falcons rookie of the year Matt Ryan in the Music City Bowl, and Johnson said, "See if Jay's in town," meaning of course Jay Cutler.

It's not too late to go to the Music City Bowl

Want to see Vanderbilt win a bowl game — or at least try to win one? Want to see D.J. Moore's last game as a Commodore? Or Larry Smith's coming out party? Or Jamie Graham play tailback, wide receiver and quarterback?

Drive over to Nashville right now. Or fly or whatever.

Tickets are dirt cheap. I bought some four weeks ago for $5 apiece and some more a couple of weeks ago for $3 apiece and now they've dropped below 50 cents each online. Somebody will have a fist full of them around kickoff so ask nicely.

The Nashville Visitor's Center may even have some LP Field parking passes remaining for $15. I bought mine over the phone last night and will pick them up this morning and then head over to the lot that's closest to the stadium and do some tailgating.

For some reason, Music City Bowl tickets are the cheapest bowl tickets I've ever seen. Boston College is a dang good team and if Vanderbilt comes to play and gets some bounces it could be a great game.

That's my pitch. See ya there.

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.

Music City Bowl Preview: Vanderbilt vs. Boston College — and yes, the Commodores have a chance

The Music City Bowl
Vanderbilt Commodores (6-6) vs. Boston College Golden Eagles (9-4)
2:30 p.m. Central, LP Field, Nashville, Tennessee (TV: ESPN)

I'm excited; you're excited. Vanderbilt's in a bowl and we're playing in the friendly confines of LP Field, just a stone's throw from the Vanderbilt campus. Sure, the guys didn't get to take a plane trip, but they are getting the VIP treatment in Nashville, including lodging and plenty of fancy meals and pomp and circumstance at the Opryland Hotel. I never got that when I was a Vanderbilt student.

THE CHALLENGE

Vanderbilt draws the ACC's No. 2 team. And the Commodores couldn't beat the ACC's worst team during homecoming, let alone Wake Forest, a team Boston College handled 24-21 in Winston-Salem. (BC didn't face Duke this season.)

Though it's essentially a home game for the Dores, the Eagles are a 4-point favorite. And in the ongoing ESPN fan poll, 91 percent of Americans believe Boston College will win. Oh yeah, and BC is the nation's all-time winningest team in bowl games (68 percent) and the winner of eight straight bowl games. Oh yeah, and Vanderbilt has lost its only two games against BC, the last time being a 19-6 loss in 1963.

WHEN VANDERBILT HAS THE BALL

You know the problem: The Commodore offense is dreadful — ranked 117th in total yardage out of 119 teams. The rushing offense, ranked 67th with 140 yards, would be much better if it had a passing game to keep the opponent guessing. Somehow the Commodores have averaged 20 points a game and rank among the nation's leaders in red zone offensive efficiency.

But the really depressing numbers belong to Boston College. Consider that the Golden Eagles:
• Lead the nation in interceptions with 26 and have returned five for touchdowns. Linebacker Mark Herzlich has a whopping six picks, taking two of them to the house. Safety Paul Anderson also has six interceptions.
• Rank sixth in the nation in total defense, allowing only 273 yards per game.
• Rank sixth in red zone defensive efficiency with 71 percent.
• Allow only 92 yards rushing a game, good for seventh in the nation.

Why are the Eagles so tough against the run? In addition to Herzlich, they've got a pair of 325-pound defensive tackles, B.J. Raji and Ron Brace. Raji was telling the Tennessean's Mo Patton the other day that he hopes Vanderbilt tries to run the ball because nobody can run the ball against them.

But then you have to pass. Only one of BC's top eight defensive backs is under 6 feet tall, which is unusually tall for a secondary. Oh yeah, and BC has recorded 34 sacks.

Really, the Eagle's D sounds a lot like Tennessee's, which means if the Commodores turn the ball over early, the game's over.

So what does Vanderbilt do? We don't try to grind it out the whole game. Kentucky had a pretty stout defense, and what did we do against the Wildcats in Lexington? We lined D.J. Moore at wide receiver and we went deep in the corner of the end zone for two first quarter touchdowns and then we held on for dear life.

We're not going to be able to run the ball down these guys' throats. We've got to get tricky. By tricky I don't mean that stinking triple reverse we keep trying to run. I mean using our players creatively. I mean putting D.J. at quarterback and wide receiver and running back. I mean Larry Smith gunning it downfield to D.J. I mean Chris Nickson running the ball, whether he's quarterback or not. I mean Jamie Graham running and catching and passing. I mean doing something to get on the board. If we do some of that stuff, then we can free up the five-yard runs by JHawk and the short passes to Brandon Barden.

WHEN BC HAS THE BALL

Boston College is no offensive juggernaut. The Eagles rush for 143 yards a game (63rd in the nation) and throw for 176 (94th). That's almost exactly what Vanderbilt's 29th-ranked defense allows per game.

Boston College has fumbled the ball 27 times this season, losing 15, and with two true freshmen running backs and a redshirt freshman quarterback handling the ball in the backfield, hopefully the Dores can force the Eagles to put the ball on the ground some more.

The BC offensive line is massive, standing taller than 6-foot-5 and weighing an average of 307 pounds. Four of them got All-ACC recognition. Still, the line has allowed 21 sacks on the season. Quarterback Dominique Davis, forced to start after a fifth-year senior went down in the Wake Forest game late in the season, completes less than 50 percent of his passes. That's the good news. The bad news is that he's fleet of foot, something that's given the Commodores big-time problems this season. (Tyson Lee, anyone?)

When Boston College has to convert, they do. On the season, they're 15-23 on fourth down. Not bad at all.

Don't forget, though, that Vanderbilt has the nation's 16th best pass defense, is 21st in the nation in quarterback sacks with 29, and is 6th in the nation in red zone defense efficiency. Which means you can probably expect the Eagles to do what Tennessee did against us — try to grind it out behind that massive line.

HOW VANDERBILT CAN WIN

Vanderbilt cannot fall behind by more than a touchdown. If they do, it will be the Tennessee game all over again. The Commodores must try to set up the big play on offense. Who'll be pulling the trigger? When Nickson's hot, he's a big play waiting to happen; when he's not, it's a nightmare. Mackenzi Adams is better at orchestrating a long, slow drive. Larry Smith is more accurate than Nickson and has a much stronger arm than Adams. Whatever we do and whoever does it, we absolutely cannot line up man on man and overpower Boston College. We've got to outsmart them and get the ball in the hands of our best athletes (Moore, Nickson, Smith, Graham, Moore, Moore, Moore) while involving consistent workhorses like Hawkins and Barden.

Strike fast and take the lead. If Boston College falls behind and Davis has to win the game against our secondary, I like our chances.

HOW BOSTON COLLEGE CAN WIN
Smash Vanderbilt in the mouth. Win the battle at the line of scrimmage. Establish the running game, take the lead and wear us down. Just like everybody says they will.

THE MORAL VICTORY PREDICTION
What a season this has been. I believe we're going to show up to play. Boston College is a good team, but not a powerhouse. If we can get some offense going early, this could be the Kentucky game all over again — though the Eagles likely won't make as many mistakes as the Wildcats did. More likely, we'll need some breaks and some timely big plays like we got against South Carolina and Ole Miss and Auburn.

On paper, we get smoked. But I think Bobby Johnson is going to play this one to win. I don't believe he's going to run three times and punt and repeat and repeat and repeat. This will likely be D.J.'s last game, and I expect him to step up big on both offense and defense like he did against Kentucky. It'll definitely be the last game for Chris Nickson, Reshard Langford and Sean Walker, and I expect those guys to step up too. Looks like about 55,000 fans will be on hand, and most of those will be pulling for Vanderbilt.

Anyway, I'll be there and I'm not driving 6 hours to Nashville for nothing. Call it Vanderbilt 17, Boston College 16.

Which of Vanderbilt's starters could start on another SEC team?

Which of Vanderbilt's starters could start or get significant playing time for other SEC teams? Here's one man's opinion:

TOP 3 (FLORIDA, ALABAMA, GEORGIA)
• Definite starters (1): CB D.J. Moore
• Possible starters (2): LB Chris Marve, S Reshard Langford
• Playing rotation (5): TE Brandon Barden, OT Thomas Welch, DE Broderick Stewart (injured), CB Myron Lewis, S Ryan Hamilton

MIDDLE 3 (OLE MISS, SOUTH CAROLINA, LSU)
• Definite starters (2): CB D.J. Moore, S Reshard Langford
• Possible starters (4): OT Thomas Welch, LB Chris Marve, CB Myron Lewis, S Ryan Hamilton
• Playing rotation (9): WR Sean Walker, WR-RB Jamie Graham, TE Brandon Barden, C Bradley Vierling, DE Steven Stone, DE Broderick Stewart (injured), LB Patrick Benoist, LB John Stokes, NB Darlron Spead

BOTTOM 5 (AUBURN, TENNESSEE, ARKANSAS, MISS STATE, KENTUCKY)
• Definite starters (3): CB D.J. Moore, S Reshard Langford, LB Chris Marve
• Possible starters (6): QB Chris Nickson, TE Brandon Barden, OT Thomas Welch, DE Broderick Stewart (injured), CB Myron Lewis, S Ryan Hamilton
• Playing rotation (8): WR Sean Walker, WR-RB Jamie Graham, C Bradley Vierling, OT Reilly Lauer, DE Steven Stone, LB Patrick Benoist, LB John Stokes, NB Darlron Spead

VANDERBILT SEASON REVIEW: Top 12 special teams plays of the year

We just got through counting down the top 12 offensive and defensive plays of the year for the Commodores. But, you may be wondering, what about special teams?

Good question. Here are our 12 Special Team Plays of Christmas:


1. UPSON PUTS GAME OUT OF REACH (AUBURN 10/4): Punter Brett Upson boomed a 55-yard punt that was downed at the 3 yard line with 2:16 left in the game and Auburn down one point. Myron Lewis would make an interception on the next play to end the game.

2. BOUNCE GOES VANDERBILT’S WAY (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): Early in the second half against South Carolina, with the Commodores unable to move the ball once again and forced to punt, the ball bounced off the Gamecock return man’s leg and was recovered by Ryan Hamilton at the SC31. The Commodores scored on the next play to tie the game.

3. D.J. RETURN GETS THINGS ROLLING (AUBURN 10/4): With Vanderbilt struggling to move the ball against Auburn, D.J. Moore reeled off a 25-yard punt return to the AU30 late in the first half. The stage was set for Mackenzi Adams’ passing heroics.

4. STOKES BLOCKS FIELD GOAL (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): After Vanderbilt tied the game 10-10 in the third quarter, South Carolina drove 70 yards to set up a field goal attempt by ace kicker Ryan Succop. The kick was blocked by John Stokes, who picked it up and ran 17 yards. Five plays later, Vanderbilt scored a touchdown to take the lead.

5. TIGER MISS TURNS OUT TO BE DIFFERENCE (AUBURN 10/4): Vanderbilt forced Wes Byrum to miss the PAT after the Tiger’s second touchdown of the first quarter. It would be the difference in a 14-13 game.

6. D.J. NEEDS 92 YARDS, GETS 91 (MIAMI-OHIO 8/28): Seconds after sacking the Miami quarterback to force fourth down, DJ Moore took a punt 91 yards to the Redhawks 1 yard line, which led to a Chris Nickson touchdown run and a 17-3 first quarter lead for the Commodores.

7. UPSON PUNTS, HAMILTON RECOVERS (AT OLE MISS 9/20): With the Commodores pinned back to their 3 yard line and forced to punt at the start of the half, Brett Upson boomed a 48-yard punt that was recovered by Ryan Hamilton at the Rebel 47. The Commodores didn’t capitalize, but after another Upson punt they were once again ahead in the field position battle.

8. UPSON PINS OWLS (RICE 9/13): With the Rice offense smoking hot and the Commodore offense struggling, punter Brett Upson pinned the Owls back on their own 2 yard line with a 40-yard punt in the first quarter.

9. HAHNFELDT GIVES BREATHING ROOM (RICE 9/13): Bryant Hahnfeldt booted a 48-yard field goal, his longest of the season, to give Vanderbilt a 31-21 lead and a little breathing room in the third quarter against Rice.

10. UPSON BACKS UP REBELS (AT OLE MISS 9/20): With Vanderbilt losing the game and the battle for field position in the second quarter against Ole Miss, Brettt Upson boomed a 52-yard punt that pinned the Rebels back to their 16 yard line and sent the message that Ole Miss wasn’t going to score again.

11. D.J. MAKES FAMILIAR LANDING (RICE 9/13): DJ Moore returned a punt 52 yards to the Rice 1 yard line, his second punt return in three games to fall a yard short. Nickson would score on the next play to give Vanderbilt a 38-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.

12. RETURN OF HAHNFELDT (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): Just before the half, Bryant Hahnfeldt hit a 39-yard field goal to give Vanderbilt a 24-7 lead. It was his first field goal in two months.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 1 defensive play of the year

Today we unveil the best of the 12 defensive plays of Christmas. And if you've been keeping count at home, you've noticed that we made an awful lot of stellar defensive plays in the Ole Miss game. In fact, four of Vanderbilt's top five defensive plays of the season occurred during the Ole Miss game. Was that an incredible game or what?

Anyway, here we go with No. 1, and is it really any surprise?:


1. MARVE’S GOAL LINE STRIP (AT OLE MISS 9/20): With Vanderbilt holding onto a shaky three point lead late in the Ole Miss game, the Rebels Dexter McCluster caught a 56-yard pass that put the ball on the VU7. On the next play, as he took a pitch and appeared to be heading into the end zone, redshirt freshman Chris Marve stripped the ball and it was recovered by DJ Moore in the end zone for a touchdown. It was an unbelievable escape for the Commodores.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 1 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here, at long last, is No. 1:

1. BARDEN’S CATCH (AUBURN 10/4): Early in the second half against Auburn in Nashville, Mackenzie Adams drifted out of the pocket, waited for Brandon Barden to drift across the back of the end zone and hit the big freshman tight end for a 1-yard touchdown pass against the vaunted Auburn offense. Bryant Hahnfeldt kicked the PAT and the Commodores had a 14-13 lead, something that would have seemed impossible when they fell behind 13-0 in the first quarter. Neither team scored again and Vanderbilt stunned the Tigers, winning for the first time since 1955.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 2 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 2:


2. HAMILTON GETS DORES ON BOARD (AT OLE MISS 9/20): With Vanderbilt trailing Ole Miss 10-0 in the first quarter and the Rebels back in the red zone, Ryan Hamilton intercepted a Jevan Snead pass and returned it 79 yards for a Commodore touchdown.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 2 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 2:


2. TD TO D.J. PART 1 (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): On the opening drive against Kentucky in Lexington, star cornerback D.J. Moore lined up at wide receiver on fourth and four and sped to the corner of the end zone, covered like a blanket. Chris Nickson put the ball on the money and Moore made a diving catch that perhaps nobody else in the stadium could have made. It was the first time all season the Commodores had scored first. Moore would have another touchdown reception and two interceptions as Vanderbilt went on to win 31-24 and become bowl eligible for the first time since 1982.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 3 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 3:


3. D.J. SEALS THE DEAL (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): On fourth down late in game, D.J. Moore intercepted a Randall Cobb pass at the VU17 to stop a furious Wildcat rally and preserve the historic victory for Vanderbilt.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 3 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 3:

3. NICKSON GOES LONG (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): Vanderbilt had struggled to move the ball for nearly three quarters on a tough South Carolina defense. But after the Commodores recovered a fumbled punt on the Gamecock 31, quarterback Chris Nickson went for broke, firing a pass over all-star corner Captain Munnerlyn and into the hands of Brandon Barden, who scored the first touchdown of his career and tied the game 10-10. The play stunned the Gamecocks and turned the momentum in the favor of the Commodores, who went on to win 24-17.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 4 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 4:


4. HAMILTON LEADS GOAL LINE STAND (AT OLE MISS 9/20): After Ole Miss started the second half with a 78-yard drive down to the VU1 yard line, the bend-but-don’t-break Commodore defense stopped Cordera Eason on third down and then, thanks to a diving blitz by Ryan Hamilton, stopped him again on fourth down for a stunning goal line stand.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 4 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 4:

4. MACK TO WHEELER FOR SIX (AUBURN 10/4): With Vanderbilt trailing Auburn 13-0 late in the first half, Mackenzi Adams replaced an injured Chris Nickson and on third and goal from the 15 yard line, threaded the needle to former scout team buddy Justin Wheeler. On the drive, Adams was 4-4 for 41 yards. After the Hahnfeldt kick, the Commodores went into the locker room down 13-7 and would overtake the Tigers for good in the third quarter.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 5 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 5:


5. HAMILTON PULLS HAT TRICK (AT OLE MISS 9/20): With Vanderbilt ahead by six and a few ticks on the clock, Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead went deep and the ball was intercepted by Ryan Hamilton to end the game and give him his third interception and fourth turnover recovery of the day.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 5 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 5:

5. TD TO D.J. PART 2 (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): On the Commodores’ second drive of the game, Nickson repeated his previous touchdown strike to D.J. Moore, who this time was well covered by All-SEC corner Trevard Lindley. No matter. The play put Vanderbilt up 14-0.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 6 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 6:


6. DORES BUILD BRICK WALL (AUBURN 10/4): After Auburn drove to a first and goal at the VU2 to start the game, the Commodores stopped Tiger running back Ben Tate four straight times for another thrilling goal line stand.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 6 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 6:

6. HAWKINS STEPS UP (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): With Vanderbilt holding a precarious 7-point lead early in the fourth quarter against South Carolina, Jared Hawkins blasted through the Gamecock defense for a 13-yard touchdown run. On the 8-play, 68-yard drive, Hawkins carried the ball four times for 29 yards. After that play there was no doubt Hawkins would be the Commodores go-to running back for the rest of the season.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 7 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 7:


7. SPEAD ROBS SMELLEY (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): With South Carolina leading 7-0 early in the second quarter and moving the ball into the red zone, nickel back Dalron Spead broke on the ball, grabbed the interception and raced 41 yards to the SC30. The play led to a Commodore field goal that cut the deficit to 7-3. The bad news: Spead broke his leg at the end of the play and missed the next six games.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 7 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 7:

7. HAWKINS COULD...GO... (AT OLE MISS 9/20): Late in the Ole Miss game, with the Commodores clinging to a three-point lead, Jared Hawkins ripped off a 40-yard run that was a shoe-string tackle away from a 60-yard TD. It led to a Hahnfeldt field goal and a six-point lead that forced the Rebels Jevan Snead to gun for the end zone at the end of the game.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 8 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 8:


8. TRICE SACKS AND STEALS (RICE 9/13): Early in the second quarter, with Rice quarterback Chase Clement torching the Commodores for 170 passing yards and the Owls back in the red zone and anticipating a two touchdown lead, safety-turned-linebacker Brent Trice sacked Clement, forces a fumble and then recovered the ball. The Commodores tied the game on the next drive.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 8 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 8:

8. GRAHAM GRABS LEAD (RICE 9/13): On the Commodores’ opening drive of the third quarter against Rice, Jamie Graham scored a 27-yard touchdown on an end-around to give Vanderbilt its first lead of the game, 28-21.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 9 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 9:


9. D.J. COOLS OFF CATS (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): With the momentum suddenly in Kentucky’s favor in the second quarter, D.J. Moore intercepted a Randall Cobb pass at the UK21, leading to a Nickson-Barden touchdown and a 21-7 Vanderbilt lead.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 9 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 9:

9. NICKSON GETS ROLLING (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): On the Commodores’ second drive in Lexington, Chris Nickson took off on a 20-yard run that set up his second straight touchdown pass to D.J. Moore. Throughout the game, Nickson dominated a solid Wildcat defense on the ground and through the air, reminding fans of the guy who starred in the first four games of the season.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 10 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 10:


10. MYRON PUTS TIGERS ON ICE (AUBURN 10/4): Myron Lewis intercepted Chris Todd’s desperation pass and all that was left was for the Commodores to fall on the ball and celebrate a 14-13 victory.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 10 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 10:

10. MACK KEEPS DRIVE ALIVE (AUBURN 10/4): Early in the third quarter, on third and seven at his own 35, Mackenzi Adams fired a 13-yard pass to Justin Wheeler to keep the drive alive. It would continue to the end zone, where the Commodores would take the 14-13 lead they would protect for the rest of the game.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 11 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 11:


11. LANGFORD HALTS DRIVE (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): With Vanderbilt trailing South Carolina 7-0 in the first quarter and the Gamecocks driving for another apparent score, Reshard Langford intercepted a Chris Smelley pass at the VU20 and returned it 33 yards into Gamecock territory.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 11 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 11:

11. NICKSON TAKES COMMAND (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): With Vanderbilt’s lead over Kentucky suddenly down to a touchdown, Chris Nickson broke loose on a 36 yd run and then an 11 yard run down to the 4 yard line to set up a Jared Hawkins touchdown run.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 12 defensive play of the year

Sure, we're counting down the 12 plays of Christmas on offense, too, but our defensive list is most important. With limited offensive production, the defense sealed Commodore wins by stopping the other team when it mattered most, putting the Vanderbilt offense in position to score with little effort, and in some cases just going ahead and providing the offense themselves.

So here we go with No. 12:

12. DORES SACK SMELLEY LATE (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): On second down late in the South Carolina game, Greg Billinger sacked Chris Smelley back at the VU40, putting the Gamecocks out of field goal position. Steven Stone would sack Smelley on the next play to bring up fourth and 18, forcing Steve Spurrier to punt behind by seven points with just over two minutes remaining. The Commodore offense would run out the clock to end the game.

COUNTDOWN: Vanderbilt's No. 12 offensive play of the year

Call these the 12 plays of Christmas: In a season in which Vanderbilt needed all the offense it could get, 12 plays helped us become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.

Here's No. 12:

12. HAWKINS LOOSENS REBEL FRONT (AT OLE MISS 9/20): With Vanderbilt facing a 10-point deficit in the first quarter and unable to move the ball against the Rebels’ massive defensive line, Jared Hawkins suddenly blasted down the field for 22 yards to the UM08. Three plays later, he took a swing pass from Nickson and rumbled 9 yards for the score.

D.J. Moore of Vanderbilt makes 2nd team All-American

Not a huge surprise, but D.J. Moore has been named second-team All-American by the Associated Press. Don't be surprised either when D.J. jumps to the NFL at the end of the season.

Since he may have only one game left, he should start both ways for the Commodores in the Music City Bowl. Heck, he should never leave the field.

Here are members of the All-America team that D.J. and the rest of the Commodores faced this season:

First team:

• Michael Oher, OT, Sr., Ole Miss
• Peria Jerry, DT, Sr., Ole Miss
• Brandon Spikes, LB, Jr., Florida
• Alphonso Smith, CB, Sr. Wake Forest
• Eric Berry, S, So., Tennessee

Second team:

• Knowshon Moreno, RB, Jr., Georgia
• Jarrett Dillard, WR, Sr., Rice
• Percy Harvin, All-Purpose, Jr., Florida
• Aaron Curry, LB, Sr., Wake Forest

Third team:
• Tim Tebow, QB, Jr., Florida
• Michael Tauliliili, LB, Sr., Duke

And in the Music City Bowl against Boston College, the Commodores will be facing third-team All-Americans B.J. Raji, a senior defensive tackle, and Mark Herzlich, a junior linebacker.

VANDERBILT SEASON REVIEW: 10 special teams plays to forget

This season, our offense was down, our defense was up, and our specials teams were up and down. Here are the top 10 down plays of the year:

1. HAHNFELDT SHANKS CHANCE FOR LEAD (DUKE 10/25): After Vanderbilt drove the ball in the second quarter to the Duke 9 yard line in scoreless game, Bryant Hahnfeldt shanked a 34-yard field goal.

2. HAHNFELDT MISSES ANOTHER CHANCE (DUKE 10/25): Midway through the fourth quarter, the Vanderbilt offense drove 62 yards deep into duke territory, but Hahnfeldt missed another field goal that would have tied the game.

3. JAMIE FUMBLES PUNT (DUKE 10/25): With Vanderbilt desperate to generate some yardage against Duke, Jamie Graham fumbled a third quarter punt on his own 15-yard line. It would lead to a field goal that would prove the difference in a 10-7 game.

4. SHANK WIDENS VOLUNTEER LEAD (TENNESSEE 11/22): With the Commodores down 7-0 to the Vols in the second quarter and forced to punt from their 18, Upson shanked it 17 yards, which led to a Tennessee field goal and 10-0 lead.

5. UPSON PUNT HELPS DEVILS (DUKE 10/25): With Vanderbilt’s homecoming looking like it would end in a 0-0 tie, Brett Upson managed a 23-yard punt. The shank led to a Duke touchdown and 7-0 halftime lead.

6. BLOCK PUTS GATORS IN GREAT SHAPE (FLORIDA 11/8): The Gators went after yet another Brett Upson punts like, well, Gators after raw meat, getting the block and the ball on the VU24. Seconds later, the score was 28-0 and it was only the second quarter.

7. WALLACE ANSWERS FOR REBELS (AT OLE MISS 9/20): Seconds after Ryan Hamilton returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown, Ole Miss’ Mike Wallace took the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and a 17-7 first quarter lead for the Rebels.

8. BLOCK GETS CATS ON SCOREBOARD (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): With fourth and goal on the UK25 and Vanderbilt poised to blow out the Cats in Lexington, Bryant Hahnfeldt put his foot into a 42-yard field goal attempt. It was blocked and returned 57 yards for a touchdown. Instead of leading 17-0, the Commodores were up only 14-7.

9. HAHNFELDT STARTS SLUMP (AUBURN 10/4): Early in the second half, with Vanderbilt trailing 13-7, Bryant Hahnfeldt missed a 40 field goal. He would go nearly two months without making a field goal.

10. TIGERS BLOCK FIELD GOAL (AUBURN 10/4): With Vanderbilt up 14-13 in the third quarter and trying to get some breathing room, Bryant Hahnfeldt’s 49-yard field goal was blocked by the Tigers.

HONORABLE MENTION: But we won these games, so who cares?

D.J. A FUMBLE AWAY FROM PERFECT (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): Early in the third quarter, D.J. Moore fumbled a punt at the VU12, leading to a Wildcat touchdown that cut the lead to 24-14.

GAMECOCKS GASH KICK COVERAGE (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): Seconds after kicking a field goal late in the first half to cut the South Carolina lead to four, the Commodores surrendered a 50-yard kickoff return that led to a Gamecock field goal as time expired to put the deficit back to a touchdown.

UPSON GIVES GAMECOCKS GIFT (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): With the Commodores hanging on to a 7-point lead over South Carolina late in the fourth quarter, Brett Upson punted the ball out of bounds at the VU48 for a net of only 30 yards, giving the Gamecock offense excellent field position.

VANDERBILT SEASON REVIEW: 10 defensive plays to forget

This is tough, because you can't fault our defense. Those guys performed brilliantly this season and we're going to a bowl because of them. And their statistics would have been much better if the offense hadn't gone three and out so many times.

But nobody's perfect, and here are 10 defensive plays that Commodore fans would like to forget:

1. DORES COLLAPSE ON THIRD DOWN (AT MISS STATE 10/11): On the opening drive of the second half, State quarterback Tyson Lee twice ran for first downs on third and long, setting up a touchdown pass to give the Bulldogs a 10-7 lead

2. D-LINE GETS DEMOLISHED (TENNESSEE 11/22): With the game scoreless at the end of the first quarter, Phil Fulmer went to the ground, calling for nine straight running plays. Vanderbilt can’t slow down the Vols, allowing 65 yards, including running Montario Hardesty’s 8 yard touchdown.

3. DORES CAN’T STOP AIRBORNE DOGS (AT MISS STATE 10/11): On third and 10 late in the game, Tyson Lee goes to the air for the first down and then the Bulldogs fall on the ball and run out the clock.

4. SECONDARY LEAVES GATOR ALL ALONE (FLORIDA 11/8): When Tim Tebow tossed a 41-yard pass to David Nelson at the end of the first half, nobody was withing 20 yards of the Gator receiver. Halftime score: 35-0 Florida.

5. COVERAGE BUST GETS STAFFORD ON TRACK (AT GEORGIA 10/18): With the Commodore defense hanging tough against Georgia in the first quarter, Matthew Stafford took advantage of busted coverage and hit A.J. Green for 49 yards. A few plays later, Georgia took a 7-0 lead.

6. TEBOW RUNS OVER DORES (FLORIDA 11/8): The Commodores couldn’t tackle Tim Tebow on his way to a 26-yard touchdown that put Florida up 14-0 early in the first quarter.

7. CLEMENT SHREDS DORE D EARLY (RICE 9/13): On his opening drive, Rice quarterback Chase Clement torched the Commodore defense for 63 yards on three completions, the last going for a 26-yard touchdown to give the Owls a 7-point lead.

8. SHAKY OFFENSE SHAKES UP DORES (AUBURN 10/4): Against a shaky Auburn offense that scored just 3 points a couple of weeks earlier against Miss State, Vanderbilt surrendered a 28-yard touchdown yard pass to give the Tigers a 14-0 first quarter lead.

9. COBB RUNS THROUGH DORES (AT KENTUCKY 11/15): Early in the fourth quarter, the Vanderbilt defense couldn’t stop freshman quarterback Randall Cobb, allowing him to move the Cats 48 yards in three plays, ending with his 10-yd touchdown run, to cut the Vanderbilt lead to 7.

10. OK, WE CAN'T THINK OF TEN. That's how good our defense was this season. Take a bow, guys.

VANDERBILT SEASON REVIEW: 10 offensive plays to forget

Trust me, I'm not trashing the Commodores here. We're going to look at some plays that kept a good season from being even better. And then starting tomorrow, we'll count down the 12 Plays of Christmas, in which we count down the top 10 plays of the year on offense, defense and special teams.

But back to the subject of plays Commodore fans would like to forget. Let's start with the offense.

TOP 10 OFFENSIVE PLAYS TO FORGET
And when we say offensive, we mean offensive. Think about it: In the last eight games of the season, the Commodores managed more than 14 points only once — and won twice, thanks to Auburn's inept offense.

1. DUKE: MACK GAMBLES AND LOSES (DUKE 10/25): Mackenzi Adams goes for broke on second and 10 on the Duke 39 with 2 minutes remaining. He’s intercepted at the 1 yard line. Game over.

2. MSU: NICKSON GIVES GAME TO DOGS (AT MISS STATE 10/11): Deep in his own territory and trailing Miss State 10-7 early in the fourth quarter, Chris Nickson throws a pass directly to a Bulldog defender who returns it to the Vanderbilt 7 yard line.

3. UT: BERRY MAKES NICKSON PAY (TENNESSEE 11/22): With Vanderbilt down 10-0 in the first quarter, Chris Nickson heaved a desperation pass on third and 20 and was picked off by Eric Berry, the all-world cornerback, who returned it 45 yds for a touchdown and a 17-0 Volunteer lead.

4. WALKER’S DROP (AT WAKE FOREST 11/29): Backed up in his own end zone in an icy rain on the road, smith gunned a 60-yard pass to Sean Walker. Instead of a 91-yard touchdown to tie the game, Walker dropped it. Smith was intercepted on the next play, and a few plays later the game was out of reach.

5. MACK SWINGS MOMENTUM WRONG WAY (AT WAKE FOREST 11/29): After D.J. Moore took a swing pass 54 yards down to the Wake 24 yard line with the game tied in 3-3 in the first quarter, Mackenzi Adams threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted on the goal line. With a shot of momentum, the Demon Deacons drove 98 yards to take a 10-3 lead.

6. JAMIE TIPS OFF ENEMY (TENNESSEE 11/22): With a minute left in the first half and down 17-0, Mackenzi Adams entered the game and directed the Commodores downfield to first and 5 on the Tennessee 34 yard line. He then hit a wide open Jamie Graham who was streaking for the end zone but Graham bobbled the ball into the hands of Vol Brent Vinson, who grabbed it and raced 69 yards to the Vanderbilt 7 with seconds remaining. Fulmer called for the field goal to make it 20-0 at halftime.

7. NICKSON REACHES TOO FAR (TENNESSEE 11/22): With Vanderbilt winning the battle of field position in the first quarter, Nickson fumbled at the Tennessee 48 while struggling for extra yardage on third down.

8. LINE COLLAPSES (TENNESSEE 11/22): Starting the game in the red zone after a Myron Lewis interception, the Vanderbilt line was overwhelmed by the Tennessee defensive front, which chalked up two sacks and drew an illegal block penalty. The Commodores were forced to punt.

9. WALKER STOPPED SHORT (TENNESSEE 11/22): With time running out and Vanderbiltdown by 10 on fourth and 10 on the Tennessee 39, Sean Walker caught a Mackenzi Adams pass but was stopped a yard short, returning the ball to the Volunteers.

10. JENNINGS STRIPPED (AT WAKE FOREST 11/29): After Vanderbilt recovered a fumble at the Wake 40 on the first play of the second half, running back Jeff Jennings took a clean handoff from new quarterback Larry Smith, lost 5 yards and was stripped of the ball.

HONORABLE MENTION

MACK SETS WRONG TONE (DUKE 10/25): In the Commodores’ first drive against Duke, Mackenzi Adams threw an interception in Vanderbilt territory.

MACK GIVES GATORS GIFT (FLORIDA 11/8): Mackenzi Adams’ interception deep in Vanderbilt territory in the first quarter led to a quick 21-0 Gator lead.

HAWKINS STUFFED (DUKE 10/25): On the opening drive of the second half against Duke, Hawkins took the ball up the middle on third and one and was stopped for no gain, forcing the Commodores to punt.

NICKSON TO JERRY (AT OLE MISS 9/20): On Vanderbilt’s second drive of the game, and trailing Ole Miss 3-0 in Oxford, Chris Nickson fumbled the football, which was scooped up by the Rebels’ Peria Jerry and returned for a touchdown to punt Vanderbilt in a 10-0 hole.

NICKSON DIGS HOLE (AUBURN 10/4): Chris Nickson tossed an interception in the first quarter, giving the Tigers the ball on the VU27. Two plays later, Auburn had a 14-0 lead that seemed insurmountable.

HAWKINS COUGHS IT UP (AT OLE MISS 9/20): With Vanderbilt trailing Ole Miss 10-0 in the first quarter, Jared Hawkins fumbled at the VU20 yard line, giving the ball back to the Rebels.

MILLER DELIVERS GAMECOCK SCORE (SOUTH CAROLINA 9/4): In the first quarter against South Carolina, Gaston Miller took the handoff at the VU35, lost five yards and fumbled the football, which was recovered by the Gamecocks at the VU20. Five plays later, quarterback Chris Smelley hit Kenny McKinley for a 19-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 Gamecock lead.

JENNINGS OPENS SEASON WITH FUMBLE (MIAMI-OHIO 8/28): Jeff Jennings fumbled on the Commodores’ first drive of the season, on the VU49, leading to a Miami (Ohio) field goal and a 3-0 Jayhawk lead.

BOWL SEASON PREVIEW: Moral Victory! rankings and predictions

Five days till the bowls start. Thought we'd go ahead and tell you who we're picking, as well as group the bowls together in case you're looking for recommendations as to which ones are actually worth watching.

As for our Music City Bowl prediction, you'll just have to wait until we get closer to New Year's Eve for that one. We want to go out on a limb and pick the Commodores, but they don't win when we pick ’em to win and they win when we don't pick ’em to win. So we're considering picking them to lose so they'll win. But for now, we'll just rate that game an "Old-Fashioned Slobber-Knocker."

Here we go:

HIGH-FLYING THRILLERS
• Poinsettia Bowl (Dec. 23): Boise State over TCU
• Hawaii Bowl (Dec. 24): Hawaii over Notre Dame
• Alamo Bowl (Dec. 29): Missouri over Northwestern
• Cotton Bowl (Jan. 2): Texas Tech over Ole Miss
• GMAC Bowl (Jan. 6): Tulsa over Ball State
• National Championship Game (Jan. 8): Florida over Oklahoma

OLD-FASHIONED SLOBBER-KNOCKERS
• Sun Bowl (Dec. 31): Oregon State over Pittsburgh
• Music City Bowl (Dec. 31): Boston College vs. Vanderbilt (PREDICTION COMING LATER)
• Outback Bowl (Jan. 1): South Carolina over Iowa
• Orange Bowl (Jan. 1): Virginia Tech over Cincinnati
• Liberty Bowl (Jan. 2): Kentucky over East Carolina

DARN INTERESTING
• Las Vegas Bowl (Dec. 20): BYU over Arizona
• Emerald Bowl (Dec. 27): California over Miami (Fla.)
• Papajohns.com Bowl (Dec. 29): NC State over Rutgers
• Holiday Bowl (Dec. 30): Oklahoma State over Oregon
• Gator Bowl (Jan. 1): Clemson over Nebraska
• Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 5): Texas over Ohio State

NOT REALLY CLOSE, BUT STILL DARN INTERESTING
• Champs Sports Bowl (Dec. 27): Florida State over Wisconsin
• Chick-fil-A Bowl (Dec. 31): Georgia Tech over LSU
• Capital One Bowl (Jan. 1): Georgia over Michigan State
• Rose Bowl (Jan. 1): USC over Penn State
• Sugar Bowl (Jan. 2): Alabama over Utah

MILDLY INTERESTING
• EagleBank Bowl (Dec. 20): Wake Forest over Navy
• St. Petersburg Bowl (Dec. 20): South Florida over Memphis
• New Orleans Bowl (Dec. 21): Troy over Southern Miss
• Meineke Car Care Bowl (Dec. 27): West Virginia over North Carolina
• Armed Forces Bowl (Dec. 31): Air Force over Houston
• Insight Bowl (Dec. 31): Kansas over Minnesota

ALL-AROUND SNOOZERS
• New Mexico Bowl (Dec. 20): Fresno State over Colorado State
• Motor City Bowl (Dec. 26): Central Michigan over Florida Atlantic
• Independence Bowl (Dec. 28): Louisiana Tech over Northern Illinois
• Humanitarian Bowl (Dec. 30): Nevada over Maryland
• Texas Bowl (Dec. 30): Rice over Western Michigan
• International Bowl (Jan. 3): Buffalo over Connecticut

BOWL SEASON PREVIEW: Seven Vanderbilt opponents are going bowling

Seven of Vanderbilt's opponents are headed to bowl games, starting with Wake Forest on Saturday. The Commodores had a 4-3 record against those bowl teams, but went 1-4 against teams that will be staying home (and all of those coaches but one have lost their jobs).

Anyway, here's a rundown of those bowl-bound opponents:

• South Carolina (7-5, 4-4 SEC): Stunned by the Commodores 24-17 in Nashville in the second game of the season. Play Iowa in the Outback Bowl at 11 a.m. EST Jan. 1.

• Rice (9-3, 7-1 C-USA): Lost to Vanderbilt 38-21 in Nashville. Play Western Michigan at 8 p.m. EST Dec. 30 in the Texas Bowl.

• Ole Miss (8-4, 5-3 SEC): Dropped a 23-17 thriller to the Commodores in Oxford. Play highly ranked Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl at 2 p.m. EST Jan. 2.

• Georgia (9-3, 6-2 SEC): Beat Vanderbilt 24-14 in Athens. Play Michigan State at noon EST Jan. 1.

• Florida (12-1, 8-1 SEC): Beat Vanderbilt 42-14 in Nashville. Play Oklahoma for the national championship at 8 p.m. Jan. 8 in Miami.

• Kentucky (6-6, 2-6 SEC): Lost to Vanderbilt 31-24 in Lexington. Play East Carolina at 5 p.m. EST Jan. 2 in the Liberty Bowl.

• Wake Forest (7-5, 4-4 ACC): Beat Vanderbilt 23-10 in Raleigh. Play Navy in the Eagle Bank Bowl at 11 a.m. EST Saturday, Sept. 20. Wake lost at home to Navy 24-17 earlier this season.


The following Commodore opponents will be staying at home this bowl season:

• Miami-Ohio (2-10, 1-7 MAC): Lost 34-13 to Vanderbilt in the season opener. Redhawk coach Shane Montgomery was forced to resign at the end of the season. Shane! Shane! Come back, Shane!

• Auburn (5-7, 2-6 SEC): Lost 14-13 to the Commodores in Nashville. Coach Tommy Tuberville was forced to resign at the end of the season and now Auburn is interviewing every second-tier coach on the face of the earth to take his place.

• Miss State (4-8, 2-6 SEC): Punched Vanderbilt in the mouth in Starkville and won 17-14. Sylvester Croom, last year's SEC Coach of the Year, was shown the door at season's end.

• Duke (4-8, 1-7 ACC): Stunned Vanderbilt 10-7 at homecoming in Nashville. Coach David Cutcliffe didn't win another game.

• Tennessee (5-7, 3-5 SEC): Overpowered Vanderbilt 20-10 in Nashville. Coach Phil Fulmer had already been forced to announce his resignation at the end of the season, but maintained his mastery over the Commodores.

Vanderbilt's defense set in stone, Vanderbilt's offense changes with the tides

Everybody knows that defense was the Commodores' strength this season, and offense was their weakness (and what a weakness it was).

Anyway, today I was looking at the number of games each player started and/or played and noticed some interesting things that might explain our defensive prowess and our offensive strength:

NUMBER OF PLAYERS WHO'VE STARTED EVERY GAME THIS SEASON
• Offense: 3 (WR Walker, C Vierling and OT Welch)
• Defense: 8 (DE Stone, DT Billinger, LBs Marve and Benoist, DBs Langford, Hamilton, Lewis and Moore)

NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PLAYERS WHO'VE STARTED THIS SEASON
• Offense: 19
• Defense: 16

NUMBER OF TOTAL PLAYERS WHO'VE PLAYED IN EVERY GAME THIS SEASON
• Offense: 12
• Defense: 20

CONCLUSIONS:
• The defense had 11 firm starters who claimed their positions before the season and held on to them.
• The offense couldn't settle on starters at quarterback or offensive line and the running back, tight end and wide receiver positions were constantly being shuffled around because of injuries.
• The defense had talented backups who played a big role in every game and will be ready to step in as starters when their time comes. Junior Brent Trice, sophomores T.J. Greenstone, Nate Campbell, Austin Newton and Alan Strong and true freshmen Casey Hayward and Sean Richardson have played in every game this season. (Seniors Chris Johnson, Josh Allen and Jared Fagan have also played in all 12 games.)
• The only time a defensive starter missed a start was because of injury or a change in formation. Broderick Stewart and Adam Smotherman have missed starts because of injury. The nickel back — Dalron Spead, and Allen and Fagan when he was injured — has gotten the nod over linebacker John Stokes in three games.
• Offensive starters have frequently been benched in hopes that somebody else could do a better job. This has been most apparent at quarterback, where Chris Nickson and Mackenzi Adams have shared playing time and starting duties and may give way to Larry Smith in the bowl game, and offensive line, where 11 different players have vied for playing time and 8 different players have started.
• Think about all those redshirt freshman we'll have next season. The ones on offense will be looked upon as saviors and thrown into battle as soon as the upperclassmen falter. The ones on defense will have a chance to be understudies to accomplished starters and will be ready when their time comes. Speaking of which, expect true freshman Sean Richardson, a superb athlete who's played in every game this season, to star next season as Reshard Langford's replacement.

Chris Marve and three other Vanderbilt players make Freshman All-SEC

The coaches have cast their votes and the Freshman All-SEC Team has been announced. Four Vanderbilt Commodores made the team.

Linebacker Chris Marve, a redshirt freshman from Memphis, was one of only four players to be voted unanimously to the team. The others were center Ben Jones and receiver A.J. Green of Georgia and punter Clinton Durst of Auburn. (Alabama's Julio Jones made the team but was not a unanimous selection — are you kidding me?)

Other Commodores on the team were tight end Brandon Barden, a redshirt from Lincolnton, Ga.; offensive lineman Kyle Fischer, a redshirt from Columbia, S.C. (eat your heart out, Coach Spurrier); and T.J. Greenstone, a redshirt from Lawrenceville, Ga.

By the way, the only freshman nominated by Bobby Johnson who didn't make the team was Jamie Graham, who was edged out by future All-Americans Green and Jones.

Can't wait to see next year's class of redshirt freshmen.

Here's a look at how the other schools fared:

• Georgia (6): OL Justin Anderson, OL Cordy Glenn, C Jones, WR Green, DL DeAngelo Tyson, PK Blair Walsh

• Arkansas (5): OL Grant Cook, DL Jake Bequette, DL Zach Stadther, LB Jerry Franklin, return man Dennis Johnson

• Alabama (4): OL John Michael Boswell, WR Jones, RB Mark Ingram, LB Dont'a Hightower

• Florida (4): RB Jeffery Demps, RB Chris Rainey, DB Janoris Jenkins, DB Will Hill

• Auburn (3): LB Spencer Pybus, DB Neiko Thorpe, P Clinton Durst

• Miss State (2): OL Quentin Saulsberry, DB Charles Mitchell

• Kentucky (1): QB Randall Cobb

• Tennessee (1): LB Daryl Vereen

• Ole Miss (none)

• South Carolina (none)

• LSU (none)

Which SEC coaches do you think voted for Bobby Johnson?

Here's an interesting exercise: Figure out which SEC coaches voted for Bobby Johnson for the league's coach of the year — as well as who voted for Nick Saban and who voted for Houston Nutt.

As ESPN's Chris Low points out on his blog, we'll never know who voted for whom. But of course we can speculate.

So let's assume that Johnson, Saban and Nutt split the 12 votes — getting 4 votes apiece — and no coach could vote for himself, and Tuberville, Fulmer and Croom cast votes before they were run out of town. So who voted for whom?

Here's my best guess:

BOBBY JOHNSON VOTERS
• Rich Brooks: Knows how tough it is to build a football program at a basketball school.
• Houston Nutt: Still wondering how in the world he lost to Bobby Johnson.
• Sylvester Croom: Loves an underdog, and realizes this award isn't worth a dang anyway, because he won it last year.
• Mark Richt: Follows the teachings of Jesus and feels compassion on the traditionally weakest among us.

NICK SABAN VOTERS
• Steve Spurrier: Understands the link between arrogance and success.
• Les Miles: Thinks you should get coach of the year if you're competing for a national championship instead of a guy from Mississippi (he lost to Croom last year).
• Tommy Tuberville: Seemed to be out to sabotage his job — blowing up the offense, firing his coordinator mid-season, leaving Mario Fannin on the bench after he accounted for all of Auburn's offense against Georgia, voting for Saban (?).
• Bobby Petrino: He's not concerned with the little guys. He wants Saban to win the award so he can knock him off later and take his job at Alabama.

HOUSTON NUTT VOTERS
• Urban Meyer: Has consistently voted for Ole Miss ahead of Georgia in the Top 25, and Nutt's the only coach to beat him this season.
• Bobby Johnson: Knows how lucky he was to beat this guy and needs Vandy fans to realize that Nutt's Rebels will be harder and harder to beat in the future.
• Phil Fulmer: His worst team ever beat Bobby Johnson's best team ever. And he wouldn't vote for Saban if hell froze over.
• Nick Saban: He knows how close he came to losing to Nutt. And he's probably sorry he didn't get to face Vanderbilt.

Looks like Bobby Johnson and Vanderbilt are practicing to play to win

Here's a fact: Vanderbilt has just about the worst offense in America and Boston College has a stout defense.

So how do the Commodores plan to put points on the LP Field scoreboard on New Year's Eve? More to the point, who do the Commodores expect will put those points on the board?

In other words, who'll be passing the ball, catching the ball and running the ball? And when they make these decisions, will the coaches be taking some risks and playing to win instead of treating this like a farewell party for the seniors?

There's hope. I was reading Mo Patton's coverage of yesterday's practice, and it sounds like Bobby Johnson's making moves to put the ball in the hands of the best people — regardless of their age or experience — and playing to win. Maybe injuries have forced him to do this, but I'm glad he's doing it.

For example:

• Chris Nickson and Larry Smith are splitting time at quarterback. Good. You can't deny that Nickson has won several games almost singlehandedly with brilliant running, but you also can't deny that he contributed mightily to the Miss State, Tennessee and Wake Forest losses. And you can't deny that Smith seemed like the better option — and by far the best option for the future — when he was forced to play against Wake. Would Smith have even played or be getting so much practice right now if Mackenzi Adams weren't hurt? Probably not.

• Jamie Graham is playing tailback. I thought he ran well against the tough Wake Forest defense, but we got behind and needed to go to the air. With Jared Hawkins on the mend, I think Jamie's our best option. Hawkins will be back for the bowl, but I'm not sure to what extent. Also, Kennard Reeves is getting some reps, and he's an exciting young player.

• Jamie Graham's absence in the receiving corps leaves a spot for D.J. Moore. Remember how well we played against Kentucky, scoring 31 points against a pretty tough defense? That's because Graham — who's a fine young talent — was out with an injury and we were forced to play D.J., who could be one of the best receivers in the nation if he weren't starting on the other side of the ball. Let's face it, nobody else on our team could have made the catches D.J. made in the end zone in Lexington against an all-conference cornerback.

Of course, the x-factor is the offensive line. We need those guys to play well for those skill guys to have a chance to score. And we've been tinkering with our lineup all season, which means the line is still a work in progress.

What do you think?

Fellow coaches vote Bobby Johnson SEC coach of year

Yes, Bobby Johnson's fellow coaches in the SEC have recognized him as the league's Coach of the Year.

Sure, the award is important, and it'll look good on the wall of Johnson's office. But even more important: Those who cast their votes.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a sportswriter in America who cast a vote for Johnson over Nick Saban. See, those sportswriters used their university-honed reasoning skills and deduced that:

• Nick Saban won 6 games last season and 12 games this season.
• Bobby Johnson won 5 games last season and 6 games this season.
• Houston Nutt took a team that won 4 games last season and won 8 this season.

Simple, right? Saban wins in a landslide, while Nutt's a solid runner-up.

So while the sportswriters favored Saban in a landslide, why did the coaches cast an equal number of votes for Saban and Johnson and Nutt?

Because they think Saban's an arrogant jerk who sends memos asking office workers not to speak to him in the hallway because he'd have to learn their names?

Actually, the SEC coaches know how hard it is to win at Vanderbilt, and how hard it was to get the Commodores to a bowl with a green offensive line and offensive "skill" players who wouldn't be on the roster of many other SEC teams. Both Saban's and Nutt's teams are loaded with future NFL performers. Johnson's is not. That's why I say it may be a blessing in disguise that Johnson didn't have a 10-win season and get bites from the big schools with head coach openings. We need Johnson to stay in Nashville and keep battling; it's a tough, tough job and no other SEC coach would want it.

If Johnson leaves, we're not getting Steve Spurrier — or any other current Division I head coach — to take his place. The Ol' Ball Coach has already taken on a charity case in Columbia.

Music City Bowl tickets not exactly a hot item — Vanderbilt fans can get great deals

What happens when two private schools go to a bowl game? Tickets are cheap.

Checking all the SEC tie-in bowls on a popular ticket site, the starting price for Music City Bowl tickets is by far the lowest. Here's a look at the cheapest:

1. Music City: $3
2. Independence: $20
3. Liberty: $45
4. Georgia Dome: $56
5. Outback: $59
6. Cotton: $62
7. Capital One: $64
8. Papajohns.com: $98 (a limited number of tickets at this time; price will drop)
9. Sugar: $135
10. National Championship Game: $490

Should you buy Music City Bowl tickets from Vanderbilt's allotment?

So Vanderbilt has an allotment of 11,000 tickets and we should all do our part to buy from this allotment so we can support our school, right?

If money's no object to you, go for it, and I applaud your school spirit.

Just know that tickets start at $50 when you go through Vanderbilt's site, at $15 when you go to the Music City Bowl's site, and around $5 when you go through a site like Stub Hub.

Let's say you're going to buy eight tickets and you don't care where you sit. Consider these options:

• Vanderbilt's Web site: $50 + $6.75 Ticketmaster charge X 8 = $454

• Music City Bowl's site: $15 + 6.75 Ticketmaster charge X 8 = $174

• Stub Hub: $5 + 10 percent fee + shipping = $55

And there are even better deals out there — online prices have dropped in the past 24 hours down to around $3.

Take the money you saved and upgrade your room at a Nashville hotel or treat yourself to a really nice meal at a Nashville restaurant. Or make a donation to the university or buy yourself a bunch of Vanderbilt T-shirts.

But why pay more when you don't have to?

News flash! D.J. Moore makes first team All-SEC — will he bolt for the NFL?

Big surprise here. D.J. Moore has been named to the AP All-SEC first team. The other cornerback is Trevard Lindley, the guy D.J. burned for one of his two touchdown catches against Kentucky.

Which raises the question: Will D.J. go pro? He stands to make more money if he leaves this season because of changes to the NFL rookie pay structure that go into effect in 2010. And could his stock really be any higher? But on the other hand, Earl Bennett left early last year and he's struggled to crack into the active roster for the Bears.

Also, Patrick Benoist was named to the second team. I don't know if he has the physical gifts to play at the next level, but he's a heck of a tough guy, playing most of the season with a cast on his hand and leading the Commodores in tackles by a long shot.

Here's how all the SEC teams fared:

1. Florida: 14 players (4 first team/4 second team/6 honorable mention)
2. Alabama: 9 (6/3/0)
3. Georgia: 8 (3/5/0)
3. LSU: 8 (3/5/0)
3. Ole Miss: 8 (3/2/3)
6. Kentucky: 6 (2/2/2)
7. Arkansas: 5 (1/4/0)
7. South Carolina: 5 (2/2/2)
9. Tennessee: 3 (1/2/0)
10. Vanderbilt: 2 (1/1/0)
10. Auburn: 2 (1/0/1)
12. Miss State: 0

Now compare this to how the teams actually fared on the field in the SEC:

1. Florida: 8-1
2. Alabama: 8-1
3. Georgia: 6-2
4. Ole Miss: 5-3
5. Vanderbilt: 4-4
5. South Carolina: 4-4
7. LSU: 3-5
7. Tennessee: 3-5
12. Kentucky: 2-6
12. Arkansas: 2-6
12. Auburn: 2-6
12. Miss State: 2-6

So Vanderbilt ranks next-to-last in all-star players but finishes No. 5 in the standings that count. Which says one of two things:
• Vanderbilt has just as much talent as other teams but gets ripped off when it comes to these all-star teams.
• Vanderbilt ranks at the bottom of the league in talent but has out-performed more talented teams this season through coaching, hard work and desire.

I'll go with the latter, and I think just about everybody else who knows anything about college football would do the same.

That said, I think the three other starters in the secondary could have warranted an honorable mention — especially Reshard Langford.

Also, you should see Chris Marve pop up on every all-freshman team.

Some other notes:
• Vanderbilt had two players on the team and Kentucky had six? Are you kidding? Those six Wildcats — four on defense — likely have been written in ink on voters' ballots since Oct. 4, when Kentucky took Alabama to the wire on CBS.

• Georgia's A.J. Green made first team at wide receiver. Alabama's Julio Jones made second team at wide receiver. So the SEC freshman of the year is... Julio Jones. Huh?

• Vanderbilt had no offensive players on the team. Makes sense. In fact, Bobby Johnson only nominated two players, running back Jared Hawkins and tackle Thomas Welch.