Sept. 5, 2009
Game Recap: Vanderbilt 45, Western Carolina 0
Move over, Batman and Robin–the Vanderbilt Commodores have a dynamic duo of their own.
True freshmen running backs Zac Stacy and Warren Norman let their explosiveness explain the preseason hype over their arrival, as they helped the Commodores effectively run the Western Carolina Catamounts out of Nashville with a resounding 45-0 opening game victory. With redshirt senior starter Jared Hawkins sidelined with a lingering foot injury, Stacy led the way with 133 yards on 20 carries, including a nine yard touchdown run, while Norman kept pace by running for 105 yards on 18 carries and two scores.
It was the first time a Vanderbilt freshman has rushed for 100 yards since Kwane Doster on Nov. 16, 2002, against Kentucky and the first time two Vanderbilt running backs have eclipsed 100 yards in the same game since Sept. 21 of the same year against Mississippi (Doster and Norval McKenzie both ran for 101 yards). Never before had two Vanderbilt freshmen run for 100 yards in the same game.
“They’re pretty cool customers,” said head coach Bobby Johnson. “They did a good job of learning the offense and knowing what to do…I was pleased with the way they executed and the manner in which they did it. They were very aggressive and looked like they wanted to get the ball through the hole.”
After the first of redshirt sophomore linebacker Chris Marve’s two forced fumbles, Stacy set the tone for what was to become a very long day for the Catamount defense. On his first drive as a collegian, Stacy racked up 23 yards on four carries, which included a play where he lined up as the quarterback in the Stallion, Vanderbilt’s version of the Wildcat offense. The first attempt was less than stellar, resulting in a two-yard loss, but it was out of that same formation that Stacy rumbled his way into the end zone from nine yards out to start the second quarter and pad a Commodore lead that would prove insurmountable for Western Carolina.
“As we got more snaps, [the game] slowed down a little bit and the tempo of the game became a little faster for us,” Stacy said. “It was good that I got the opportunity to get a lot of snaps in… [because] I could see the game a whole lot [better].”
While Stacy added an extra element to the offense out of the Stallion, it was Norman who started the scoring spree for the backs. On Vanderbilt’s second touchdown drive of the first quarter, Norman torched the Catamounts with consecutive 16-yard scampers and later strolled in for a touchdown from seven yards out. Later, with the Commodores already sporting a 21-0 lead in the third quarter, Norman again showed a nose for the end zone, taking it in from two yards out to build on a Vanderbilt rushing output that reached 433 yards.
“(We knew) the week beforehand that Zac and I would be carrying the load tonight,” Norman said. “We were expecting it and did well…It felt great.”
The ground attack was not just due to the prowess of the fine freshmen, however. A more seasoned, experienced offensive line–led by redshirt senior and team captain Bradley Vierling–was opening gaping holes and cutback alleys for Vanderbilt’s impressive stable of backs, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the Commodores’ freshmen sensations.
“They opened up holes that anybody could run through,” Norman said. “All the praise should [go] to them. Anybody could have scored two touchdowns and run for [that many] yards with the line we had going.”
