2005 VANDERBILT FOOTBALL VANDERBILT SCHEDULE DATE OPPONENT FINAL/KICKOFF Sept. 1 @ Wake Forest (ESPNU) (W) 24-20 ANDERBILT Sept. 10 @ Arkansas (W) 28-24 V Sept. 17 OLE MISS (JP TV) (W) 31-23 Sept. 24 Richmond (W) 37-13 Oct. 1 MTSU (UPN-30) (L) 15-17 GAME NOTES Oct. 8 LSU (ESPN2) 6:00 pm Oct. 15 GEORGIA TBA Oct. 22 @ South Carolina TBA COMMODORE GAME 6 Nov. 5 @ Florida TBA Nov. 12 KENTUCKY TBA STORYLINES #11 (LSU (2-1,1-1) Nov. 19 @ Tennessee TBA # Despite suffering its first loss last AT VANDERBILT (4-1, 2-0) All Kickoff Times - CST Saturday, Vanderbilt is still off to one of its best starts in decades. LSU-VANDERBILT BROADCAST NOTES - More on ‘Dores early success...Page 2 The Commodores return to the ESPN national # See how Vanderbilt has fared television network – via ESPN2 – for the against nationally ranked opponents. second time this season. Sean McDonough and - More on Vandy vs. Ranked Teams...Page 2 Mike Gottfried are in the booth for Vanderbilt’s # Through five games, compare the 10th ESPN appearance since 1996. DATE: Saturday, October 8, 2005 2005 Commodores to the 2004 squad. KICKOFF: 6:00 p.m., CT - 2004-05 Commodore Comparison...Page 3 IN COMING WEEKS STADIUM: Vanderbilt Stadium # While Jay Cutler continues to move LOCATION: Nashville, Tennessee After hosting No. 11-ranked LSU for the first up team charts, top aerial target Erik TICKETS: VU-LSU tickets are $35 time since 1997, Vanderbilt stays on campus for Davis, is beginning to have his own RADIO: Vanderbilt Radio Network; its fifth straight game – a homecoming impact on Commodore records. - More on Cutler & Davis...Pages 4,5 Flagship is 104.5 “The Zone” encounter against nationally ranked Georgia on Available on Sirius Sports (Channel 141) Saturday, Oct. 15. # Which Commodores have the most On Oct. 22, the Commodores travel to COMMODORE RADIO CREW: career starts? Joe Fisher, play-by-play; John Gromos, Columbia, S.C., to take on SEC Eastern Division - See Player Participation Report...Page 6 foe South Carolina, then is off on Oct. 29. analyst; Kevin Ingram, sidelines # Though Vanderbilt and LSU met only TELEVISION: ESPN2 COMMODORE TICKET INFO occasionally, the Tigers hold a 19-7-1 Sean McDonough, play-by-play; Mike advantage in the all-time series. Take a Gottfried, analyst; Alex Flanagan, sidelines Tickets remain for each of Vanderbilt’s final closer look at the series. WEB: http://www.yahoo.com three home games. - More on LSU-Vanderbilt Series...Page 2,7 Single-game tickets to the three SEC opponents left on Vanderbilt’s schedule – QUICK FACTS ON THE UNIVERSITIES Louisiana State, Georgia and Kentucky – are $35 each. VANDERBILT LSU Location Nashville, Tenn. Baton Rouge, La. VANDERBILT MEDIA RELATIONS INFO Founded 1873 1860 Enrollment 6,272 31,234 LARRY LEATHERS - Primary Football Contact Conference Southeastern Southeastern 615/343-6437 (office) • 480-8226 (cell) Nickname Commodores Tigers [email protected] Colors Black & Gold Purple & Gold ROD WILLIAMSON - Sports Information Director Home Field Vanderbilt Stadium Tiger Stadium CHRIS WEINMAN - Football Assistant/Lacrosse Capacity (39,773) (91,600) ANDRE FOUSHEE - Men’s Basketball/Golf Field Surface natural grass natural grass THOMAS SAMUEL - Baseball/Soccer Head Coach Bobby Johnson (4th) Les Miles (1st) ALEX KWAK - Media Relations Intern Alma Mater Clemson, 1973 Michigan, 1976 PHONE: 615/322-4121 • FAX: 615/343-7064 Coaching Record 70-66 (.515) 29-22 (.569) PRESS BOX PHONE: 615/320-0436 Website vucommodores.com LSUsports.net 1 GAME NOTES 2005 VANDERBILT FOOTBALL Game Notes COMMODORES LOOKING TO CONTINUE EXCELLENT START VANDERBILT & LSU # Despite dropping its first game last Saturday, Vanderbilt looks SERIES HISTORY to open its season 5-1 for the first time since 1950 when the Meeting between schools: 28th Commodores won their first four, lost to Florida, then defeated Series record: Vanderbilt trails, 7-19-1 Arkansas and UT-Chattanooga to go 6-1 en route to a 7-4 Last Meeting: Vanderbilt 7, LSU 24 (2004) campaign. First Meeting: Vanderbilt 27, LSU 5 (1902) # Vanderbilt, currently tied for the Southeastern Conference Last Game in Nashville: Vanderbilt 6, LSU 7 (1997) Eastern Division lead, is also looking to go 3-0 in Southeastern Last Vanderbilt victory in series: 24-21 (1990) Conference play for the first time since 1950 when the Vanderbilt record @ Nashville: 5-9 Commodores defeated Auburn (41-0), Alabama (27-22) and Ole Vanderbilt record @ Baton Rouge: 2-10-1 Miss (20-14) before falling to Florida. Longest Vanderbilt win streak: 2 Longest Vanderbilt losing streak: 6 COMMODORES AGAINST TOP 25 OPPONENTS Vanderbilt will attempt to end a four-game skid in the LSU series, dating back to the Commodores’ 24-21 home victory in 1990. When LSU visits Nashville, Vanderbilt will be looking for its first Vanderbilt has captured three of the last seven games played in victory over a ranked opponent in more than a decade. LSU, co- Nashville in the series. national champions in 2003, is ranked #11 by both the coaches Commodore coach Bobby Johnson is 0-1 versus the Tigers. and Associated Press. Vanderbilt’s last victory over a nationally ranked team came Sept. 9, 1992 when the Commodores defeated Ole Miss 31-9. FOUR COMMODORES FROM LOUISIANA The Commodores’ last victory over a team ranked as high as Four current Commodores, including a starter on the offensive line, No. 11 was a 24-10 triumph over Florida on Oct. 12, 1974. hail from Louisiana. Chris Williams, a redshirt sophomore from Glynn, earned his third career start on the offensive line for the Commodores last eeek. He COMMODORES & ESPN APPEARANCES has played both guard and tackle. David Whittington, a redshirt freshman from Lafayette (St. The Commodores will make their second appearance this season Thomas More H.S.) also has a start at fullback or the Commodores. on the ESPN national television network. Jason Burns is a senior walk-on from St. Augustine H.S., in New In the season opener, Vanderbilt participated in the first I-A Orleans. Burns is a reserve wide receiver and valuable special teams college football game ever on ESPNU, the network’s newest player for the Commodores. enterprise. The Commodores defeated host Wake Forest 24-20. Redshirt junior running back Ron Bullock, who prepped at Brother Since 1996, when the Commodores met Notre Dame in the Martin H.S. in New Orleans, has not played this season due to injury. season opener, nine Vanderbilt games have aired in front of an ESPN network national audience. The most recent ESPN appearance was Nov. 13, 1999 when the Commodores lost a COMMODORE RB COACH SERVED ON LSU STAFF critical game to Kentucky 19-17. Both Vanderbilt and Kentucky Kenny Carter, in his second year as the Commodores’ running needed a win to become bowl eligible that year. backs coach, previously worked on the LSU staff. Carter served as a Tiger defensive assistant in 1999, the last year of Gerry Dinardo’s tenure at LSU. Dinardo served as head coach at ANOTHER NEAR-CAPACITY CROWD WATCHES COMMODORES Vanderbilt from 1991-1994, leaving the Commodore job to accept the head coaching position in Baton Rouge. Another large crowd was on hand last Saturday in Vanderbilt Stadium when the Commodores failed to capture its fifth consecutive win. FORMER PREP TEAMMATES SQUARE OFF The Middle Tennessee attendance of 37,257 was the second While attending Catholic H.S. where LSU is located, Vanderbilt highest of the season, just behind the 38,446 that watched sophomore lineman Chris Williams was a teammate of Tiger junior Vanderbilt’s win over Richmond on Sept. 24. In the home opener tight end Doug Planchard. Catholic, which has produced numerous versus Ole Miss, 34,847 were on hand. standout collegiate players, went to the Louisiana 5A playoffs in Through three games, the Commodores are averaging 36,850 Williams’ junior and senior seasons. spectators, representing the best on-campus attendance since Commodore senior Jason Burns played at St. Augustine, the 1997, when the Commodores played before an average of 38,166 same school that produced LSU freshman linebacker Al Jones. As a when they faced North Texas, Alabama and TCU. freshman, Jones played with Burns, who quarterbacked St. Augustine as a senior. 2 GAME NOTES 2005 VANDERBILT FOOTBALL Commodore Team Notes COMMODORE SUFFERS FIRST LOSS have cost Vanderbilt its first loss of the season USA Today Coaches' Poll (Oct. 2) tarnished another of the team’s impressive NO. TEAM RECORD POINTS DESPITE BIG STATISICAL ADVANTAGE last-minute drives. 1. USC (60) 4-0 1,547 2. Texas (1) 4-0 1,483 After opening with four consecutive victo- Lost in the aftermath of the blocked field 3. Virginia Tech (1) 5-0 1,425 goal attempt was a 12-play, 81-yard 4. Georgia 4-0 1,332 ries, Vanderbilt’s first loss of the 2005 season Commodore drive directed by Cutler that 5. Florida State 4-0 1,287 came last Saturday despite a big Commodore 6. Ohio State 3-1 1,169 began inside the Vanderbilt 1-yard line with statistical dominance. 7. Tennessee 3-1 1,124 less than 3:00 left on the clock. 8. Miami 3-1 1,081 Playing neighboring Middle Tennessee, the Cutler narrowly dodged a safety on the first 9. California 5-0 993 Commodores had more first downs (23-11), play, then calmly hit seven of 10 passes before 10. Alabama 5-0 982 total yards (347-209) and plays (78-53), less 11. LSU 2-1 953 killing the clock with :03 left to allow the field penalties (5-4) and punts (6-8), and owned an 12.