Vanderbilt Commodores football

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Vanderbilt Commodores
Year founded: 1890
Commodores Logo
Logo
City Nashville, Tennessee
Team Colors Black and gold
Head Coach Bobby Johnson
League/Conference affiliations
National Championships (2 disputed)

1906 Billingsley, 1911 Billingsley [1]
SIAC Championships (11)

1897, 1901, 1903 (shared), 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1915
Southern Conference Championships (2)

1922, 1923 [2]

The Vanderbilt Commodores football team represents Vanderbilt University in the Southeastern Conference.

Contents

[edit] Early success

Vanderbilt and the University of Nashville played the first college football game in the state of Tennessee in 1890. [3] In 1894 Vanderbilt was among the seven founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. [4] Just after the turn of the century, the team enjoyed fairly substantial success, with a composite record of 20-3-2 from 1901-03. [5] Even so, Dan McGugin's arrival as coach from his brother-in-law Fielding Yost's Michigan program in 1904 showed an immediate impact. The 1904 squad outscored its opposition by 474 to four in winning all nine games. [6] McGugin's tenure spanned the years 1904-17 and 1919-34 with a record of 197-55-19. [7]

Although McGugin never managed to defeat Michigan, the 1922 0-0 tie with the Wolverines to inaugurate Dudley Field figures prominently in the program's history. VU football historian Bill Traughber chronicles the event:

The game between Vanderbilt and Michigan had a carnival-like atmosphere.
Dignitaries and politicians were invited to participate at Dudley Field, the largest football-only stadium in the South at that time. The guest of honor for the dedication game was Cornelius Vanderbilt, the great-great grandson of the university's namesake.
Accompanied by his wife, Vanderbilt arrived at Nashville's Union Station on the morning of the game, his first trip to the city. The day's first event was a luncheon for the young Vanderbilt couple, which was held at the Hermitage Hotel and hosted by Vanderbilt University Board of Trust.
Thousands of Vanderbilt students and alumni met downtown for a parade with Tennessee Governor Alf Taylor riding in the lead automobile. Decorated in orange and black, their automobile began the parade at Twelfth and Broadway, weaving through the side streets to a reviewing stand at the foot of the Capitol Building. [8]


[edit] Recent struggles

However, Vanderbilt football has not won a conference championship since the foundation of the Southeastern Conference in 1932, and its last winning season was in 1982 under coach George McIntyre. That season the Commodores finished with a record of 8-4, playing in the Hall of Fame Bowl. Particularly notable was the season ending win against Tennessee, in which Whit Taylor threw for 391 yards. In the previous year's Tennessee game Taylor had passed for 464, giving him the #1 and #3 passing performances in VU history. [9]

Present Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson has been in the role since the 2002 season and sports a modest record of 15-43 [10]. Under his staff's tutelage quarterback Jay Cutler became the 11th overall selection in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.

[edit] Last victories over regular opponents

Opponent Last Vanderbilt win Remarks
SEC East opponents - games played annually
Florida 1988
South Carolina 1999
Kentucky 2004
Tennessee 2005 The 2005 Vanderbilt win broke a string of 22 straight Tennessee victories and was the first at Neyland Stadium since 1975
Georgia 2006 VU's last two wins in the series, in 2006 and 1994, have both come at homecoming at Sanford Stadium
Permanent SEC West opponent - games played annually
Ole Miss 2005
Rotating SEC West opponents - games played twice every five years
Alabama 1984
Arkansas 2005
Auburn 1955
LSU 1990
Mississippi State 2004

[edit] Commodores currently in the NFL

(years played at Vanderbilt)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Past Division I-A Football National Champions. NCAA. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  2. ^ Vanderbilt Football History Database. NationalChamps.net. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  3. ^ College Football. Tennessee Historical Society. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
  4. ^ Ibid.
  5. ^ All-Time Records for Vanderbilt. Stassen.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-29.
  6. ^ James Howell. Vanderbilt Historical Scores. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.
  7. ^ Southeastern Conference. College Football Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
  8. ^ Bill Traughber. CHC- Vandy Ties Michigan in 1922. Vanderbilt University. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
  9. ^ Passing records. Retrieved on 2006-12-08.
  10. ^ As of 2006
Southeastern Conference football teams
Eastern Division: Florida Gators • Georgia Bulldogs • Kentucky Wildcats • South Carolina Gamecocks • Tennessee Volunteers • Vanderbilt Commodores
Western Division: Alabama Crimson Tide • Arkansas Razorbacks • Auburn Tigers • LSU Tigers • Ole Miss Rebels • Mississippi State Bulldogs
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