Oct. 7, 2010
Coach, Players Welcome Kids Club Members
Head Coach Robbie Caldwell welcomed young members of Mr. C’s Kids Club before practice Wednesday.
Commodore players signed autographs for the youngsters, who were invited to watch the Vanderbilt practice and enjoy slices of pizza as part of Kids Club membership.
For more information on the club, call Allison Bradley in the Vanderbilt marketing office at 343-0245.
Commodores Return to Full Gear
For the first time since preseason camp in mid-August, the Commodores practiced in full gear preparing for the Eastern Michigan game.
Coming off the 40-21 loss at Connecticut, Head Coach Robbie Caldwell put the squad in full-pads on Tuesday and Wednesday. It marked the team’s first regular season practice in full gear since Week 7 of the 2009 season.
“I thought the guys responded with two excellent practices. We prepared well and practiced with good intensity,” Caldwell said.
Typically, the Commodores practice in lighter gear on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the regular season.
Marve Hopes to Return vs. Georgia
Chris Marve, the Southeastern Conference’s active career tackles leader, hopes to return to action next week against the Georgia Bulldogs. The redshirt junior underwent an arthroscopic procedure Wednesday to repair a knee injury suffered in the Connecticut game.
Marve’s consecutive start streak of 29 games – most on the squad – will end Saturday when the Commodores and Eagles square off, leaving junior cornerback Casey Hayward with the longest active starting streak among Commodores at 17 games. Junior tight end Brandon Barden has the most career starts (22) behind Marve’s 29-start total.
The Last VU-EMU Game
The only previous game between Vanderbilt and Eastern Michigan (2007) featured defensive standouts from both teams now starting in the National Football League. The Commodore defense included senior middle linebacker Jonathan Goff (now with the New York Giants), who contributed six total tackles in a 30-7 Vanderbilt win. The Eagle defense was paced by lanky defensive end Jason Jones (now playing defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans), who posted 11 total tackles – and three tackles for loss.
The game also included Vanderbilt touchdowns by two current starters with the Chicago Bears: a 47-yard reception by Earl Bennett and a 24-yard interception return by D.J. Moore.
Ideal Forecast for VU-EMU Kickoff
Fans attending the Vanderbilt-Eastern Michigan game will be greeted by ideal weather. Forecasters are calling for zero chances for rain with temperatures at kickoff near 75 degrees.
Tickets ($25 ea.) remain available for the game, which also serves as Parent & Family Weekend on campus. The stadium box office on Jess Neely Drive will open at 4 p.m.
Excellent Early Season Foes on Vanderbilt Schedule
According to cbssportsline.com, the Commodores’ strength of schedule through four games ranks No. 4 nationally, behind only California, Arizona and San Jose State.
The first four opponents on Vanderbilt’s schedule are a combined 16-4. Two of the four (Northwestern and LSU) are undefeated. The other two (Ole Miss and Connecticut) are on two-game winning streaks.
The combined record for Vanderbilt’s last eight opponents is 18-20.
Eleven Commodore True Freshmen Have Played
Only 11 of 120 teams in the NCAA have played more true freshmen than the Commodores, who have allowed 11 first-year contributors to see action.
`Dores Need to Solve Slow Starts
Scoring early points is crucial to Vanderbilt’s success. Through four games, the Commodores have yet to tally points in the first quarter, trailing their four opponents 17-0. Vanderbilt has won the only game in which it posted the initial points (at Ole Miss).
Since the 2008 opener, the Commodores are 6-4 when they produce any first quarter points. In the team’s last 28 games, Vanderbilt has been held without points on 18 occasions.
Norman on Pace to Smash Kickoff Return Records
Sophomore Warren Norman is on pace to break the Vanderbilt all-time kickoff return yardage early next year. He currently ranks 9th all-time with 1,352 return yards, and needs just 408 yards to surpass such Commodore standouts as Preston Brown, Corey Harris, Jimmy Williams and Kwane Doster into third place on the chart.
Mark Johnson, who played for Watson Brown from 1986-90, tops the Commodore list with 2,263 kickoff return yards.
