2010 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

2010 Vanderbilt Commodores football
Conference	Southeastern Conference Eastern Division
2010 record	2–10 (1–7 SEC)
Head coach	Robbie Caldwell (1st year)
Offensive coordinator	Jimmy Kiser (1st year)
Defensive coordinator	Jamie Bryant (2nd year)
Home stadium	Vanderbilt Stadium

2010 SEC football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
#22 South Carolina x		5	–	3					9	–	5
Florida		4	–	4					8	–	5
Georgia		3	–	5					6	–	7
Tennessee		3	–	5					6	–	7
Kentucky		2	–	6					6	–	7
Vanderbilt		1	–	7					2	–	10
Western Division
#1 Auburn x†#		8	–	0					14	–	0
#12 Arkansas ‡		6	–	2					10	–	3
#8 LSU		6	–	2					11	–	2
#10 Alabama		5	–	3					10	–	3
#15 Mississippi State		4	–	4					9	–	4
Ole Miss		1	–	7					4	–	8
Championship: Auburn 56, South Carolina 17
# – BCS National Champion † – BCS representative as conference champion ‡ – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

The 2010 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2010 college football season. The team's head coach was Robbie Caldwell, who had been serving as interim head coach following the unexpected retirement of previous head coach Bobby Johnson in July 2010.^[1] Vanderbilt has been a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in that conference's Eastern Division since its formation in 1992. The Commodores played their seven home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee, which has been Vanderbilt football's home stadium since 1922. The Commodores finished the season 2–10, 1–7 in SEC play. Caldwell resigned at the end of the season.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:30 p.m.	Northwestern*	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, TN	CSS	L 21–23	37,210
September 11	6:00 p.m.	#19 LSU	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, TN	ESPNU	L 3–27	36,940
September 18	11:21 a.m.	at Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS (Rivalry)	SECN	W 28–14	51,667
October 2	11:00 a.m.	at Connecticut*	Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT	Big East Network	L 21–40	40,000
October 9	6:00 p.m.	Eastern Michigan*	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, TN	ESPNU	W 52–6	33,107
October 16	11:21 a.m.	at Georgia	Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA (Rivalry)	SECN	L 0–43	92,746
October 23	6:00 p.m.	#19 South Carolina	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, TN	SECRN	L 7–21	33,425
October 30	6:00 p.m.	at #19 Arkansas	Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR	SECRN	L 14–49	70,430
November 6	11:21 a.m.	Florida	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, TN	SECN	L 14–55	33,848
November 13	11:21 a.m.	at Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY (Rivalry)	SECN	L 20–38	60,391
November 20	6:30 p.m.	Tennessee	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, TN (Rivalry)	CSS	L 10–24	37,017
November 27	6:30 p.m.	Wake Forest*	Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, TN	SECN	L 13–34	21,338
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Game notes

Northwestern

1 2 3 4 Total • Northwestern 10 0 7 6 23 Vanderbilt 0 9 6 6 21 Location: Nashville, TN Game start: 6:35 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:17 Game attendance: 37,210 Game weather: 78, Sunny Referee: Dennis Lipski Television network: CSS

Northwestern jumped out to a 10–0 lead in the first half led by first year starting QB Dan Persa. Vanderbilt scored its first TD late in the first half on a TD run by Warren Norman, but the extra point was missed. Vanderbilt scored a field goal as time expired in the first half to make the score 10–9. Persa threw for another TD in the 3rd quarter to extend the lead to 17–9. Vanderbilt rallied late in the 3rd quarter on a 36-yard pass from Larry Smith to TE Brandon Barden, but Vanderbilt could not convert the two-point conversion that would have tied the game, making the score 17–15 at the end of the third quarter. Persa added a third TD pass in the 4th quarter, but the extra point was not converted due to a mishandled snap, keeping the margin to one possession. Vanderbilt later blocked a Northwestern field goal attempt and scored late in the 4th quarter, but was unable to convert again on the two point play to tie the game at 23–23. Vanderbilt nearly got a final possession in the game, after appearing to stop Persa short of a first down on 3rd and 6 with under two minutes remaining, but Vanderbilt was flagged for an illegal hit, allowing Northwestern to run out the clock.

Overall Record	Last Meeting	Result[2]
0–1–1	1952	Tie, 20–20

LSU

1 2 3 4 Total • #19 LSU 0 10 0 17 27 Vanderbilt 0 0 3 0 3 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 6:00 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:05 Game attendance: 36,940 Game weather: 78, Cloudy Referee: Ken Williamson TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Herm Edwards (color)

After an uneventful first quarter in which neither offense could put a drive together, LSU scored early in the second quarter off of a 30-yard run by Russell Shepard. LSU added a field goal as time expired in the first half to increase the lead to 10–0. Vanderbilt scored a field goal on their first possession of the second half and then got the ball back off of an interception thrown by Jordan Jefferson. Vanderbilt, however, failed to produce on offense for the remainder of the game, with all further drives resulting in punts. LSU added a field goal and two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to end the game with the score 27–3. Vanderbilt struggled on offense throughout the game, producing just 4.4 yards per pass and 2 yards per rush against a solid LSU defense.

Mississippi

1 2 3 4 Total • Vanderbilt 0 14 7 7 28 Ole Miss 0 7 7 0 14 Location: Oxford, MS Game start: 11:21 a.m. Elapsed time: 3:28 Game attendance: 51,667[3] Game weather: 81, Clear Referee: Penn Wagers TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Andre Ware (color), Cara Capuano (sideline)

After a defense-dominated first quarter in which both teams ended all drives with punts, Vanderbilt put together a 13-play 96-yard drive capped off by at 35-yard run by Zac Stacey for at touchdown. Vanderbilt increased their lead to 14–0 after returning a Jeremiah Masoli interception for a touchdown later in the second quarter. Ole Miss bounced back, scoring a touchdown on their next drive to put the score at 14–7 at the half. The Rebels tied the game in the third quarter on a 28-yard run by Masoli, but the Commodores immediately answered on their next possession with an 80-yard touchdown run by Warren Norman. Larry Smith added a 15-yard touchdown rush in the 4th quarter while the Vanderbilt defense shut out the Rebels for the remainder of the game to give the Commodores the win 28–14.

Connecticut

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 21 0 0 21 • Connecticut 7 14 10 9 40 Location: East Hartford, CT Game start: 12:08 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:16 Game attendance: 40,000 Game weather: 60, Sunny Referee: Steve Shaw Television network: Big East Network

Eastern Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total Eastern Michigan 3 0 3 0 6 • Vanderbilt 7 24 14 7 52 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 6:05 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:12 Game attendance: 33,107 Game weather: 85, Fair Referee: Penn Wagers TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Herm Edwards (color)

Georgia

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 • Georgia 12 10 21 0 43 Location: Athens, GA Game start: 12:21 p.m. Game attendance: 92,746 TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Andre Ware (color), Cara Capuano (sideline)

South Carolina

1 2 3 4 Total • #19 South Carolina 0 7 7 7 21 Vanderbilt 0 7 0 0 7 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 6:00 p.m. Game attendance: 33,425 Television network: SECRN

Arkansas

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 14 0 0 0 14 • #19 Arkansas 6 26 3 14 49 Location: Fayetteville, AR Game attendance: 70,430 Television network: SECRN

Florida

1 2 3 4 Total • Florida 7 34 14 0 55 Vanderbilt 0 0 7 7 14 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 11:21 a.m. Game attendance: 33,848 Television network: SECN

Kentucky

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 3 10 0 7 20 • Kentucky 3 7 14 14 38 Location: Lexington, KY Television network: SECN

Tennessee

1 2 3 4 Total • Tennessee 7 7 0 10 24 Vanderbilt 0 3 0 7 10 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Television network: CSS

Wake Forest

1 2 3 4 Total • Wake Forest 10 14 3 7 34 Vanderbilt 3 3 0 7 13 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Television network: SECN

See also

• 2010 Southeastern Conference football season
• 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
• 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

References

Vanderbilt Commodores football Venues Curry Field (1892–1921) Vanderbilt Stadium (1922–present) Bowls & rivalries Bowl games Georgia Kentucky Ole Miss Sewanee Tennessee Culture & lore Mr. C "Dynamite" Spirit of Gold Marching Band 1906 Carlisle vs. Vanderbilt football game 1910 Vanderbilt vs. Yale football game 1922 Michigan vs. Vanderbilt football game People Head coaches Starting quarterbacks All-Americans All-Southerns NFL draftees Statistical leaders William Lofland Dudley Seasons 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 National championship seasons in bold