Vanderbilt Commodores football

The Vanderbilt Commodores football program represents Vanderbilt University in the sport of American football. The Commodores compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They are led by head coach Clark Lea. Vanderbilt plays their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium, located on the university's Nashville, Tennessee campus.

Vanderbilt Commodores football
2020 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
First season1890
Athletic directorCandice Storey Lee
Head coachClark Lea
1st season, 0–0 (–)
StadiumVanderbilt Stadium
(Capacity: 40,550)
FieldDudley Field
Year built1922
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationNashville, Tennessee
NCAA divisionDivision I
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern
Past conferencesIndependent (1890–1894)
SIAA (1895–1921)
Southern Conference (1922–1932)
All-time record60962950 (.492)
Bowl record441 (.500)
Unclaimed national titles2 (1921, 1922)
Conference titles14 (0 SEC)
RivalriesTennessee (rivalry)
Georgia (rivalry)
Ole Miss (rivalry)
Kentucky (rivalry)
Georgia Tech (rivalry)
Sewanee (rivalry)
Consensus All-Americans7[1]
Current uniform
ColorsBlack and Gold[2]
         
Fight songDynamite!
MascotMr. C
Marching bandSpirit of Gold Marching Band
OutfitterNike
Websitevucommodores.com

History

Head coaches

Adopting the nickname the Commodores after the 1897 season, the team has played in 1,250 games over 126 seasons. In that time, six coaches have led the Commodores to a postseason bowl appearance: Art Guepe, Steve Sloan, George MacIntyre, Bobby Johnson, James Franklin and Derek Mason. Four have led them to a conference championship: R. G. Acton, W. H. Watkins, James R. Henry, and Dan McGugin. McGugin is the leader in seasons coached and games won, with 198 victories during his 30 years at Vanderbilt. He was awarded two National Championships retroactively by Clyde Berryman.

Of the 29 different head coaches who have led the Commodores, McGugin,[3] Ray Morrison,[4] Red Sanders,[5] and Bill Edwards[6] have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The head coach is Clark Lea, who was hired on December 14, 2021.

Conference affiliations

Vanderbilt has been affiliated with the following conferences.

Championships

National championships

Vanderbilt does not claim any national championships, but Berryman QPRS, a major selector in the NCAA Division I FBS Record Book, selected Vanderbilt as champion based on retroactive analysis of the national 1921 and 1922 seasons.[7]

Season Coach Selectors Record
1921Dan McGuginBerryman7–0–1
19228–0–1

Conference championships

Vanderbilt has won 13 conference championships, with five shared and eight won outright.

Season Conference Coach Overall record Conference record
1897SIAAR. G. Acton6–0–13–0–1
1901W. H. Watkins6–1–16–0–1
1904Dan McGugin9–05–0
19057–16–0
19068–16–0
19075–1–14–0
19108–0–15–0
19118–16–0
19128–1–14–0–1
19159–15–0
19217–0–14–0–1
1922SoCon8–0–13–0
19235–2–13–0–1

† Co-champions

Bowl games

Vanderbilt has been invited to nine bowl games, with the Commodores garnering a record of 4–4–1 in bowl games.

Season Coach Bowl Opponent Result
1955Art GuepeGator BowlAuburnW 25–13
1974Steve SloanPeach BowlTexas TechT 6–6
1982George MacIntyreHall of Fame ClassicAir ForceL 28–36
2008Bobby JohnsonMusic City BowlBoston CollegeW 16–14
2011James FranklinLiberty BowlCincinnatiL 24–31
2012Music City BowlNC StateW 38–24
2013BBVA Compass BowlHoustonW 41–24
2016Derek MasonIndependence BowlNC StateL 17–41
2018Texas BowlBaylorL 38–45

Rivals

Tennessee

Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt 2007

Vanderbilt and Tennessee have played 112 times since 1892 , Tennessee leads the series 75–32-5.[8] When the rivalry first started Vanderbilt dominated by taking 19 of the first 24 with 3 ties. From 1928 to 2011, Tennessee went 71–9–2 against Vanderbilt. But since 2012, Vanderbilt has won five of the last eight. The largest margin of victory for Vanderbilt was by 76 points in 1918 at Old Dudley Field in Nashville. (Vanderbilt 76, Tennessee 0) The largest defeat was 65 points in 1994 at Vanderbilt Stadium (Tennessee 65, Vanderbilt 0). The longest win streaks for Vanderbilt is (9) from 1901 to 1913. The longest win streak for Tennessee is 22, from 1983 to 2004.[9]

Georgia

Georgia Vanderbilt 2011

Having started in 1893, the Georgia-Vanderbilt football series has been played annually since 1968. The two are divisional opponents in the SEC East. The series, which rotates between Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia, stands with Georgia leading 57-20–2 through the 2020 season.[10]

Ole Miss

Ole Miss is Vanderbilt's cross-divisional rival in the SEC.

Vanderbilt and Ole Miss have played 92 times since 1894.[11] Ole Miss leads the series 51-39-2.[11] The largest margin of victory was by 91 points won by Vanderbilt in 1915. Vanderbilt also holds the longest win streaks in the series (18) from 1894 to 1938.

Kentucky

Having started in 1896, the Kentucky-Vanderbilt football series has been played annually since 1953.[12] The two are divisional opponents in the SEC East. The series, which rotates between Nashville, Tennessee and Lexington, Kentucky, is led by Kentucky at 44-42–4 with the average score being Vanderbilt 16.9-Kentucky 15.6.[13]

Sewanee

Vanderbilt and the Sewanee Tigers were both founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Southern Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is the oldest of Vanderbilt's rivalries;[14] dating back to 1891 when Vanderbilt played its second football game. Vanderbilt leads the series 40–8–4.[15] The largest margin of victory was in 1905 when Vanderbilt won 68–4. Usually played towards the end of the season on Thanksgiving Day, the two teams have not met again since 1944 and are unlikely to anytime soon as Sewanee plays in NCAA Division III.

Uniforms

Traditionally, Vanderbilt has featured differing designs of gold helmets, black jerseys, and gold or black pants at home, and gold helmets, white jerseys and gold, or white pants on the road. Meanwhile, the traditional alternate uniform saw gold helmets and jerseys matched with white pants.

During the James Franklin-era (2011–2013), "blackout” (i.e. all black) alternate uniforms featuring new black helmets, and "whiteout" (i.e. all white) alternate uniforms featuring new white helmets, were unveiled. The team's gold alternate jerseys were also re-designed with the addition of black shoulders and a more muted gold color.

Derek Mason's tenure (2014–present) has seen the team adopt a primary home uniform of black matte helmets, black jerseys and black pants, and a primary road uniform of black matte helmets, white jerseys and black pants. Additionally, the team utilizes several alternate combinations including among others a black matte helmet, gold jersey and gold pant set, “traditional” looks featuring gold helmets, and an updated version of the “whiteout” alternate from the Franklin-era.

Individual awards

College Football Hall of Fame

Vanderbilt Commodore football personnel have been inducted into the National Football Foundation's National College Football Hall of Fame.[16]

Players

Name Position Career
John J. TigertHB1901–1903
Josh CodyT1914–1916, 1919
Lynn BomarEnd1921–1924
William SpearsQB1925–1927
Carl HinkleC1935–1937

Coaches

Name Career
Dan McGugin1904–1917, 1919–1934
Ray Morrison1918, 1935–1939
Jess Neely1920–1922*
Red Sanders1940–1942, 1946–1948
Bill Edwards1949–1952
  • Jess Neely played for Vanderbilt from 1920 to 1922, but he never coached at Vanderbilt.

All-Americans

Player Year Position
Zach Cunningham2016LB
Jordan Matthews2013WR
Casey Hayward2011CB
D.J. Moore2008DB
Earl Bennett2006WR
Jamie Winborn1999LB
Jamie Duncan1997LB
Bill Marinangel1996P
Boo Mitchell1988WR
Chris Gaines1987LB
Ricky Anderson1984P
Leonard Coleman1983DB
Chuck Scott1983TE
Jim Arnold1982P
Allama Matthews1982TE
Preston Brown1979Back
Barry Burton1974TE
Bob Asher1969T
Chip Healy1968LB
George Diedrich1958G
Charley Horton1955RB
Bill Wade1951QB
Bob Werckle1951T
Bucky Curtis1950End
Bob Gude1941C
Carl Hinkle1937C
Pete Gracey1932C
Bull Brown1929G
Dick Abernathy1928End
Bill Spears1926, 1927QB
Gil Reese1923, 1924Back
Henry Wakefield1923, 1924End
Oliver Kuhn1922QB
Lynn Bomar1922, 1923End
Josh Cody1914, 1915, 1919T
Irby Curry1916QB
Lewie Hardage1912Back
Ray Morrison1911QB
W. E. Metzger1910G
Bob Blake1907E
Owsley Manier1906Back

Consensus All-American

Vanderilt has had seven consensus All-Americans in their history. In 2016, Zach Cunningham became the first unanminous All-American in Vanderbilt's history.[17]

Player Year Position
Lynn Bomar1923E
Hek Wakefield1924E
Pete Gracey1932C
George Deiderich1958G
Jim Arnold1982P
Ricky Anderson1984P
Zach Cunningham2016LB

All-Southerns

Captains

Year Captain
1890–1892Elliott Jones
1893–1894W. J. Keller
1895–1896Phil Connell
1897Howard Boogher
1898Joe Goodson
1899Walter H. Simmons
1900John F. H. Barbee
1901John Edgerton
1902H. W. Davis
1903Frank Kyle
1904Irish Graham
1905Innis Brown
1906Dan Blake
1907Bob Blake
1908Vaughn Blake
1909H. H. Williams
1910Bill Neely
1911Ray Morrison
1912Lew Hardage
1913Enoch Brown
1914Ammie Sikes
1915Russ Cohen
1916Irby Curry
1917Alfred T. Adams
1918Herman Daves
1919Josh Cody
1920Johnny "Red" Floyd
1921Pink Wade
1922Jess Neely
1923Doc Kuhn
1924Tuck Kelly
1925Gil Reese
1926Neil Cargile
1927Vernon Sharpe
1928Jimmy Armistead
1929Bull Brown
1930Joe Scheffer
1931Amos Leonard
1932Chosen by game
1933Chosen By Game
1934Eugene Beck
1935Charles W. Geny
1936Dick Plasman
1937Carl Hinkle
1938Marvin. A. Franklin
1939Raymond Andrus
1940John Ellis
1941Joe Atkinson
1942Fred Holder
1943James & Bob Hamilton
1944Lee Austin & Dick Bostick
1945Dick Bostick & James Hamilton
1946Alf Satterfield
1947John North & Tex Robertson
1948John Clark
1949Carl Copp
1950Russ Faulkinberry
1951Bob Werckle
1952John Cheadle & Don Wade
1953Larry Stone
1954Pete Williams & John Hall
1955Larry Frank & Jim Cunningham
1956Don Orr & Art Demmas
1957Bob Laws & Phil King
1958Billy Grover
1959No permanent captain
1960Fred Riggs
1961Cody Brinkley & Ed Creagh
1962Jule Crocker & Mike Reese
1963Sam Sullins
1964Dave Malone, Bill Juday, & Wilford Fuqua
1965Lane Wolbe
1966Dave Maddux & Jim Thomas
1967Bob Goodridge & Sid Ransom
1968Mike Giltner & Rex Raines
1969Bob Asher & Bill McDonald
1970Steve Fritz, Mal Wall, & John Robinson
1971John Carney & John Drake
1972Jim Avery, Joe Cook, & Ken Stone
1973Mark Ilgenfritz & Bo Patton
1974David Lee
1975Lonnie Sadler & Tom Galbierz
1976Tom Ballman & David Hale
1977Ed Parrish, Mike Birdsong, Reggie Calvin, & Mitch Lilly
1978Randy Sittason & John Wooten
1979Mike Ralston, Preston Brown, & Ronnie Myrick
1980Phil Swindoll, Keith Phillips, & Rodney Gurley
1981Rodney Gurley, Ken Hammond, & Andrew Coleman
1982Whit Taylor, Allama Matthews, & Joe Staley
1983Tom Moore, Steve Bearden, & Phil Roach
1984Rob Monaco, Steve McCoy, Chuck Scott, & Manuel Young
1985Steve Wade, Kermit Sykes, & Will Wolford
1986Thanh Anderson, Mark Wracher, Mark Woehler, & Carl Woods
1987Chris Gaines, Everett Crawford, Daryl Holt, & Carl Parker
1988Eric Jones, Brent Turner, Joe Gentry, & Mike Johnson
1989John Gromos, DeMond Winston, Andy McCarroll, & Greg Smith
1990No permanent captains.
1991Bobby Craycraft & Rod Keith
1992Marcus Wilson & Marcus Young
1993Gerald Collins, Tony Jackson, & Eric Dahlberg
1994Gerald Collins & Eric Lewis
1995No permanent captains.
1996No permanent captains.
1997Jamie Duncan, Corey Chavous, Jay Stallworth, Damian Allen, & John Bradley
1998Rahim Batten, Clay Condrey, Jared McGrath, & Fred Vinson
1999Jeff Barnett, Ainsley Battles, Lamont Turner, & Todd Yoder
2000Ryan Aulds, Elliott Carson, John Markham; & Matt Stewart
2001Jamie Byrum, Antuian Bradford, Nate Morrow, & Dan Stricker
2002Jamie Byrum, Rushen Jones, & Dan Stricker
2003Jay Cutler, Justin Geisinger, & Jovan Haye
2004Jay Cutler, Justin Geisinger, Jovan Haye, & Chris Young
2005Jay Cutler & Moses Osemwegie
2006Brian Stamper & Jonathan Goff
2007Jonathan Goff, Chris Williams, & Theo Horrocks
2008Reshard Langford, Bradley Vierling, & George Smith
2009Patrick Benoist, Ryan Hamilton, & Bradley Vierling
2010Joey Bailey, T. J. Greenstone, Adam Smotherman, & Chris Marve
2011Kyle Fischer, Casey Hayward, Chris Marve, Larry Smith, & Carey Spear
2012Jordan Rodgers, Walker May, Archibald Barnes, Zac Stacy, Johnell Thomas, Javon Marshall, Wesley Johnson, & Carey Spear
2013Austyn Carta-Samuels, Wesley Johnson, Jordan Matthews, Walker May, Chase Garnham, Andre Hal, Javon Marshall, Carey Spear, & Andrew East

Conference recognition

Vanderbilt Commodores personnel, including coaches and players, have received recognition from the Southeastern Conference for their performances on the football field.[16]

Most Valuable Player

Five Vanderbilt players have been awarded Most Valuable Player, with three of them being awarded over a six year span to Commodores.

Name Year
Bob Goodridge1967
Bill Wade1951
Jack Jenkins1941
Carl Hinkle1937
Willie Geny1935

Offensive Player of the Year

One Vanderbilt player has won Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Name Year
Jay Cutler2005

Freshman of the Year

Two players have won Freshman of the Year while at Vanderbilt.

Name Year
Kwane Doster2002
Warren Norman2009

Best Blocker

One Commodore has won Best Blocker, doing so twice.

Name Year
Jack Jenkins1941, 1942

Best Wide Receiver

Name Year
Earl Bennett2005–2007

Coach of the Year

Five Vanderbilt coaches have won Coach of the Year honors over the past century.

Name Year
Bobby Johnson2008
George MacIntyre1982
Art Guepe1955
Red Sanders1941
Ray Morrison1937

Future opponents

Non-division opponents

Vanderbilt plays Ole Miss as a permanent non-division opponent annually and rotates around the West division among the other six schools.[18]

2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
at Ole Missvs Ole Missat Ole Missvs Ole Missat Ole Miss
vs Mississippi Stateat Alabamavs Auburnat LSUvs Arkansas

Non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of April 26, 2020[19]

No games are scheduled for the 2030-2031 seasons.
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2032 2033
East Tennessee State at Hawaii Hawaii vs. Virginia Tech1 at Virginia Tech Austin Peay Eastern Kentucky SMU Purdue at Stanford Stanford
at Colorado State Elon Charleston Southern Norfolk State Georgia State NC State at Stanford at NC State at SMU
Stanford Wake Forest at Wake Forest SMU Colorado State at Colorado State
UConn at Northern Illinois at UNLV at Georgia State
  1. The 2024 game with Virginia Tech will be played at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN.

References

  1. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2011/Awards.pdf
  2. "Vanderbit Art Sheet" (PDF). Vanderbilt University Division of Communications. October 25, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  3. Dan McGugin at the College Football Hall of Fame
  4. Ray Morrison at the College Football Hall of Fame
  5. Red Sanders at the College Football Hall of Fame
  6. Bill Edwards at the College Football Hall of Fame
  7. 2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2017. p. 111. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  8. "mcubed.net : NCAAF Football : Series records : Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt". mcubed.net.
  9. http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/vand/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2012-fb-154-160-media2.pdf
  10. http://www.winsipedia.com/georgia/vs/vanderbilt
  11. "mcubed.net : NCAAF Football : Series records : Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt". mcubed.net.
  12. "mcubed.net : NCAAF Football : Series records : Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt". mcubed.net.
  13. "Kentucky Vanderbilt series". Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  14. William L. Traughber. "CHC- Sewanee Was Vandy's First Rival".
  15. cf. William L. Traughber (2011). Vanderbilt Football: Tales of Commodore Gridiron History. p. 26. ISBN 9781609494230.
  16. According to the Vanderbilt 2006 Football Media Guide.
  17. "SEC Consensus All-Americans by the Numbers: Alabama has half the league's 2016 haul".
  18. "SEC Future Football Schedule Rotation Announced". fbschedules.com. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  19. "Vanderbilt Commodores Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.

Further reading

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