Game Day, Part III

There is a new gold standard for Vanderbilt football following a 14-13 win over Auburn. The Commodores came through in prime time on national television after a visit from ESPN’s College GameDay crew put the spotlight squarely on Music City.

Just when it looked like the “same old Vandy” — trailing 13-0 after the first quarter with starting quarterback Chris Nickson nursing a bum shoulder that caused him to badly under-throw several passes (unless he was working on his October baseball curveball) — the still-unbeaten Dores rallied to score 14 unanswered points to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.

“Obviously, it was a big win for us, and it was a tough battle. I’m proud of how our guys hung in there, because the first quarter was kind of a scare. But we came fighting back,” said VU coach Bobby Johnson, following one of the biggest wins in program history. 

“It was a tough, hard-nosed fought game. It’s good to win those.”

Vanderbilt backup quarterback Mackenzi Adams took over for the injured Nickson, completing 13-of-23 passes for 153 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions, while also leading the Commodores with 13 carries for 54 yards on the ground. The redshirt junior from Tulsa, Okla., was in midseason form despite logging only five pass attempts this season prior to tonight.

“I’ve been prepared to start the entire time and am ready to go,” said Adams, who threw for 1,043 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions in 2007.

“It’s a good feeling to help the team and get the win.”

Vanderbilt had not defeated Auburn since the 1955 Gator Bowl and had not been able to tame the Tigers in Nashville since 1950, which also happens to be the last time that VU started 3-0 in the SEC. This year’s Commodores had already earned conference wins over South Carolina (24-17) and at Ole Miss (23-17). After 13 straight losses to Auburn, the all-time series with the team whose fans cry “War Eagle” is now tied at 20-20-1.

“I want to congratulate Vanderbilt. They played hard, they played well, they made plays in the second half when we didn’t make any,” said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville.

“We played hard. I thought that they figured out a few things defensively on our offense in the second half. We weren’t able to run the ball.”

The Dores’ second-half shutdown of the Tigers is nothing new. This season, Vanderbilt has outscored its opponents 58-10 in the second half and 27-7 in the fourth quarter. Tonight was no different, as the VU stop-unit blanked Auburn after halftime — allowing only two first downs and an unbelievable four rushing yards in the second half.

“I apologize to the players for not giving them a chance in that second half. We didn’t make very good adjustments,” said Tuberville. “This one is my fault and we’re going to go back to work tomorrow.”

Holding on to a one-point lead, Coach Johnson’s team controlled the field position battle — highlighted by a Brett Upson 55-yard punt downed at the 1-yard-line by Alan Strong with 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.

On the next play, Auburn quarterback Chris Todd threw a desperation pass out of his own end zone, where VU corner Myron Lewis pulled down a game-clinching interception at the 28-yard-line, ensuring the Commodores first win as a ranked team since 1956.

“I don’t know where this one ranks,” said Johnson, referring to the historical significance of tonight’s win as well as this year’s team.

“Back when Dan McGugin was the coach, his teams beat teams 150-0. We’ll gather all of that information up at the end of the season and see how we do. We still have a lot of work. We can improve in so many ways and we’re going to try and get better.”

The Commodores are now 5-0 for the first time since World War II, when the 1943 team finished 5-0. Vanderbilt is also one win away from bowl eligibility. The Dores remaining schedule is at Mississippi State (Oct. 11), at Georgia (Oct. 18), Duke (Oct. 25), Florida (Nov. 8), at Kentucky (Nov. 15), Tennessee (Nov. 22) and at Wake Forest (Nov. 29).

Only time will tell whether VU will play in its first bowl game since 1982, when the Commodores lost to Air Force, 36-28, in the Hall of Fame Bowl. What is guaranteed is that Vanderbilt is in first place in the SEC East and tonight it is “Good to be Gold.”