Tag: Vanderbilt Football

Bucs RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn ran all over LSU last year

Tampa Bay rookie running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn had one of his best games of 2019 against the LSU Tigers.

The LSU Tigers ended last season as champions of college football in what will go down as one of the most historic seasons in recent memory. Not only did the Tigers go 15-0, but quarterback Joe Burrow threw an insane 60 touchdowns to just six interceptions while securing the Heisman Trophy.

And while LSU rolled over many opponents during their championship run, some players on opposing teams had big performances against the Tigers, which were overshadowed by blowout losses.

Prime example? Former Vanderbilt running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who was selected in the third round of April’s NFL draft by the Buccaneers. Vaughn finished his senior season at Vandy with 1,028 rushing yards and nine touchdowns to go along with 270 receiving yards and a score. And one of his best performances came in a 66-38 loss to LSU back in September. Vaughn finished that game with 20 carries for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

Take a look at some highlights of Vaughn from that game.

While his Commodores were on the wrong end of a lopsided loss, Vaughn’s dominance against the best team in the country should have Buccaneers fans excited about what he’ll bring to the table this season against NFL defenses. As Cynthia Frelund of NFL Network recently wrote, Vaughn could potentially be the surprise star of this year’s running back class.

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College Football News Preview 2020: Vanderbilt Commodores

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Vanderbilt Commodores season with what you need to know

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Vanderbilt Commodores season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Vanderbilt Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 3-9 overall, 1-7 in SEC
Head Coach: Derek Mason, 7th year, 27-47
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 99
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 116
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 62

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: Vanderbilt Commodores Offense 3 Things To Know

– It was a rough run. The offense that scored 370 points in 2018 only managed 198, coming up with 14 or fewer points seven times and finishing dead last in the SEC in scoring. The O averaged fewer than 300 yards per game, was dead last in the SEC in rushing, and was second-to-last in passing.

Enter Todd Fitch, the former Louisiana Tech offensive coordinator who steps in to try finding something that consistently works, preferably with the passing game.

If it’s possible to have less than no experience at a position, that’s the Vanderbilt quarterback situation.

Leading passer Riley Neal is done, second-leading passer Deuce Wallace is transferring, and Mo Hasan left for USC. The hope is for true freshman Mike Wright to be ready to roll right out of the box. He has 6-3, 190-pound size and the athleticism be dangerous whenever he’s in the open field. He’ll have to battle with fellow recruit Ken Seals along with JUCO transfers Danny Clark and Jeremy Moussa.

CFN in 60 Video: Vanderbilt Commodores Preview
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– Leading receiver Kalija Lipscomb is done after a disappointing year – not his fault – but sophomore Cam Johnson is back after finishing second with 30 catches for 316 yards and three scores and 6-4, 225-pound senior Chris Pierce. Tight end Jared Pinkney is done, but 6-4, 245-pound Ben Bresnahan has good size and upside.

– The offensive line has to be a whole lot better. It didn’t do much of anything for the ground game, and it struggled to do anything consistently well in pass protection. To be fair, it was a rebuilding group that started a slew of young parts, and now there’s more work to do.

Left tackle Devin Cochran left for Georgia Tech, but in comes Stephen Spanellis from Michigan to potentially take over a starting guard spot.

No matter what, the front five has to do more for a ground attack that finished with fewer than 1,500 yards and just 11 touchdowns, even though Ke’Shawn Vaughn ran for 1,028 yards and nine scores.

Vaughn is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer now, but 6-1, 202-pound Keyon Brooks is back after finishing second on the team with 252 yards and a score. Freshman Rocko Griffin was a nice recruit, but 211-pound junior Mitchell Pryor and 5-11, 190-pound sophomore Ja’Veon Marlow will be in the rotation.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Vanderbilt Commodores Defense 3 Things To Know

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Vanderbilt 2020 Preview: CFN in 60

Vanderbilt Commodores 2020 Preview: previewing, predicting, and looking ahead with what you need to know

Photo Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt Commodores 2020 Preview: previewing, predicting, and looking ahead with what you need to know

Photo Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt 2020 Preview: CFN in 60

Vanderbilt Commodores 2020 Preview: previewing, predicting, and looking ahead with what you need to know

Photo Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt Commodores 2020 Preview: previewing, predicting, and looking ahead with what you need to know

Photo Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Ranking SEC head coaches heading into 2020 CFB season

We ranked all the SEC head coaches, from Georgia football’s Kirby Smart, to Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, to Florida’s Dan Mullen.

The SEC is loaded with head coaching talent as we head into the 2020 college football season.

You have your usuals – Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Gus Malzahn, Ed Orgeron, etc.

But then you have your familiar, or in some cases not-so-familiar, yet new faces: Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach, Sam Pittman, Eli Drinkwitz.

Ranking the SEC head coaches heading into the 2020 season is as hard as it’s ever been, and that’s because of all these new hirings. But it’s also because Jeremy Pruitt waited until October to start winning games in Tennessee last year. It’s because Ed Orgeron took a loaded roster and won a national title. Because Gus Malzahn and Auburn always have the talent but can’t seem to win the big ones. Or because, despite a 4-8 season, Will Muschamp was able to knock off Kirby Smart and Georgia.

Related: 2020 Georgia schedule with game-by-game score predictions

With all of this taken into consideration, here’s our SEC head coaching power rankings for the 2020 college football season:

14. Sam Pittman, Arkansas

I would have loved to get Pittman into a higher spot on this list, but what is there to go off of? His last head coaching job came in 1992 and 1993 when he led Hutchinson Community College to an 11–9–1 record over two seasons.

I am 100% rooting for Pittman to succeed in his first season as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. It won’t be easy, and this is a team that will likely finish with at least five losses for the first few years, but that’s not necessarily a terrible thing as long as they play hard.

Arkansas may not field the most talented teams in the SEC, but if there’s one thing I’m certain of it’s that the former UGA O-Line coach will make sure his guys fight harder than anybody.

13. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri

Drinkwitz gets the No. 13 spot because of what he was able to do at App State last year. In his first season as a head coach, he led the Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a Sun Belt championship.

But that’s not the SEC. It’s going to be a rocky road ahead for Drinkwitz, as Mizzou will definitely not be one of the more talented teams in the league for a few years.

12. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt

I often find myself rooting for Vanderbilt and Mason.

He took over at Vandy when James Franklin left for Penn State, and though it’s been tough at times, you get the feeling that Commodore fans actually look forward to their seasons.

11. Will Muschamp, South Carolina

If Muschamp had not beaten Georgia last year, he maybe would not even be on this list at all.

But he won and that probably saved his job. He coaches up a good defense, but South Carolina will need to crank up its recruiting efforts if it wants to start contending in the SEC East. Another season with no bowl game may put an end to Muschamp’s head coaching career with the Gamecocks.

10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Kiffin is a good football coach, there’s no denying that. No. 10 is pretty low for an offensive genius like him. But this conference is simply loaded.

Kiffin did a great job at Florida Atlantic, but I still need to see him win consistently at a Power 5 school.

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2020 Georgia football schedule with predictions

A look at the 2020 Georgia football schedule with game-by-game predictions.

Here we take a look at Georgia’s 2020 football schedule with game-by-game predictions.

Georgia’s offense will look very different, with the departures of Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift, Lawrence Cager, Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson, Solomon Kindley and Cade Mays.

On the other hand, Georgia has recruited well to replace those guys, brought in Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, hired Todd Monken to run the offense and former Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke to coach the offensive line.

On defense, expect more of the same. Physical, sound football with a ton of players rotating in to keep each other fresh.

The schedule is by no means easy. A road trip to Tuscaloosa, games against Auburn and Tennessee and the annual meeting against Florida in Jacksonville will all present challenges.

Below is our game-by-game predictions for how Georgia’s season will unfold.

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BREAKING: Former Alabama WR Mac Hereford commits to Vanderbilt

The Commodores are getting a player that will not only benefit them on the field, but in the locker room as well. His energy was seeming…

Former Alabama wide receiver Mac Hereford has been a member of the Crimson Tide program for four years, but that came to an end after his graduation from the university in December. He has decided to stay in the SEC and transfer to Vanderbilt to play his final season of college football.

The Birmingham native will be immediately eligible for the Commodores offense as a graduate transfer in the 2020 season.

I had the opportunity to speak with Hereford, who was very excited about his decision.

“I took time, prayed about it and talked to coaches from different schools and after evaluating my options,” says Hereford. “Vanderbilt seemed like the best fit for me. For my final year I wanted to go somewhere I could make an impact and contribute on the field and in the locker room and Vanderbilt felt like the best place to do that. ”

Though he hadn’t seen much time on the field while at Alabama, he has been a consistent competitor on the depth chart and has trained with plenty of high-profile quarterbacks from all over the country.

Hereford has worked out with many different quarterbacks to sharpen his skills. When speaking with Hereford, he tells me that his long list of quarterbacks include: Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Mac Jones, Alex Hornibook, Taulia Tagovailoa, and Cooper Bateman just to name a few. He also has worked out with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges.

Now, the speedy and adjustable wide receiver will look to catch passes in Nashville, but a starting quarterback has yet to be named for Vanderbilt.

He won’t be the first Hereford to attend school in Nashville, he tells me.

“Both my parents went [to Vanderbilt]. My cousin currently plays college tennis at Belmont University. I love being around him and near family and Nashville is one amazing city.”

The Commodores are getting a player that will not only benefit them on the field, but in the locker room as well. His energy was seemingly contagious throughout the Alabama program during his time in Tuscaloosa. It was difficult to find player that wasn’t a close friend of Hereford’s. He is a very skillful user of social media, but uses his platform to promote his teammates. Hereford has been known to create and post highlight reels for them.

We wish Mac the best of luck in is future endeavors with Vanderbilt. Roll Tide and Anchor Down, Mac!

Current look at Georgia’s 2021 recruiting class compared to rest of SEC

Here is an overview of the SEC’s 2021 recruiting class and where Georgia football fits in the mix.

According to 247Sports, Georgia currently has the 3rd best 2021 recruiting class in the SEC and the No. 12 class overall.

The Bulldogs currently hold commitments from seven recruits, led by 5-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff and 4-star offensive tackle Micah Morris.

The SEC teams ahead of Georgia are Florida, which currently holds the No. 3 spot nationally, and Tennessee, who comes in at No. 5 after receiving three commitments in the last week.

Surprisingly, the defending national champion LSU Tigers are slotted at No. 18 overall and behind Georgia at No. 4 in the SEC.

As for Alabama, Nick Saban has the Crimson Tide under-the-radar so far for the 2021 recruiting class. Bama is ranked at No. 46 overall and 10th in the SEC.

As the year moves on, look for Saban to start working his magic and make a run at the No. 1 spot, but for now, Alabama is preceded in the SEC by previously mentioned Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and also Texas A&M, Missouri, Auburn, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Arkansas is next behind Alabama at the 11th spot, followed by South Carolina and Kentucky, with Vanderbilt at the bottom spot No. 14.

There is still plenty of time in the 2021 cycle, so look for teams to start receiving more and more commitments as we get closer to fall. And especially since Coaches have so much down time on their hands to reach out to recruits.

Full SEC rankings:

  1. Florida
  2. Tennessee
  3. Georgia
  4. LSU
  5. Texas A&M
  6. Missouri
  7. Auburn
  8. Mississippi State
  9. Ole Miss
  10. Alabama
  11. Arkansas
  12. South Carolina
  13. Kentucky
  14. Vanderbilt

 

A look at Georgia QB Jamie Newman’s high school recruitment, highlights

Looking at Wake Forest transfer QB Jamie Newman, now with Georgia football, as a high school prospect and some of his best highlights

We know that Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman is one of the highest-graded quarterbacks returning in 2020, but what was Newman like as a high school prospect before playing for Wake and later transferring to Georgia?

Newman was a 3-star prospect at Graham High School in Graham, North Carolina and was ranked as the No. 17 dual-threat quarterback in the 2015 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Newman recorded a 4.7 40 in high school and held offers from NC State, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, North Carolina and Wake Forest, among six others.

Although Newman took unofficial visits to Duke, Wake Forrest, North Carolina, Vanderbilt and East Carolina, his college decision really came down between Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, NC State and West Virginia. And ultimately signed with Wake Forest in Feburary of 2016.

See some of our favorite highlights from Newman’s high school days here:

 

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ESPN FPI projects outcome of every 2020 Georgia football game

ESPN FPI projected the outcome for every Georgia football game in 2020

The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) has been updated to project the outcome of every Georgia football game in 2020.

First, what is the FPI?

ESPN defines it as a “measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule. Ratings and projections update daily.”

Related: 2020 Georgia football schedule – Game-by-game predictions

Before looking at the FPI’s game-by-game projections for next season, here’s a look at how the software thinks the Dawgs will do this season.

Projected win-loss: 10-2

Chance of winning out: 2.5%

Chance of winning conferenceL 23.6%

SOS rank: 37

Here’s the game-by-game projections:

Week 1: Georgia vs Virginia in Atlanta:

ESPN FPI’s percent chance to win: 95.3

Week 2: Georgia vs ETSU:

ESPN FPI’s percent chance to win: 99.9

Week 3: Georgia at Alabama:

ESPN FPI’s percent chance to win: 27.5

Week 4: ULM vs Georgia:

ESPN FPI’s percent chance to win: 99.2%

Week 5: Georgia vs Vandy:

ESPN FPI’s percent chance to win: 98.3

Week 6: Georgia vs Auburn:

ESPN FPI’s percent chance to win: 66.4

Week 7: Georgia at Missouri:

ESPN FPI’s percent chance to win: 90.2

Week 8: Bye week

ESPN FPI’s percent chance to win: N/A

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