Final Thoughts From Vanderbilt
It's time for Georgia-Florida, but before we get to that classic rivalry, here's a look back at our weekend in Vanderbilt.
- Saturday's sloppy effort by Vanderbilt was disappointing. The team was coming off one of the biggest wins in program history, and it was Homecoming for VU. Yet the Commodores played maybe their worst game of the year. I know Vanderbilt is a better team than what we saw on Saturday. The turnovers hurt, and I think Coach Bobby Johnson expects more from his team.
- As each week goes by, it becomes more and more clear that special teams can decide games. South Carolina stole some momentum with a 55 yard field goal early in the game. Vanderbilt missed one field goal in Saturday's 31-13 loss, and poor punting hurt Vanderbilt in the field position battle. Looking back at Auburn-UF, a punt block was the difference in that game, and Tennessee blocked a punt and returned one for a touchdown three Saturdays ago in its win at Georgia.
- South Carolina RB Cory Boyd may not be a spectacular running back, but he is solid and dependable. He'll give you a good yards per carry, and he is becoming a work horse.
- To understand why Vanderbilt hasn't produced a successful football program, you have to understand the way that the Athletic Department is set up there.
"We're the only fully integrated Division 1A Athletic Department," Vanderbilt Chancellor Gordon Gee said. "By that I mean we do not have an Athletic Director, we do not have an Athletic Department. We have an Athletic Program, which is part of our student programming here, just the same way that theatre, or debate, or any other thing is.
"The reason for that is the fact that we do not want to have a separate or segregated relationship with our student athletes. We want to make sure that they succeed in life, in the classroom, and as athletes."
That's a very admirable approach to athletics, one that no other 1A school in the nation has taken. There is, however, an obvious negative to that. Football and sports in general, in my opinion, are not just about athletes going out and competing to win games. It's about pride, passion, and bringing different people together to share the same experience. Sports can define and unite communities. The Nashville community does not seem to unite around Vanderbilt football the same way that, for example, the Gainesville community unites around UF.
I am not, by any means, criticizing Vanderbilt. In fact, I applaud the school for realizing that academics are more important than athletics. I am, however, pointing out that the spirit and passion for SEC football is not nearly as tangible at Vanderbilt as it has been at other SEC universities. But Vandy seems perfectly content to focus on the classroom, rather than the football field. Unfortunately, no other schools seem to do that, and it puts Vanderbilt athletics at a major disadvantage.
