September 19, 2004

Same "Ole" Story

Going into the season, expectations were running high for the Vanderbilt Commodores. With 21 of 22 starters from last year returning and head coach Bobby Johnson building up a veritable buzz about Vandy as a potential sleeper in the SEC, visions of a winning season and a possible bowl bid were dancing in the heads of the Vanderbilt faithful. (One local talk show host even went so far to proclaim he was confident the Commodores would get to a bowl game this year, that if they didn't, he'd shave his head).

But two games into the season and it looks more and more like it's a new year, but the same Vanderbilt.

After losing to South Carolina to open the season, the Commodores had a week off to work out their kinks and get ready for an Ole Miss Rebels team that struggled against the Alabama Crimson Tide the week before.

Two teams with their backs to the wall, each desparately looking for a win early in the season.

For a long time, it appeared that Vandy might get the monkey of its back. For three quarters, Vanderbilt held the Ole Miss offense to just ten points. The Commodores were in a rare position--holding the lead in a game as it entered the fourth quarter.

But just as quickly as Vanderbilt built up their lead, the old demons came back to haunt them. Ole Miss scored 16 unanswered points in the final quarter and first overtime period to win the game Saturday 26-23 (OT). With the loss, Vanderbilt's road woes continued--they've not been successful on the road in the last 14 tries.

The game was hauntingly familiar to the Vanderbilt faithful. Vandy lost last year's game to Ole Miss in Nashville. Ole Miss kicked a field goal to end the game and esacpe with a win. This time around, Ole Miss kicked a two field goals--one to send the game to OT and another to win it, to escape with a win.

The real issue isn't if Vandy is improved or not. The real issue is that Vanderbilt has yet to learn how to close out and win a game. The game against Ole Miss is just the latest example. Vandy was playing a good enough game against the Rebels to possibly win the game. However, in the fourth quarter, the team went into a bit of a meltdown, allowing Ole Miss to come back and tie the game.

In overtime, Vandy went backwards five yards on an offsides penalty. That was the only time the ball moved for the Commodores. In the OT period, Vandy went on offense first, throwing four incomplete passes. On the one hand, you have to admire Bobby Johnson's willingless to gamble in overtime. On the other hand, you're left scratching your head wondering why they didn't kick the field goald and try for a second OT to try and get that win.

Vanderbilt hasn't learned how to win yet. Ole Miss , at least, returns enough players from the Eli years that know how to win.

And that was the difference in the ball game.

Posted by Michael Hickerson

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Comments & Trackbacks

1. Justin says:

   posted on September 19, 2004 11:01 PM — link

   Hey, whenever LSU wins, someone on this website always posts about how great LSU is and blah blah. They loose and NO ONE writes about LSU losing? Come on. Give those of us who hate LSU with a passion a reason to come back to the site. Of course, based on past articles after they play, I'm assuming it will be filled with all kinds of excuses anyway and not filled with the fact that they just plain GOT BEAT!

2. Justin says:

   posted on September 19, 2004 11:04 PM — link

   I apologize. I completely missed the article. I have to say it was a nice article. Very objective. Keep up the good job guys! :)

3. From Signifying Nothing

   pinged on Sep 19, 2004 11:16 PM

   I made the decision last night not to bother going up to Oxford for the game—the idea of driving five hours and using $20 of gas to watch a three-hour game I could watch on TiVo-delay in the comfort of...

4. dave says:

   posted on September 20, 2004 09:24 AM — link

   I dug through the archives here looking for articles about "how great LSU is and blah blah" that come out "whenever LSU wins". Didn't come up with much.

   By the criteria given, there would be 13 such posts from last year and 2 from this year. I found a total of 3 articles that arguably met the criteria. I also found at least as many articles that were critical of LSU or skeptical about LSU's prospects for winning various games as the 2003 season moved along.

   Given that LSU, like, won the SEC and National championships last season, and that they really were "great and blah blah", I'm not inclined to consider 3 positive articles overkill.