June 6, 2007
2007 Football Season Tickets Starting at $99
Birmingham, Ala. – Record-breaking Vanderbilt wide receiver Earl Bennett and three-year starting linebacker Jonathan Goff were named this week to the Birmingham News’ first team Preseason All-SEC Team, according to the newspaper this week.
A third Commodore, senior offensive tackle Chris Williams, was named to second team All-SEC in the 61st annual newspaper ballot. The Birmingham News’ team is compiled by the football sports information directors of Southeastern Conference schools and is one of the first preseason teams published in the region.
Bennett, a native of Birmingham, also was voted as the SEC’s best receiver over Early Doucet of LSU, Keenan Burton of Kentucky and Andre Caldwell of Florida.
Goff was named the second best interior linebacker behind South Carolina’s Jasper Brinkley and ahead of Ali Highsmith of LSU and Prince Hall of Alabama.
The sports information directors named Arkansas running back Darren McFadden as the league’s preseason Most Valuable Player and top candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Florida and LSU were voted preseason favorites in the SEC Eastern and Western Division, respectively, with Vanderbilt recognized 10th among the league’s 12 teams.
Bennett enters the 2007 season on pace to shatter SEC career receiving marks as a junior. After producing two seasons with at least 79 receptions, Bennett needs just 48 catches to surpass former Kentucky standout Craig Yeast as the league’s all-time leader. He is also within reach of the career receiving yardage mark currently held by former Georgia wideout Terrence Edwards, needing 1,071 yards to own the all-time league standard.
Bennett became the only receiver in SEC history to post two seasons of at least 75 receptions by catching 82 passes for 1,146 yards and six touchdowns in 2006. He currently ranks fourth among Commodores with 161 career receptions and fifth with 2,022 receiving yards.
Bennett earned All-America honors from Rivals.com last year after a string of amazing performances, including a 184-yard outburst against Duke, a 13-catch, 157-yard effort versus eventual national champion Florida, and a 11-catch, 220-yard showing at Kentucky. Bennett caught at least four passes in every game, topping eight receptions in five games. He achieved 150-yard receiving performances on four occasions.
Goff earned second team All-SEC recognition last year from the coaches’ ballot. Goff topped the Commodores with 67 solo tackles and 93 total tackles, and ranked among team leaders in quarterback hurries, tackles for loss, quarterback sacks and forced fumbles. He also played well in big games, posting 14 tackles and a blocked field goal at Michigan, and 13 tackles and two forced fumbles at Alabama. Goff had at least five tackles against all but one opponent.
A resident of Lynn, Mass., Goff enters the season having started 27 consecutive games. A second-year captain, Goff ranks third among active SEC defenders with 194 career total tackles and 141 career solo tackles.
Williams, from Glynn, La., also earned second team All-SEC honors from the coaches after starting every game at left offensive tackle. A 21-game consecutive starter, Williams consistently earned the Commodores’ top blocking grade while providing superb blindside protection for first-year quarterback Chris Nickson. After allowing a sack of Nickson in the opener at Michigan, Williams did not permit another during the entire 2006 season.
The Commodores, 4-8 last year, will open the 2007 season by four straight games in Vanderbilt Stadium. After opening with Richmond on Sept. 1, the Commodores play SEC Western Division foes Alabama and Ole Miss on Sept. 8 and Sept. 15, and host Eastern Michigan Sept. 29 before going on the road at Auburn Oct. 6.
Season ticket packages starting at $99 are available for Vanderbilt’s eight-game home schedule. The season also marks the most home games for Vanderbilt in more than a century.