Nov. 22, 2014
Vanderbilt embarked on its final road trip of the season Friday afternoon in preparation of facing fourth-ranked Mississippi State Saturday in Starkville. In a season that features eight home games, this is just Vanderbilt’s fourth road game of the season.
The meeting with fourth-ranked Mississippi State will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium and will be televised by SEC Network. For Vanderbilt it will mark the highest ranked foe the Commodores have met since hosting No. 4 Florida in 2012. In 2011, Vanderbilt played at No. 2 Alabama.
After practice, the team departed campus at 2:30 p.m. for Nashville International Airport to board a flight to Tupelo, Miss., where the team stayed Friday evening. The brief 35-minute flight from Nashville to Tupelo put the Commodores on the ground a little after 4 p.m. and at the hotel by 4:50.
On Saturday, the Commodores will travel the 70 miles by bus to Starkville.
The team’s Friday evening included a team meeting, dinner and a movie. With a late kickoff, the majority of team and individual position meetings will take place Saturday morning and afternoon.
Welcome to Tupelo! #FridayFocus pic.twitter.com/2TXJgEI2b7
— VandyFootball (@VandyFootball) November 21, 2014
Snedeker speaks to the team
PGA Tour champion and Vanderbilt graduate Brandt Snedeker traveled with the team to Mississippi State, and spoke to the players Friday evening. On Saturday night, Snedeker will be on the sideline with the team.
Snedeker’s message to the team focused on having a strong work ethic, taking care of the details and seizing the opportunity.
“It’s about doing the small things, the details that you can control in the moment and to take advantage of the moments when they present themselves,” Snedeker said. “You all have a situation to do something special tomorrow. Are you willing to step forward and take care of the small things? Or are you in a situation that will make you wilt?
“Trust me, it has happened to me. I’ve been there before and wanted to crawl under a rock because I wasn’t prepared. The best players know that no matter what happens tomorrow, they are going to find a way to win. It might not be pretty and it might not be the way you drew it up. The guys who are successful are the guys who say, `I’m going to find a way no matter what.'”
Snedeker closed his speech by talking about what lies before the Commodores.
“You have an amazing opportunity in front of you,” he said. “You came to Vanderbilt for a reason. You came to get a great education at a great institution and to play against the best football players in the world. You have an opportunity to do it again tomorrow on the national stage. I have faith in you. Keep working hard and take care of the small things that you can control.”
PGATour champ, Vandy grad & all-around good guy @BrandtSnedeker on the MSU trip. #FridayFocus pic.twitter.com/fbLc0w41lC
— VandyFootball (@VandyFootball) November 21, 2014
Hanging with @VandyFootball the next couple of days down in Starkville.. Should be fun.. #AnchorDown
— Brandt Snedeker (@BrandtSnedeker) November 21, 2014
Vanderbilt’s next visit to Starkville will be?
If you haven’t watched Vanderbilt play a game at Mississippi State, Saturday may be your last chance for a number of years. In May the SEC announced that the league will continue to play eight conference games with one permanent cross-division opponent and one rotating cross-division opponent.
At the time, the league announced each school’s rotating opponent through 2025. Beyond this year, Vanderbilt is not slated to return to Starkville in at least 11 years. Vanderbilt’s only scheduled meeting with Mississippi State is in 2021 at Vanderbilt Stadium. Cross-division games have not been scheduled beyond 2025.
Vanderbilt’s last game in Starkville was in 2008. The previous meeting between the schools took place in 2009 in Nashville.
Vanderbilt against Heisman Trophy Winners
When the Heisman Trophy is awarded in December, there is a chance that Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott will be among those in contention for the award. Historically, Vanderbilt has faced four players during the season in which they won the Heisman Trophy: Steve Spurrier, Tim Tebow, Herschel Walker and Danny Wuerffel. Recently, the Commodores faced Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel in 2013 after he won the Heisman the previous season. Below is how the Heisman winners have fared agains the Commodores.
2007
Tim Tebow, Florida
Florida defeated Vanderbilt 49-22 in Gainesville behind Tebow, who was 22-27 for 281 yards and three touchdowns. Tebow also rushed six times for 35 yards and two touchdowns.
1996
Danny Wuerffel, Florida
Florida defeated Vanderbilt 28-21 at Vanderbilt Stadium, and Danny Wuerffel finished 18-29 for 283 yards and four touchdown passes. Vanderbilt’s first touchdown of the game came on a sack of Wuerffel and 31-yard fumble recovery by Jamie Duncan.
1982
Herschel Walker, UGA
Georgia defeated Vanderbilt 27-13 in Athens. Walker carried the ball 38 times for 172 yards and one touchdown. The TD was from 26 yards out.
1966
Steve Spurrier, Florida
Florida defeated Vanderbilt 13-0 in Nashville. Steve Spurrier was 13-18 passing for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
Saturday’s uniform combination
When the Commodores face Mississippi State, they will be wearing a uniform combination they haven’t worn yet this year. Vanderbilt will wear black helmets with white jerseys and gold pants on Saturday.
Davis Wade Stadium Renovation
Mississippi’s State completed a massive renovation on Davis Wade Stadium over the offseason, which increased capacity to 61,337, added premium seating, restrooms and concessions, and a new concourse on the west side of the stadium. The seating in the north end zone was also replaced and features a new video board, expanded recruiting center and additional premium seating options.
Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field is celebrating 100 years in 2014 and is the nation’s second oldest of Division I FBS campus stadiums.