Oct. 31, 2009
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Vanderbilt Game Notes
October 31, 2009
Opponent: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Attendance: 30,262
No. 11 Georgia Tech 56, Vanderbilt 31
– With the loss, Vanderbilt falls to 2-7 on the season.
Individual Superlatives:
– Redshirt senior quarterback Mackenzi Adams came in for an injured Larry Smith for his first action since Vanderbilt’s homecoming against Georgia. He finished the day 12-for-22 passing with 152 yards.
– Freshman running back Warren Norman entered the game leading the SEC in kickoff return yards with 668 kickoff return yards. He now has 852 kickoff return yards on the season, setting the new Vanderbilt record over DJ Moore’s 823 yards last season. He scored on an 80-yard return in the first half, giving him three kickoff return TDs on the season. That mark ties Willie Gault (1980) for most in a single season in SEC history.
– Redshirt sophomore tight end Ryan van Rensburg received his first career start against the Yellow Jackets.
– Redshirt sophomore quarterback Larry Smith was effective before his injury, going 2-for-2 for 27 yards and a touchdown, and a 35-yard rush that caused his pulled hamstring.
– Redshirt sophomore linebacker Chris Marve led the defense with a career-high 18 tackles. Senior linebacker Brent Trice followed with 12.
– Redshirt junior defensive tackle Adam Smotherman had a career-high six tackles.
First Half:
– Redshirt sophomore defensive back Jamie Graham’s 21-yard run in the first quarter brought Vanderbilt within the red zone. The run was made possible by a block from Commodore teammate redshirt sophomore wide receiver Udom Umoh.
– Warren Norman had his first receiving touchdown of the season at the 8:52 mark of the first quarter with an 11-yard pass from redshirt sophomore quarterback Larry Smith.
– Freshman defensive back Eddie Foster broke up a crucial drive for Georgia Tech at the 4:58 mark of the first quarter.
– Larry Smith had a career-long rush for 35 yards at the 4:37 mark in the first quarter. He was injured on the play.
– Freshman running back Zac Stacy had a career-long 47-yard reception for a Commodore first down and entry into the red zone.
– On Stacy’s next possession, he rushed three yards into the end zone for a Commodore touchdown. This was Stacy’s second touchdown of the season and first since the Commodores’ win against Western Carolina on Sept. 5th.
– 14 first quarter points is the most for Vanderbilt since scoring 14 against Western Carolina in the Commodores’ first game of the season.
– Senior linebacker Brent Trice led the Commodore defense in the first half with 9 total tackles. Redshirt sophomore linebacker Chris Marve followed with 6 total tackles.
– Warren Norman scored his second touchdown of the night and his third kickoff return touchdown of the year with an 80-yard kickoff return at the 5:55 mark in the second quarter.
– Zac Stacy’s 62-yard rushing touchdown at the 3:15 mark of the second quarter was his career-long for rushing and his second touchdown of the night.
– Vanderbilt’s 28 first half points is the most since Oct. 28th 2006 against Duke.
Second Half:
– Udom Umoh had a key play on 3rd-and-10 with a 42-yard reception to move Vanderbilt into the red zone.
– Redshirt freshman kicker Ryan Fowler made his first field goal of the game, a 23-yard attempt, at the 10:35 mark in the third quarter.
– Greg Billinger forced a Georgia Tech fumble at the 7:43 mark in the third quarter. John Stokes recovered the fumble for the Commodores. This was Billinger’s first forced fumble of his career and Stokes’ first career fumble recovery.
– Georgia Tech’s 56 points are the most Vanderbilt has allowed since October 10th, 2001 against Kentucky (56-30).
