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2009 Vanderbilt College Football Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

vandy 72909 2008 was a special season for the Vanderbilt Commodores. It won its first five games of the year, and then capped things off with a 16-14 win over Boston College in the Music City Bowl for its first winning season in more than two decades. With 17 starters back, can the Commodores make it back-to-back winning campaigns? Get my thoughts in this 2009 college football betting preview. Vanderbilt is listed at +10,000 to win the SEC.

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Offense – Vanderbilt’s offense was not responsible for its success in 2008. The Commodores scored just 19.2 points per game (105th nationally) and ranked 117th out of 119 FBS teams in total offense by averaging just 256.2 yards per game. The coaching staff has played with the idea of implementing a no-huddle attack to try to improve the team’s offensive production and that appears to be the way they’ll go to start the season. Quarterback Larry Smith and Mackenzi Adams will duel for the starting nod. The senior, Adams, has more experience and threw for 882 yards and five touchdowns last season. But the sophomore, Smith, could emerge as the guy. He’s familiar with the no-huddle offense because he ran a similar scheme in high school. The running game was led by Jared Hawkins a season ago. He rushed for a team-high 593 yards and four scores while averaging 4.3 yards per carry. While he is a solid every down player, the Dores could use a game-breaker at the running back position as well. One of the team’s three three-star running back signees could provide that threat. The wide receiver corps looks pretty thin after losing two of last year’s starters to graduation and the third to a torn ACL this spring. UConn transfer Terence Jeffers is expected to be the new no. 1 target. The offensive line is stacked with experience with seven players returning who started at least five games last season, but it’s safe to say that these guys are not the conference’s elite.

Defense – The Dores return nine starters from a defensive unit which ranked 21st nationally in scoring defense and 30th in total defense. The defensive front was solid last season and will remain that way as all four starters (Steven Stone, Greg Billinger, Adam Smotherman, and Broderick Stewart) are back. Vandy’s linebacker corps is top notch, led by returning starters Chris Marve and Patrick Benoist. Benoist was a 2nd-Team All-SEC pick in 2008 following a 109-tackle campaign and Marve really impressed the coaching staff in his first season as a starter. Expect Marve to earn all-league accolades this season. Vandy boasts some quality players in the defensive backfield but depth is one concern the coaching staff has expressed. They are big on 6′3” senior cornerback Myron Lewis, who came away with five interceptions a year ago.

Prediction: 4th SEC East – The Commodores may come up short of a second straight winning season. The schedule is tough and a poor offense must master a new scheme. But the defense should remain strong and that will keep Vandy competitive. It may not result in another bowl, but 2009 should be another exciting year to be a Vandy fan. Vanderbilt is listed at +5,000 to win the SEC East Division at BetUS.

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