Aug. 13, 2009
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt’s second scrimmage of preseason camp, staged Thursday night on campus, looked much like the first one: offensive fireworks and impressive defensive hits were provided in abundance.
Head Coach Bobby Johnson put the Commodores through a 13-drive, 54-play session on Thursday, one day after directing the team’s first two-a-day drill at John Rich Practice Facility.
While the Commodore offense produced five touchdowns, Vanderbilt defenders such as senior linebacker Brent Trice and freshman cornerback Eric Samuels contributed a string of punishing tackles, especially early in the scrimmage.
Johnson’s said the Commodores continued to show excellent energy and intensity in the full-contact drill. “I saw plenty of things to like,” he said. “Overall, both units were going hard and getting after it. As a coach, you appreciate guys that work hard and want to improve. We have that with this team.
“We took a close look at a lot of guys out there, guys that we are counting on to make us a better overall team. I saw some guys making plays. We still have plenty of work to do, but this was another excellent practice for our football team,” Johnson added.
The defense, led by individual plays by Trice, Samuels, junior linebacker Nate Campbell, redshirt freshman end Johnell Thomas and freshman cornerback Eddie Foster, bottled up the offense through four series.
In the fifth possession, freshman tailback Warren Norman reeled off carries of 21 and 16 yards before another freshman back, Wesley Tate, scored on a 17-yard scamper off left end. On the next drive, redshirt junior back Kennard Reeves took advantage of excellent blocks, then eluded two defenders on a 41-yard scoring jaunt.
The defense quickly responded to the two scores. On consecutive plays, Trice and Samuels knocked the ball loose with jarring hits on receivers Udom Umoh and Tray Herndon. On the ensuing drive, Foster made another impressive hit, knocking a pass free from an intended talent.
Late in the scrimmage, the offense added three scores on possessions starting deep in defensive territory: a 25-yard rush by Norman, a Jared Funk-to-Tompkins 5-yard hookup and a Larry Smith-to-Austin Monahan 4-yard connection.
Two redshirt freshmen defenders, linebacker Archibald Barnes and tackle John Burrow, produced tackles resulting in lost yardage in the final drive.
Cornerback Lewis Named Preseason First Team All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com
Senior Myron Lewis, coming off a stellar 2008 season when he clinched two key victories for the Commodores with last-minute interceptions and shared the team lead in quarterback sacks from his cornerback position, has been named as a preseason first team All-American by the highly respected website CollegeFootballNews.com.
It marks the first team this season that Lewis, a product of Pompano Beach H.S., in south Florida, has been named to a first team All-America squad. Two earlier publications, Athlons and Phil Steele’s, recognized the Vanderbilt standout.
Lewis shares first team billing by CollegeFootballNews.com with Kentucky’s Trevard Lindley. Florida junior Joe Haden earned second team recognition.
Lewis ranked among the Southeastern Conference’s top five last year with five interceptions, including picks that sealed a regular season win over No. 13 Auburn and triumph over Boston College in the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. He also deflected six passes and contributed five quarterback sacks among a career-high 76 total tackles.