Vanderbilt 2007 Preview

This could be the year. Really, it could. Seriously. I know you’ve heard it before, but this could be the year Vanderbilt snaps its painful string of 24 consecutive losing seasons.

Why will this be any different than those other so-called breakthrough seasons — like 2004, when the Commodores returned a league-high 22 starters, or like 2000, when Woody Widenhofer returned 16 starters coming off a 5–6 season, or like 1992, when Gerry DiNardo had the Commodore faithful convinced his second team was headed to a bowl game?

Well, when you combine a roster loaded with experience (16 starters return and five seniors will start on the offensive line), some star power (the Dores boast three legitimate All-America candidates) and a schedule that features eight home games, you have all of the necessary ingredients for a six- or seven-win season in Nashville.

Despite the evident strengths of Bobby Johnson’s team, the reality of the situation is that Vanderbilt still competes in the brutal SEC East, which sent five of six teams to a bowl game last year. This could be the most talented Vanderbilt team in two decades, yet it’s hard to find a sound reason not to pick the Commodores sixth in the East.

Quarterbacks
The Vanderbilt offense, as expected, took a step back last season without Jay Cutler, the 2005 SEC Offensive Player of the Year. But the Commodores received solid play from Chris Nickson, who did a commendable job in his first season as a starter. He threw for 2,085 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 694 yards and nine more scores, and his 231.6 yards of total offense ranked fourth in the SEC. Nickson threw for 250 yards or more in three of the final four games — including a 446-yard effort against Kentucky — but he also had four games in which he threw for less than 100 yards. The Commodores will need their junior signal-caller to play with more consistency this fall. Mackenzi Adams played relatively well in relief when Nickson went down with an injury against Ole Miss, and the coaching staff has confidence in the dual-threat sophomore should he be pressed into regular duty.

Running Backs
Running the ball more effectively was a big point of emphasis during the spring. Vanderbilt’s stats were solid in 2006 — the Commodores ranked fourth in the SEC in rushing and their three primary ball-carriers each averaged at least 4.0 yards per carry — but Johnson would like his team to be more consistent in the run game. VU rushed for 200 yards or more three times and 110 yards or less five times. Johnson believes the return of Jeff Jennings will be a big boost to the Commodores’ offense. Jennings rushed for 448 yards two years ago before going down with a torn ACL and MCL against Kentucky in Week 10. He missed the entire 2006 season but is completely healthy and emerged from spring practice as the likely starter at tailback. Cassen Jackson-Garrison, the leading rusher among tailbacks in each of the past two seasons, and Jared Hawkins, who averaged 6.9 yards on his 43 carries as a redshirt freshman, give Vanderbilt solid depth at the position.

Receivers
Earl Bennett proved that he could thrive without Cutler slinging him the ball all over the field. As a sophomore, Bennett caught a league-high 82 passes for 1,146 yards and six touchdowns. A two-time first-team All-SEC pick by the coaches, Bennett is on pace to break the SEC career record for both receptions and yards sometime during his junior season. He doesn’t have explosive speed, but he runs terrific routes and rarely drops a pass. Bennett will be flanked by George Smith and Sean Walker in the Commodores’ three-receiver sets. The lanky Smith (6'3", 195) emerged as a dependable threat as a sophomore a year ago, catching 21 passes for 313 yards. Walker gives the Commodores a big-play option. “He’s got a burst that the rest of them don’t seem to have,” Johnson says.

2007 Schedule
S. 1	Richmond	W
S. 8	Alabama	L
S. 15	Ole Miss	W
S. 29	Eastern Michigan	W
S. 6	at Auburn	L
O. 13	Georgia	L
O. 20	at South Carolina	L
O. 27	Miami (OH)	W
O. 3	at Florida	L
N. 10	Kentucky	*
N. 17	at Tennessee	L
N. 24	Wake Forest	*
Games in bold represent swing games. W or L indicates a projected win or loss.

Offensive Linemen
Barring an unforeseen injury, Vanderbilt will start five seniors on the offensive line this fall. For Johnson, it’s a dream come true. “People don’t realize how hard the position is,” he says. “When you have experience it helps so much.” The line will be anchored by a pair of All-SEC-caliber tackles, Chris Williams on the left side and Brian Stamper on the right. Williams, lightly recruited out of Baton Rouge five years ago, has emerged as a likely first-day NFL Draft pick. Stamper, a second-team All-SEC pick two years ago, was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA after missing the final seven games of the ’06 season with a back injury. His back is fine, but he missed most of spring practice with a foot injury. Stamper, assuming he remains healthy, could slide over to guard at some point if sophomore Thomas Welch continues to progress at right tackle. A former quarterback in high school, Welch was moved from tight end to tackle during the 2006 season.

Defensive Linemen
Vanderbilt struggled on defense once again — 10th in the SEC — but the line made significant strides under first-year position coach Ricky Logo. The Commodores recorded 25 sacks in 12 games after combining for 27 in the previous two seasons. Curtis Gatewood, a former linebacker who has excelled since his switch to end, accounted for seven of those sacks. The 6'3", 245-pound Memphis native is poised to have a monster senior season. Steady senior Theo Horrocks has a firm grasp one tackle position, but the other tackle spot and the end position opposite Gatewood will be contested in the fall. Quavian Lewis, a former linebacker who has moved to end, excelled in the spring and should play his way into the rotation.

Linebackers
Jonathan Goff, rated by one scouting service as the top junior linebacker in the nation last year, flirted with the NFL Draft but opted to remain in Nashville for his senior season. Goff broke into the starting lineup late in his freshman season and has started 27 straight games in the middle. Marcus Buggs, another fifth-year senior, will start for the second straight season on the strong side. Buggs is a big hitter who began his career at safety. Sophomores Brandon Bryant and Patrick Benoist are battling for the start on the weak side, but the smart money is on Bryant, who received constant praise from Johnson in the spring.

Defensive Backs
The statistics will tell you that Vanderbilt’s pass defense was respectable, but the reality is that the secondary struggled in 2006. “We gave up the big play too often,” Johnson says. “We need to play more consistently back there.” With the exception of safety Ben Koger (three starts in ’06), the same cast of characters returns in 2006, though there has been one key position switch. Joel Caldwell, who started 11 games at cornerback as a redshirt freshman, was moved to safety in the spring. Caldwell will have a hard time earning a starting assignment — Reshard Langford and Ryan Hamilton appear set to start — but he will give the Commodores some more speed at the position. The staff was comfortable moving Caldwell due to the emergence of Myron Lewis in the spring. Lewis figures to start opposite D.J. Moore, who broke into the starting lineup four games into his true freshman season. Moore struggled late in the season but bounced back with a strong showing in the spring. The nickel back will be sophomore Darlron Spead, who has a knack for making the big play.

Specialists
Vanderbilt’s struggles on special teams continued in 2006. The Commodores ranked eighth in the SEC in net punting, 12th in punt returns and 10th in kickoff returns. Kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt connected on 8-of-17 field goals — though he did boot a game-winner to beat Georgia in Athens — and only seven of his 52 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. Hahnfeldt will return as the kicker and could also handle punting duties. He will battle sophomore Brett Upson (37.4-yard average in ’06) for the job in preseason camp.

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