2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

The 2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2008–09 college football season. The team's head coach was Bobby Johnson, who served his seventh season in the position. The Commodores played their six home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee.

2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football
Music City Bowl champion
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Record7–6 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTed Cain (7th season)
Defensive coordinatorBruce Fowler (7th season)
Captains
Home stadiumVanderbilt Stadium
(Capacity: 39,773)
2008 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Eastern Division
No. 1 Florida x$#  7 –1   13 –1  
No. 13 Georgia  6 –2   10 –3  
Vanderbilt  4 –4   7 –6  
South Carolina  4 –4   7 –6  
Tennessee  3 –5   5 –7  
Kentucky  2 –6   7 –6  
Western Division
No. 6 Alabama x%  8 –0   12 –2  
No. 14 Ole Miss  5 –3   9 –4  
LSU  3 –5   8 –5  
Arkansas  2 –6   5 –7  
Auburn  2 –6   5 –7  
Mississippi State  2 –6   4 –8  
Championship: Florida 31, Alabama 20
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

This was Vanderbilt's first 5–0 start since 1943 and first bowl appearance since 1982, ending a streak of 25 straight losing seasons.

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 286:30 p.m.at Miami (OH)*
ESPNUW 34–1318,398
September 47:30 p.m.No. 24 South Carolina
ESPNW 24–1736,850
September 136:00 p.m.Rice*
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
W 38–2137,370
September 206:00 p.m.at Ole Miss
W 23–1751,281
October 45:00 p.m.No. 13 AuburnNo. 19
ESPNW 14–1339,773
October 111:30 p.m.at Mississippi StateNo. 13
PPVL 14–1743,619
October 1811:30 a.m.at No. 10 GeorgiaNo. 22
RaycomL 14–2492,746
October 252:00 p.m.Duke*dagger
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
L 7–1038,270
November 87:00 p.m.No. 4 Florida
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
ESPN2L 14–4239,773
November 157:00 p.m.at Kentucky
ESPN2W 31–2465,595
November 2211:30 a.m.Tennessee
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN (rivalry)
RaycomL 10–2038,725
November 296:00 p.m.at Wake Forest*
ESPNUL 10–2325,902
December 312:30 p.m.vs. Boston College*
ESPNW 16–1454,250
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released week prior to game
  • All times are in Central time

Season summary

Following a 4–0 start to the season, the Vanderbilt Commodores were ranked for the first time on the AP Poll since 1984.[1] Following the victory over Auburn, the Commodores were 5–0 for the first time since 1943.[2] After the good start, the Commodores would lose their next four games before a 31-24 victory over Kentucky that declared them bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. Vandy would then lose their final two games of the regular season. They ended the season by going to the Music City Bowl where they defeated Boston College by a score of 16-14, ending a 53-year bowl victory drought.

Game summaries

Miami (OH)
1 2 3 4 Total
Commodores 17 10 0 7 34
RedHawks 3 7 3 0 13

South Carolina
1 2 3 4 Total
Gamecocks 7 3 0 7 17
Commodores 0 3 14 7 24

Rice
1 2 3 4 Total
Owls 14 7 0 0 21
Commodores 7 14 10 7 38

Ole Miss
1 2 3 4 Total
Commodores 14 3 0 6 23
Rebels 17 0 0 0 17

Auburn
1 2 3 4 Total
Tigers 13 0 0 0 13
Commodores 0 7 7 0 14

ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Vanderbilt's campus prior to the Auburn game.

Mississippi State
1 2 3 4 Total
Commodores 0 7 0 7 14
Bulldogs 3 0 7 7 17

Georgia
1 2 3 4 Total
Commodores 0 7 7 0 14
Bulldogs 7 7 7 3 24

Duke
1 2 3 4 Total
Blue Devils 0 7 3 0 10
Commodores 0 0 0 7 7

Florida
1 2 3 4 Total
Gators 21 14 7 0 42
Commodores 0 0 7 7 14

Kentucky
1 2 3 4 Total
Commodores 14 10 0 7 31
Wildcats 0 7 10 7 24

Tennessee
1 2 3 4 Total
Volunteers 0 20 0 0 20
Commodores 0 0 10 0 10

Wake Forest
1 2 3 4 Total
Commodores 3 0 0 7 10
Demon Deacons 3 7 7 6 23

Boston College
Main article: 2008 Music City Bowl
1 2 3 4 Total
Eagles 0 7 0 7 14
Commodores 6 0 7 3 16

Coaching staff
  • Bobby Johnson – Head coach
  • Ted Cain – Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach
  • Bruce Fowler – Defensive coordinator
  • Robbie Caldwell – Assistant head coach/offensive line coach
  • Rick Logo – Defensive line coach
  • Warren Belin – Linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator
  • Jamie Bryant – Defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator
  • Charlie Fisher – Co-passing game coordinator & wide receivers
  • Jacob DeLucia – Co-passing game coordinator & quarterbacks
  • Desmond Kitchings – Running backs coach
  • Michael Hazel – Assistant director of football operations
  • Joey Orck – Offensive quality control
  • Andy Frank – Defensive quality control
  • Norval McKenzie – Offensive graduate assistant
  • Mark Moehring – Defensive graduate assistant
  • Tom Bossung – Head athletic trainer
  • Brian Reese – Associate director of student athletics
  • John Sisk – Director of speed, strength and conditioning
  • Luke Wyatt – Head equipment manager
  • Gary Veach – Assistant equipment manager

References
  1. "Auburn's offense looks to get on track against upstart Vandy". ESPN. October 4, 2008. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
  2. "Vandy is officially dandy: Commodores upset Auburn; Alabama holds off Kentucky". Associated Press. October 5, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2008.
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