Dec. 31, 2011
It wasn’t the storybook ending Vanderbilt fans were hoping for, but then again, did you expect the Commodores to be playing football just hours before New Year’s after back-to-back 2-10 seasons? Not likely.
The Commodores’ season didn’t end with a victory, but all the strides that were made in 12 months will not be washed away by one loss.
“This game does not define us,” Vanderbilt Head Coach James Franklin said. “No disrespect to the past and no disrespect to previous situations, but we talked in the locker room about last season, the Wake Forest game, what that was like, and in 12 months how much things have changed. I feel for (the seniors) because they are not going to be part of the future, but what they have been a huge part of is laying the foundation for great things to come.”
There have been too many positive steps made in the last year for everything to be lost on one game, and Franklin and the players understand this. Vanderbilt was playing in just its fifth all-time bowl game, and the experience will stay with the players for the rest of their lives, no matter what the final score was.
“We will be back,” Franklin said. “This is just the first step of many that we are taking.”
Smith is Fantastic in Relief
In 2008, it was Larry Smith behind center when the Commodores won the Music City Bowl and on Saturday, it was Smith who relieved starter Jordan Rodgers and nearly led the Commodores to another bowl championship.
Smith, who lost his starting job after the sixth game of the season, entered Saturday’s game on the second drive of the third quarter after the offense was held to just 106 yards, including 26 in the air in the first half. Franklin said after the game he pulled Rodgers due to the team’s offensive struggles and not an injury.
Getting Smith adjusted to the flow of the game, Vanderbilt rushed three straight plays on his first series. That one series was all Smith needed. On his second series, Smith found Wesley Tate for a first-down reception on 3rd and 10 for 12 yards down to the Cincinnati 40-yard line. Smith would complete two more passes before Jerron Seymour capped the 52-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 14.
On Vanderbilt’s next possession, Smith tossed a screen pass to Chris Boyd who took it 68 yards for a touchdown, giving Vanderbilt its first lead of the game, 21-17, with 14:03 to play. The pass and catch were the longest in Vanderbilt’s bowl history and the longest in the careers of Larry Smith and Chris Boyd.
Smith finished the night 8-of-10 passing for 142 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He moved an offense that had been stagnant for most of the first half. Smith was ready for the opportunity and he seized it. For his effort, he was named Vanderbilt’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player for the game.
“I’ve never seen a quarterback handle losing his job with more grace and class than this guy did,” Franklin said. “He was so supportive of Jordan all the way and that is a great lesson for our whole team. I’m just really proud of him. When he went in there and threw that touchdown and made some plays and he came to the sideline I said, ‘who could of wrote a better script then this.’ Obviously would have liked for it to end differently, but I was so glad for him to get on the field and have some success.”
Smith’s only interception, however, was costly as it came with 3:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, but it did not lose the game. The interception came following Archibald Barnes’ blocked field goal when the Commodores had 2nd and 6 from the Vanderbilt 36-yard line. The pass was slightly behind Jordan Matthews, who got his hands on the ball, but it was tipped up and intercepted by Cincinnati linebacker Nick Temple, who took it to the Vanderbilt 31. The Bearcats would score a touchdown off the turnover and seemingly put the game away.
Smith stood by his mistake.
“I just threw it behind him,” Smith said. “It’s a simple concept that we installed the first day of spring practice (to take care of the ball). I made a poor throw and the defense made a play on it.”
As a senior, Smith could have folded his tent and began to look to life after Vanderbilt, but through it all he never wavered, and remained ready if his number were called.
“It was challenging at first, as far as losing my job midway through the season, but my mindset is team first,” Smith said. “And I realized that it was in the best interest of the team. I just took the same approach as if I was starting. Jordan and I have a great relationship and we maintained that throughout this whole process. Tonight, when coach gave me the nod, I went out there and just played my game.”
That positive attitude was not lost on Franklin and others.
“When he said it was hard, I never saw that,” Franklin said. “He came in and watched just as much film as he did when he was a starter. I never saw him hang his head. I never saw him having conversations on the side of the locker room, never. He kept all of that internal.”
Like the other eight seniors on the roster, Smith’s Vanderbilt career came to a close on Saturday, but another career is just around the corner, and Franklin knows he will be a success at whatever he chooses.
“Larry is an amazing guy,” Franklin said. “I would hire Larry tomorrow to coach. I would hire Larry tomorrow to work in the weight room. I would hire wherever he wants to and the funny thing is, I keep talking about hiring Larry and Larry is probably going to end up hiring me. I’m going to be calling him looking for a job. That is how special this guy is. On the field, off the field, in the community, he is the whole package.”
Hayward Ties School Record for Interceptions
Vanderbilt has had a number of outstanding cornerbacks that have donned the Black and Gold through the years. There may be more outstanding players that have come from the cornerback position than any other position at Vanderbilt. Senior defensive back Casey Hayward cemented his legacy as one of the school’s best on Saturday when he picked off two Zach Collaros passes to tie Leonard Coleman for the most interceptions in school history with 15.
“On our side, we don’t get that many balls, but when we do, you have to capitalize on it,” Hayward said. “At the beginning of the season, I knew how many (interceptions) I needed to tie and pass (the record). I needed eight to pass it and I only got seven. Its a tie and I don’t like to tie, but it is fine to tie with Coleman.”
Hayward’s first interception came on Cincinnati’s third possession when he picked Collaros and returned it 11 yards to Cincinnati 22-yard line, setting up the game’s first points.
Hayward’s second interception came with 9:33 to play as he intercepted Collaros at the Vanderbilt 18-yard line.
“Casey really did that all year long, made critical plays when we needed them to be made,” Franklin said. “I think he is a special player and he is going to play for a very, very long time, not just because of his physical skills, but in how he carries himself.”
Hayward was named Vanderbilt’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the game for his effort.
Missed Opportunities
Outside of capitalizing on Casey Hayward’s first quarter interception, Vanderbilt missed a few key opportunities to take advantage of Cincinnati’s mistakes.
After being forced to punt, Vanderbilt was unable to take advantage of a roughing the punter penalty on Cincinnati’s Reuben Haley. The penalty moved the ball to the 50-yard line for an automatic first down with 11:21 to play in the second quarter. The Commodores were again forced to punt after a Cincinnati sack on the very next play negated any momentum from the penalty.
With 3:59 to play in the first half, Vanderbilt punter Richards Kent avoided a potential disaster when he scooped up a botched snap and ran for 17 yards and a first down on fourth and 15. Kent carried the ball to the Vanderbilt 48,
However, Vanderbilt was did not pick up another first down despite going for it on fourth down.
On 4th and 2, Vanderbilt reached into its bag of tricks, but was unable to convert. Jordan Rodgers handed off to Zac Stacy, who took two steps forward and attempted a jump pass to Brandon Barden. Barden had a few steps on the closest defender, but the pass was to the opposite side of where Barden was looking and it fell incomplete.
Cincinnati took advantage of Vanderbilt’s gamble by marching 56 yards down the field to take a 14-7 lead into the half when Collaros connected with Anthony McClung from eight yards out with 12 seconds to play.
“We didn’t play well,” Franklin said. “I think that is the one thing that is hard to swallow. If you get beat and you play well, I think you can live with that, but we didn’t play well.”
Not to be outdone in the missed opportunity department was Cincinnati in the third quarter. After recovering a fumble at the Vanderbilt 15 on the opening kickoff of the second half, Cincinnati was unable to put points on the board, missing a 41-yard field goal attempt.
Cincinnati’s Camerron Cheatham then picked off Jordan Rodgers at the Vanderbilt 48-yard line on the ensuing possesion and had first down on the plus 43. However, the Commodores forced the Bearcats to punt.
Vanderbilt had another missed opportunity with 8:30 to play in the game when Isaiah Pead muffed a punt, but was able to get back onto the ball and wrestle it away from a few Commodore defenders who nearly got on the football first.
Large Commodore Contingent
Vanderbilt fans streamed into Memphis for the game and made a lasting impact on Coach Franklin and the players. The large crowd of 57,103 was loud and provided an outstanding bowl atmosphere.
“It was the first game this year where I felt electricity, and it was probably from our fan base,” Franklin said. “It was unbelievable and we learned from this experience we really did. That is how it is going to be from year’s to come, but this is the first time this year that I really felt the electricity about Vanderbilt football. We were unable to capitalize on it tonight, but, again, it was just a step.”
“Our whole side was filled with black and gold and we haven’t had that since the Auburn game when we had (ESPN) Gameday there (2008),” Hayward said. “Our fans did a great job and we are glad they came out and supported us.”
Heat Wave
Tennessee weather in late December is as unpredictable as they come. Saturday was a testament to that as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl kicked off with a game time temperature of 66 degrees. It was the third warmest game time temperature in the 53-year history of the bowl game.
