Tag: Vanderbilt Football

SEC power rankings after the second week of college football

Where do you think your favorite team should rank in this week’s SEC Power Rankings?

Week two of the college football season featured some moving and shaking, not just in the SEC, but throughout the entire college football landscape.

Oregon went on the road and beat no. 3 Ohio State. Arkansas is back. Iowa went into Ames and beat Iowa State like a drum. a top 15 USC team lost by 14 at home to Stanford. Notre Dame showed why they’re going 7-5 this season. Texas A&M survived a scare from Colorado after losing QB Haynes King to an injury.

With all of the drama, there were some major movers within the SEC this week. Here are my week two SEC Power Rankings.

Vanderbilt Commodores: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Vanderbilt football season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Vanderbilt football season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Keys To The Season
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Vanderbilt Football Schedule Analysis
– Vanderbilt Commodores Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

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2020 Record: 0-9 overall, 0-9 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Clark Lea, 1st year
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 91
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 63
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 116

Vanderbilt Commodores College Football Preview 2021: Offense

– Step One: Score. Step Two: See Step One. The Commodores had a really, really, really hard time putting the biscuit in the basket, scoring 17 points or fewer in seven games and topping out with 35 in a loss to Ole Miss. Overall, the O averaged just 330 yards per game with no rushing attack and without enough of a passing game to make up for it.

Enter new offensive coordinator David Raih – an NFL assistant coach over the last several years who knows how to deal with wide receivers. He’s going to open things up for new head coach Clark Lea as the Commodores try getting more dangerous and more explosive right away.

– The quarterback situation is fine. Ken Seals rose up as a freshman and showed off the passing upside to grow into the job, and fellow sophomore Mike Wright – who brings a bit more mobility – is getting a shot, too. But the passing game has to go from promising to more dangerous after averaging just 6.6 yards per throw.

Leading receiver Cam Johnson is back after making 56 catches for 545 yards and three scores, and 6-4 seniors Amir Abdur-Rahim and Chris Pierce add more deep threat pop. Throw in 28-catch TE Ben Bresnahan, and the veteran parts are there to work with.

– The offensive front has some tweaking to do. The running game has to be better, but the pass protection wasn’t all that terrible. Three starters are back around veteran Tyler Steen at left tackle – most likely; there will be juggling done – but there isn’t a whole lot of massive bulk up front.

Leading rusher Keyon Henry-Brooks is in the transfer portal, but second-leading rusher Ja’Veon Marlow is back after running for 186 yards. In the mix as the likely No. 1 is Re’Mahn Davis, a 1,259-yard rusher for Temple who had a great freshman season but struggled to get going last year.

NEXT: Vanderbilt Commodores College Football Preview 2021: Defense

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Close calls, overtimes, and blowouts: A look back at James Franklin’s results in season openers

Penn State head coach James Franklin has been involved in some tense season openers over the course of his coaching career.

James Franklin is entering his eighth season as head coach at Penn State, and he will do so with a team fully capable of a bounceback season after a challenging 2020 campaign. While the schedule throws Penn State no favors with a challenging pair of crossover division games on the road and sees Penn State in the same division as national championship contender Ohio State and an Indiana team looking to prove 2020 was no fluke, Penn State has plenty fo reasons to feel optimistic about what they can do this fall.

But will Penn State get off on the right foot for the 2021 season? Penn State stumbled in their season opener with an upset loss in Bloomington at the start of the delayed big Ten season last October against Michael Penix and the Indiana Hoosiers. Penn State’s 2021 season will also begin with a challenging road trip in conference play when they begin the new season in Madison, Wisconsin to take on the Wisconsin Badgers, a perennial Big Ten West Division contender.

James Franklin has seen some tense season openers in his time as a head coach, first with Vanderbilt and currently with Penn State. In season openers against power-conference opponents, all of which have been conference games when applicable, Franklin’s teams have come up on the wrong end of a one-possession game. Twice, Franklin has coached a season opener in an overtime situation, including last season’s opener at Indiana (the other coming against Appalachian State in 2018). So should Penn State fans be expecting a tight contest when Penn State takes on the Badgers in FOX’s first Big Noon Kickoff of the 2021 season? History may suggest so.

Here is a look back at every season opener coached by James Franklin, beginning with his head coaching debut with the Vanderbilt Commodores in 2011.

Vanderbilt safety Donovan Kaufman commits to Auburn

Former Vanderbilt safety Donovan Kaufman committed to Auburn today.

Former Vanderbilt safety Donovan Kaufman committed to Auburn today. Kaufman had narrowed his search down to Auburn and Texas before making his official announcement. By coming to The Plains, Kaufman now has the opportunity to reunite with Derek Mason.

The transfer commit spoke highly of Mason saying,

“He’s a great dude. Not just for me, ask anybody around. They’ll say they love him as a person and that he keeps it real. He’s more than just a coach. He’s a very hands-on coach. Very detailed. With me and him, it’s deeper than football. He wants the best for me.”

Kaufman committed to Vanderbilt in 2019 with the final decision coming down to the Commodores, Ole Miss, and Florida State. 247Sports’ Sam Marsdale gave insight on the immediate impact Mason had on Kaufman saying,”the Commodores ultimately held onto Kaufman after Mason visited Kaufman’s father at an Alabama prison and made a strong impression.”

Through his high school career at Archbishop Rummel Kaufman recorded 177 tackles and four interceptions returned for touchdowns. As a prospect he was rated the nation’s No. 37 safety and No. 18 player in the state of Louisiana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQUVlrbzsDU

Kaufman will have four years of eligibility remaining upon his arrival to Auburn. After recording 15 tackles and a kickoff return touchdown across two games in 2020 the freshman safety missed the remainder of the season with a medical issue per Mason.

How soon will we see him in action?

Not clear yet.

The NCAA recently ruled that one-time transfers were to be granted immediate eligibility upon transferring to their next program. The decision will ultimately come down to the SEC who must still decide whether or not intra-conference transfers will receive immediate eligibility.

Kaufman recently moved back to his hometown of New Orleans and is eager to arrive to Auburn in early June. After a recent virtual visit with Auburn Kaufman said, “Everything was great. It’s a neat college town. I like the stadium, the facilities, the people.”

 

Predicting every SEC team’s final 2021 record

Predicting all 14 SEC teams’ records for the 2021 college football season.

We are less than four months away from the start of the 2021 college football season and that means many predictions will start to come out.

While many things can change between now and opening weekend, we do have a good feel of how the SEC teams will perform after spring practice and looking at their schedule.

Let’s take a look at our predictions for each SEC team’s final regular season record for the upcoming season.

Restaurants SEC bagmen would use according to football program

After Tennessee allegedly paid recruits with McDonald’s bags full of cash, we wanted to know which restaurant each SEC program would use.

Last week it was reported that Tennessee football recruits were offered monetary benefits sealed by way of McDonald’s bags. It was a scandal that took over social media by storm leaving many people to question, “why McDonald’s?”

I too questioned their thought process behind the use of a bag that smells like stale onions and grease, and is there any symbolism behind McDonald’s and their golden arches? Not really, there isn’t any semblance of connection there. Whoever the bagman was he probably just got caught up in the drive-thru line and forgot to get a proper envelope.

What if SEC bagmen used carry-out bags from restaurants who were established/are headquartered nearby? I did the research to find out which carry-out bag would match each school and boy, does the symbolism speak for itself here.

2021 Vanderbilt Football Schedule: Analysis, Best and Worst Case Scenarios

Breaking down and analyzing the 2021 Vanderbilt Commodores football schedule with the best and worst case scenarios.

Breaking down and analyzing the 2021 Vanderbilt Commodores football schedule with the best and worst case scenarios.

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2021 Vanderbilt Football Schedule

Vanderbilt Football Schedule Analysis: COMING

Best Case Scenario: COMING

Worst Case Scenario: COMING

Sept. 4 ETSU

Sept. 11 at Colorado State

Sept. 18 Stanford

Sept. 25 Georgia

Oct. 2 UConn

Oct. 9 at Florida

Oct. 16 at South Carolina

Oct. 23 Mississippi State

Oct. 30 Missouri

Nov. 6 OPEN DATE

Nov. 13 Kentucky

Nov. 20 at Ole Miss

Nov. 27 at Tennessee

Dec. 4 SEC Championship (in Atlanta)

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Opinion: Derek Mason is a phenomenal hire at DC and here’s why

Derek Mason has been hired as the defensive coordinator at Auburn and it is a smart move in every way.

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Bryan Harsin added former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason to his staff on Thursday. Mason will assume the role of defensive coordinator on Harsin’s inaugural staff after a seven-year head coaching stint with the Commodores.

Mason’s career spans 26 years with defensive coaching experience at Bucknell, St. Mary’s, and Stanford. Mason also spent two years with the Minnesota Vikings as the assistant defensive backs coach.

While at Stanford, Mason’s defensive units ranked first or second in nearly every category which earned him a spot as a Broyles Award finalist in 2012. At Vanderbilt he became just the second coach in school history to lead the Commodores to two bowl appearances. Under his leadership inside linebacker Zach Cunningham was the first Vanderbilt football player to receive All-American accolades in 32 years.

What stands out to me the most about Derek Mason is his energetic charisma. Two years ago at SEC Media Days in Hoover I sat on radio row. It was late afternoon on the next to last day when Derek Mason walked in. Usually you see head coaches walk in shortly before they’re scheduled to address the media, but this man showed up a day early to shake hands, network, sit down for interviews, etc. Mason then showed up the next day to do it all over again.

It was a gesture that set him apart from the other coaches that week and I thought, I want that energy on my team. For Harsin, the decision to add Mason as DC was a no-brainer.

In Thursday’s press release Harsin said,

“Derek Mason is one of the best defensive minds in college football and his track record speaks for itself. I’ve always admired his ability to prepare his defenses and his approach with players on and off the field is outstanding. Having experience as a head coach in the Southeastern Conference is invaluable and he will bring a lot to our program. We’re fired up to have Coach Mason join the Auburn family.”

If this doesn’t fire you up about this hire, let me remind you of the time that Mason stood up to Cousin Eddie, I mean…Dan Mullen.

Or the time he had all college football fans ready to run through a brick wall in the name of Vanderbilt.

And his locker room speeches? HYPE.

I am elated, and so is Derek Mason,

“Auburn University is a special place with special people, and I’ve witnessed this in my time in the SEC. I admire the school, the facilities, the traditions and the uniqueness of the community. Auburn has everything! Auburn embraces all that I believe in and I’m very appreciative of Coach Harsin, Director of Athletics Allen Greene and the University Administration for this opportunity. I’ve always had a tremendous amount of respect for Coach Harsin and I’m excited to hit the ground running.”

Welcome to Auburn, Derek Mason! War Eagle!

Here’s what really happened with the Georgia-Vanderbilt cancellation

Why the Georgia-Vanderbilt football game was really cancelled

Last Monday, news broke that Vanderbilt could possibly cancel its trip to Athens for the game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium.

A few hours later, it was confirmed the Commodores would not be traveling to the Peach State for their season finale.

Fans of the Bulldogs expressed their frustrations with the way the whole situation was handled, as this was the second time the game got canned before gameday.

However, UGAWire has learned a few key details on the situation that led to the cancellation of the contest.

Sarah Fuller announces her kicking career is over, thanks Vanderbilt for ‘amazing opportunity’

This season, Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play and score points in a Power 5 football game.

The Georgia-Vanderbilt was called off, yet again, but this time, it means Commodores senior kicker Sarah Fuller’s football career is likely over.

The Bulldogs and Commodores were originally scheduled to play December 5, but that game was postponed because of a shortage of players on Vanderbilt’s roster with positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing. Rescheduled for Saturday, that game is now canceled, the SEC announced Monday, because the Commodores don’t have enough players again.

And Monday night, Fuller announced that her short-lived but historic football career is probably ending.

Against Missouri at the end of November, Fuller — who’s also the soccer team’s championship-winning goalkeeper — became the first woman to play in a Power 5 game, taking the field for a specially designed squib kick to start the second half of the game. And then Saturday against Tennessee, she kicked two good extra points and became the first woman to score in a Power 5 game.

In a note on social media reacting to the cancellation of the Georgia-Vanderbilt game, Fuller wrote:

“It looks like my time as a football player has come to an end. I would like to personally thank the entire Vanderbilt football team, coaches, and support staff for this amazing opportunity to be part of this program. I was accepted as an athlete and a true member of this team. This is an experience that I will never forget and cherish forever. Good luck to the seniors and staff who are moving on to new adventures. My best wishes to the team as this program moves forward and continues to grow.”

But Fuller isn’t done with college sports altogether.

After she helping her soccer team win the SEC tournament in November, she’ll be back for the NCAA tournament, which the NCAA pushed back to the spring because of the global pandemic. More via Yahoo Sports about Fuller’s future:

After that, Fuller plans to transfer to North Texas. She’s planning on playing two more years of soccer and has no designs to play football. She told Yahoo Sports recently that her passion remains in soccer, but she said that if North Texas ever needed her in a pinch, she’d gladly step up.

“We’ve watched with admiration and great respect how Sarah has handled herself in making history at Vanderbilt,” North Texas athletic director Wren Baker said by phone on Monday. “We look forward to welcoming her to the Mean Green family and helping her extend her platform. I know she’s a role model for lots of people in the country, particularly young female athletes.”

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