Nov. 21, 2009
Opponent: Tennessee Volunteers
November 21, 2009
Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt 16, Tennessee 31
The Commodores fall to 2-10 overall. They finished the season with an eight-game losing streak that dates to 36-17 win at Rice on Sept. 26. The Commodores also finish 0-8 in Southeastern Conference play, one year after going 4-4 in league action.
Pregame Notes
– Five players have started all 12 games for the Commodores. They are captain C Bradley Vierling, DT Adam Smotherman, DE Broderick Stewart, LB Chris Marve, and CB Casey Hayward.
– Tonight marks the 105th meeting between Vanderbilt and Tennessee. Tennessee leads the series 71-28-5.
– Vanderbilt has a 10-35-1 record in Knoxville, including a 24-25 loss to the Volunteers in 2007.
– Tonight is Jamie Graham’s third start at cornerback, filling in for injured senior Myron Lewis. Lewis finished his Vanderbilt career with 170 tackles in 46 games.
Team Superlatives
– Vanderbilt had 11 first downs in the first half, the most since having 15 in the first half against Rice on Sept. 26.
– The Commodores had 29:40 minutes of possession to Tennessee’s 30:20.
– Vanderbilt’s 16 points was the most scored against an SEC opponent this season.
– Vanderbilt’s defense shone tonight with 73 tackles, five pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, and an interception. This is Vanderbilt’s sixth game this season where the defense has intercepted the ball.
Individual Superlatives
– Freshman RB Warren Norman surpassed Herschel Walker’s SEC freshman record for all-purpose yards with 1,941. Norman finished 15 yards behind the late Kwane Doster, who had 798 rushing yards in his breakout freshman year (2002). For the year, Norman now has the following totals:
– rushing yards for game (73)
– rushing yards for season (783)
– all-purpose yards for game and season (152; 1941)
– where he stands in the SEC (first in SEC with 1,050 kickoff return yards)
– Redshirt sophomore WR Jamie Graham led the Commodore defense with a career-high ten tackles, two pass breakups, and an interception.
– Redshirt sophomore LB Chris Marve continued his SEC leading ways with eleven tackles on the night. This is the sixth time this season that Marve has recorded double-digit tackles. Junior LB John Stokes and Sophomore S Sean Richardson followed with eight tackles each on the night.
– Freshman RB Zac Stacy’s 478 rushing yards put him into eighth on Vanderbilt’s all-time freshman rushers list.
– Redshirt senior QB Mackenzi Adams completed his collegiate career against the Volunteers, going 19-for-35 with a touchdown and 12 yards rushing. He surpassed his season-high of passing yards with 174. His 19 completions were a season high.
– Redshirt freshman K Ryan Fowler was 3-for-3 in field goals tonight, making his 16 field goals on the season good for a tie for 1st all time for a single season in Commodore history (16- Ricky Anderson in 1984). He ends the season having made 11 of his last 12 field goals.
Second Half
– At the 10:35 mark of the third quarter, WR Jamie Graham intercepted a Jonathan Crompton pass on a UT 3rd and 10 for 11 yards. This was Graham’s second interception of the year.
– K Ryan Fowler scored twice for the Commodores in the second half, with a 27-yard field goal at the 6:37 mark in the third quarter, and a 32-yard field goal at the 2:54 mark in the fourth quarter.
– With 5:45 in the fourth quarter, QB Mackenzi Adams found redshirt sophomore TE Brandon Barden for a 32-yard pass, Vanderbilt’s longest play of the night. The 32-yard reception was Barden’s second longest reception of his career (43 yards vs. South Carolina on 10/24/09). He finished with 67 receiving yards on the night, good for his career high.
First Half
– Sophomore DB Casey Hayward tipped a UT pass incomplete in the endzone, forcing the Volunteers to settle for a field goal.
– At the 5:34 mark in the first quarter, RB Warren Norman surpassed Herschel Walker’s freshman record for all-purpose yards with a 23-yard kickoff return.
– K Ryan Fowler put the Commodores on the scoreboard with a 31-yard field goal at the 2:18 mark of the first quarter.
– Redshirt sophomore TE Ryan van Rensburg’s touchdown at the 8:30 mark of the second quarter was also his first career reception. The 92-yard scoring drive was the longest scoring drive of the season, in terms of yardage and time of possession (6:04).
