Oct. 12, 2012
Former Vanderbilt All-America golfer and recent PGA Tour FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker will be honored during the first half of the Vanderbilt-Florida game.
Snedeker, a Nashville native and product of nearby Montgomery Bell Academy before his collegiate days as a Commodore, will be recognized during the third television timeout of the second quarter. Ceremonies will take place at the 50-yard line.
Snedeker claimed the 2012 FedEx Cup in remarkable fashion, winning the season-ending PGA Tour Championship on Sept. 23 at Atlanta.
The incredible close to the PGA Tour season also impressed Davis Love III, who added Snedeker as a captain’s pick to the U.S. Ryder Cup squad that competed against the Europeans Sept 28-30 in Chicago. With Love’s selection, Snedeker also became the first Vanderbilt graduate to ever represent the United States in the prestigious Ryder Cup.
Brandt and his wife and fellow Vandy alum, Mandy, are just days away from the arrival of their second child. They maintain a residence in Nashville.
Snedeker, a huge fan of Commodore Athletics, has been at midfield of Dudley Field before. In 2007, he participated in the coin toss before the Vanderbilt-Georgia game.
Remember to Arrive Early Saturday
With a large crowd expected, Vanderbilt officials are urging all fans to arrive early to see special pregame activities involving various branches of the Armed Forces.
For the second consecutive year, U.S. Army parachute jumpers are bringing the official ball to a Vanderbilt game from the skies above. Members of the Black Daggers, a component of U.S. Special Forces headquartered in Fort Bragg, N.C., will perform the parachute duties, expecting to land about 15 minutes before kickoff.
There’s an interesting story involving the American flag that will fly over Vanderbilt Stadium Saturday. On Saturday, members of the Fallen Soldiers March organization will walk the flag nearly 13 miles to the campus from the Nashville National Cemetery located in Madison.
These activities and plenty more are part of a Salute to the Armed Forces Saturday sponsored by Vanderbilt Athletics and Vanderbilt ROTC programs.
Consecutive Sellouts?
While the Florida game is Vanderbilt’s first home sellout in four games, the next one won’t take nearly as long. Vanderbilt officials also expect the Commodores to play Auburn next Saturday in front of a full Vanderbilt Stadium.
It’s been way too long since the Commodores last enjoyed consecutive sellouts on campus. You have to go back to the conclusion of the 1996 season when Vanderbilt hosted Florida on Nov. 9 and Tennessee on Nov. 23. Those games were notable ones. The `Dores played a No. 1 ranked Gator squad toe-to-toe before falling 28-21. Two weeks later, a strong Vanderbilt defense kept Peyton Manning in check in a narrow 14-7 decision.
Matthews: Phil Steele’s 1st Team Midseason All-SEC
In the last year, Jordan Matthews (Jr., WR) has been one of the SEC’s most productive offensive players. Matthews, named to Phil Steele’s 1st Team Midseason All-SEC team this week, tops the SEC with 7.0 catches per game, and ranks second with 486 receiving yards.
But Matthews has been even more impressive in his last full season of action. In his last 11 appearances, Matthews is averaging 103.9 receiving yards. He also has 68 catches during that span.
Matthews and Commodore sophomore Chris Boyd have been the SEC’s most productive receiving duo, averaging a combined 170.8 receiving yards through five games.
Kent’s Effectiveness
Wonder how many Vanderbilt punters have ever averaged more yards than current Commodore Richard Kent’s 45.2-yard average.
The answer is just three – Ricky Anderson (48.2 yards, 1984), Bill Marinangel (46.6 yards, 1996) and Jim Arnold (45.8 yards, 1982). All three earned All-America recognition following their stellar seasons.
Consistency Among Defensive Starters
Bob Shoop’s young Vanderbilt defensive unit features nine players who have started all five games this season. That group includes tackle Rob Lohr, ends Johnell Thomas and Walker May, linebackers Archibald Barnes, Chase Garnham and Karl Butler, cornerbacks Trey Wilson and Andre Hal, and safety Javon Marshall.
On offense, seven players have started every game: receivers Jordan Matthews and Chris Boyd, tackles Wesley Johnson and Andrew Bridges, guards Ryan Seymour and Josh Jelesky, and running back Zac Stacy.