Oct. 11, 2014
By David Dawson
Freshman Johnny McCrary turned out to be Johnny On The Spot during Vanderbilt’s win on Saturday night.
With Vanderbilt’s offense struggling early against Charleston Southern, McCrary came off the bench and helped guide the Commodores to a 21-20 homecoming victory.
McCrary — who entered the game early in the second quarter and provided an immediate spark with a quick 65-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Duncan — completed 10-of-16 passes for 169 yards on the night as the Commodores (2-5) ended a three-game losing streak.
McCrary had not seen action since the season opener on Aug. 28, when he was 0-for-3 with two interceptions in a loss to Temple. But he showed poise and confidence against the pesky Buccaneers, and said he wasn’t caught off guard when the coaching staff called his name to replace freshman starter Wade Freebeck.
“You’ve got to be prepared for anything,” McCrary said after the win. “All my teammates said ‘Hey, if you get in there, just play.’ That’s pretty much what I did today. Whenever I get my opportunity, I have to step up.”
McCrary entered the game on the Commodores’ second offensive series of the second quarter. His first pass was the 65-yard touchdown to Duncan, which gave Vanderbilt a 10-3 lead. It was the first completion of McCrary’s career — and it proved to be a pivotal play in a contest that wasn’t decided until the final minute.
“Honestly, when I threw it, I was thinking ‘normal play, normal play,'” said McCrary. “And then I looked back, and he was so wide open. And I was like, it’s made to happen. I just threw it up, and when I threw it, I was thinking ‘I threw the ball way too far, I’m going to miss him.’ But … he just caught the ball, and it was amazing.”
McCrary is one of four quarterbacks the Commodores have employed this season. Patton Robinette, who has established himself as the No. 1 quarterback, has been sidelined with an injury. In his absence, the Commodores have used Stephen Rivers and Freebeck before turning to McCrary against Charleston Southern (5-1). Freebeck was 5-of-7 for 20 yards on Saturday before being replaced by McCrary, who went the rest of the way.
Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason said he made the decision before Saturday’s game that McCrary would play.
“He earned the opportunity to get on the field,” said Mason. “I told our coaches I wanted to see him in on the third or fourth series tonight.”
Mason said he was impressed with what he saw from his young quarterback.
“He’s talented,” said Mason. “He does a good job of using his legs. He was able to extend plays in the pocket. He’s more versatile than the other guys we have.”
His teammates said McCrary has continued to work hard in the past few weeks while awaiting his chance to get back on the field.
“It was good to see Johnny out there,” said Duncan, who finished with seven catches for 119 yards. “It is a testament to his work ethic and patience and positive attitude. He has been waiting a long time for this moment. He stepped up in a big way. He is well deserving.”
It wasn’t just the Vanderbilt offensive players who appreciated McCrary’s efforts. Freshman linebacker Nigel Bowden, who finished with a team-high 10 tackles, said McCrary’s performance was a solid step forward for the young quarterback.
“He kept being patient and kept working hard,” said Bowden. “He comes out there and shows progress and it just builds the team confidence even higher than what it was.”
McCrary noted that his teammates deserve credit for helping him stay loose, even as the game became tight in the second half.
“The guys would calm me down and tell me to just be calm and make smart decisions,” he said. “The wide receivers kept saying ‘I’ll make plays for you’ and the defense kept saying ‘I’ll hold ’em for you.’ That made my confidence so much better.”
McCrary said his was thrilled to get the opportunity to get on the field and play a key role in the Vanderbilt victory.
“It was a great experience being out there with my boys,” he said. “It was pretty muchone of the best experiences of my life.”
The Commodores now have two weeks off before traveling to Missouri on Oct. 25, and Mason said the coaching staff will continue to assess the quarterback position.
“We feel like our quarterback situation is going to resolve itself,” he said. “We want to get Patton back as soon as we can. We will continue to move forward. But great night for Johnny.”
