2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

{{{year}}} [[{{{team}}} football]]

2011 Southeastern Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 19 Georgia x		7	–	1					10	–	4
No. 9 South Carolina		6	–	2					11	–	2
Florida		3	–	5					7	–	6
Vanderbilt		2	–	6					6	–	7
Kentucky		2	–	6					5	–	7
Tennessee		1	–	7					5	–	7
Western Division
No. 2 LSU x$		8	–	0					13	–	1
No. 1 Alabama  %#		7	–	1					12	–	1
No. 5 Arkansas		6	–	2					11	–	2
Auburn		4	–	4					8	–	5
Mississippi State		2	–	6					7	–	6
Ole Miss*		0	–	8					2	–	10
Championship: LSU 42, Georgia 10
# – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions * Ole Miss vacated all wins due to NCAA violations. Rankings from AP Poll

The 2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team will represent Vanderbilt University during the 2011 college football season. The team's head coach is James Franklin , who is in his first year at Vanderbilt; he was previously the Offensive Coordinator and Head Coach in Waiting at the University of Maryland, and was hired at Vanderbilt on December 17, 2010. 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 will play their seven home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee, which has been Vanderbilt football's home stadium since 1922.

Before the season

Coaching changes

At the end of the 2010 season, Head Coach Robbie Caldwell resigned from Vanderbilt. After a long nationwide coaching search, in which Auburn Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn nearly accepted the job, James Franklin was hired as the 27th Head Football at Vanderbilt University. Franklin proceeded to hire John Donovan as the new Offensive Coordinator and Bob Shoop as the new Defensive Coordinator. Franklin also retained offensive line coach Herb Hand from the previous staff, and hired Chris Beatty from West Virginia, who had been Percy Harvin's high school coach, as the new Wide Receivers Coach.

Recruiting

On February 2, 2011, Head Coach James Franklin announced a football recruiting class of 21 athletes. The class has been hailed as one of the best in Vanderbilt football history, especially because Vanderbilt was able to persuade several prospects from larger and nationally known schools, such as Lafonte Thourogood from Virginia Tech, Dillon Van der Waal and Jacquese Kirk from Arkansas, and Barron Dixon from Mississippi State. Lafonte Thourogood and Dillon van der Waal were both rated as four star recruits by Scout.com.

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Years at VU
James Franklin	Head Coach	0
John Donovan	Offensive Coordinator / Running Backs Coach	0
Bob Shoop	Defensive Coordinator / Safeties Coach	0
Charles Bankins	Special Teams Coordinator / Tight Ends Coach	0
Chris Beatty	Wide Receivers Coach	0
Herb Hand	Offensive Line Coach	2
Wesley McGriff	Defensive Backs Coach	0
Ricky Rahne	Quarterbacks Coach	0
Brent Pry	Co-Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers Coach	0
Sean Spencer	Defensive Line Coach	0
Andy Frank	Assistant Director of Football Operations	2
Jemal Griffin	Football Chief of Staff	0
Ricky Rahne	Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks Coach	0
Michael Hazel	Director of Football Operations	2
Norval McKenzie	Assistant Recruiting Coordinator	2
Joey Orck	Offensive Graduate Assistant	2
Tom Bossung	Head Athletic Trainer	12
Kevin Colon	Associate Director of Student Athletics	0
Dwight Galt	Football Strength and Conditioning Director	0
Chuck Losey	Football Assistant Strength Coach	0
Kevin Threlkel	Offensive Administrative Assistant	0
Luke Wyatt	Head Equipment Manager	28

Schedule

September 36:30 p.m.Elon*

• Vanderbilt Stadium
• Nashville, TN

CSSW 45–14 27,599 September 106:30 p.m.Connecticut*

• Vanderbilt Stadium
• Nashville, TN

CSSW 24–21 32,119 September 1711:21 a.m.Ole Miss

• Vanderbilt Stadium
• Nashville, TN (Rivalry)

SEC NetworkW 30–7 34,579 September 246:00 p.m.at South Carolina

• Williams-Brice Stadium
• Columbia, SC

ESPN2   October 8at Alabama

• Bryant-Denny Stadium
• Tuscaloosa, AL

  October 15Georgia

• Vanderbilt Stadium
• Nashville, TN

  October 22Army*

• Vanderbilt Stadium
• Nashville, TN

  October 29Arkansas

• Vanderbilt Stadium
• Nashville, TN

  November 5at Florida

• Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
• Gainesville, FL

  November 12Kentucky

• Vanderbilt Stadium
• Nashville, TN

  November 19at Tennessee

• Neyland Stadium
• Knoxville, TN

  November 26at Wake Forest*

• BB&T Field
• Winston-Salem, NC

 

Game Notes

Elon

See also: 2011 Elon Phoenix football team

This game marked the first meeting between these schools.

1 2 3 4 Total Elon 0 7 7 0 14 • Vanderbilt 7 14 3 21 45 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 6:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:00 Game attendance: 27,599 Game weather: 97, Partly Cloudy Referee: Mike Austin Television network: CSS

Connecticut

See also: 2011 Connecticut Huskies football team

This was the third meeting between these schools. Vandy holds a one-game lead in the series at 2 wins to 1 loss.

1 2 3 4 Total Connecticut 3 0 10 8 21 • Vanderbilt 14 0 0 10 24 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 6:30 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:11 Game attendance: 32,119 Game weather: 80, Scattered Clouds Referee: John McDaid Television network: CSS

Mississippi

See also: 2011 Ole Miss Rebels football team

One of college football's oldest rivalries, Vanderbilt and Old Miss have played 85 times since 1894. Vandy won the first 19 of those games, and Ole Miss did not score in the first ten games. Vandy trails the all-time series at 36-47-2, but Vandy won previous meeting 28-14.

1 2 3 4 Total Mississippi 0 0 0 7 7 • Vanderbilt 0 21 9 0 30 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 11:21 a.m. Elapsed time: 3:21 Game attendance: 34,579 Game weather: 69, Partly Cloudy Referee: Hubert Owens TV announcers (SEC Network): Dave Neal (play-by-play),Andre Ware (color), Cara Capuano (sideline)

South Carolina

See also: 2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

Vandy first played USC in 1961, but they did not play each other again until 1992. They have played each year since, with Vandy losing the first seven games. Vandy trails the overall series 4-16, and USC has won the last two games. The score of the most recent game was 7-21 in favor of South Carolina.

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 #12 South Carolina 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Columbia, South Carolina Game start: 7:00 p.m. TV announcers (ESPN2): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Ed Cunningham (color)

Alabama

See also: 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Vandy has played Alabama 78 times since 1903. Vandy won the first five games, but have only won ten more times since. Vandy trails the all-time series 15-59-4. Alabama has won the last 20 games (the 1993 games was forfeited). They last played in 2007, with the result a 10-24 Alabama win.

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Alabama 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Georgia

See also: 2011 Georgia Bulldogs football team

Vandy has been playing Georgia almost every year since 1893. Vandy trails 18-51-2 all-time. Georgia has won the last three games, and the last game was 10-34 Georgia.

1 2 3 4 Total Georgia 0 0 0 0 0 Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Army

See also: 2011 Army Black Knights football team

Army and Vandy have played eight games since 1968. The series is tied at 4 games each. In 2009, Army won their last meeting in overtime, 13-16.

1 2 3 4 Total Army 0 0 0 0 0 Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Arkansas

See also: 2011 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

Vandy has played Arkansas eight times since 1949. Vandy trails the series 2-6, and Arkansas has won the last two last games. The last game was an Arkansas win, 14-49.

1 2 3 4 Total Arkansas 0 0 0 0 0 Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Florida

See also: 2011 Florida Gators football team

Vandy and Florida have been playing since 1945. Vandy trails 9-33-2, and Vandy has lost the last 20 games. In their last meeting, Florida won 14-55.

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Florida 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Gainesville, Florida

Kentucky

See also: 2011 Kentucky Wildcats football team

Vandy and Kentucky have played 83 times since 1896. Vandy won the first nine games, and Kentucky did not score on Vandy for the first eleven games. Vandy trails 38-41-4, and Kentucky has won the last two games. The last game was a 20-38 Kentucky victory.

1 2 3 4 Total Kentucky 0 0 0 0 0 Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee

See also: 2011 Tennessee Volunteers football team

Vandy and Tennessee have played 105 times. Vandy did not lose for the first 12 games, but since 1928 UT has dominated the series. Overall, Vandy trails 28-72-5. Tennesse has won the last five games in the series, and the last game was a 10-24 Tennessee win.

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Tennessee 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

Wake Forest

See also: 2011 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

Vandy and Wake Forest have played 13 times since 1964, and this is the only series in which Vandy plays during the 2011 football season that Vandy holds the all-time lead in, at 7-6-0. Wake, however, has won the last three. The last game was a 13-34 Wake Forest win.

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 Wake Forest 0 0 0 0 0 Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina