Freshmen compose 80 percent of Vandy's second-team offensive line

NOTE: This is a work in progress, because no one keeping statistics for Vanderbilt could accurately report who played and who didn't. We're piecing it together using Twitter and lots of eye-witness accounts from you guys. Let us know if this report needs to be updated further. We're getting CSS this week and will be able to watch the game. Many thanks.

So Joe Townsend played in Saturday's game. Know how I know? Because I went on this blog and asked you guys, and AJ replied that Townsend had posted on Twitter that he'd played, so I went to JTownislegend (offensive lineman, vanderbilt mommas boy), where Joe wrote, "Good game! Got some PT! Ready to get better!!"

Ah, so the code has been cracked. Joe did play. Way to go, Joe.

Of course, this would have been easier if the folks who compile the player participation list had noticed Townsend entering the game.

Also, some astute MV! readers noticed that Andrew Bridges also played in the game. The player participation list in the box score listed Bridges and Pulley as the only linemen to play in their first college game. Meanwhile, the game notes released with the box score listed Pulley and Townsend as the only linemen to play in their first game.

Other folks thought they saw Chase White enter the game, but he's not listed on the updated participation chart released today with the rest of the UConn Game Day package. He is still lasted at second team guard.

Good grief. Couldn't somebody get some Vandy math majors to handle this? The folks at Dudley Field have been screwing this stuff up for years, and the only guys who ever get shafted are the offensive linemen.

Vanderbilt has recruited five offensive linemen in each of the past two years. Of those 10 linemen, it appears that only three of them — two true freshmen and one redshirt freshmen — played on Saturday. Logan Stewart, who started half of last season as a true freshman, was injured and did not play.

Townsend, by the way, was by far the lowest rated of any of the 16 linemen on the Vanderbilt roster coming out of high school. In fact, he was headed to MTSU and was offered a scholarship at the last minute when massive lineman Larry Mazyck wasn't able to sign with the Commodores.

Further proof that recruiting ratings aren't everything, and that you can't measure heart. Remember who got a last-minute scholarship in 2010? Fitz Lassing, whose only other offer was I think from Harvard. And he scored the first touchdown of this season.

Anyway, here's a look at all 10 of the linemen from our last two classes, in order of their recruiting rankings based on a compilation of ratings from ESPN, Rivals and Scout:

1. James Lewis, FR: Did not play.

2. Jake Bernstein, FR: Did not play.

3. Grant Ramsay, R-FR: Did not play.

4. James Kittredge, SO: Did not play. Played as true freshman; transferred to Michigan State.

5. Logan Stewart, SO: Did not play. Played as true freshman; currently injured.

6. SPENCER PULLEY, FR: PLAYED AGAINST ELON. Second team guard.

7. Jose Valedon, FR: Did not play.

8. ANDREW BRIDGES, R-FR: PLAYED AGAINST ELON. Second team tackle.

9. Chase White, R-FR: Did not play. Second team guard.

10. JOE TOWNSEND, FR: PLAYED AGAINST ELON. Second team center.