Vanderbilt Bowling in Music City
After a long successful season where HC James Franklin and his Vanderbilt Commodores set records and finished on a 6 game win streak, the Dores are spending their postseason at home in the Music City Bowl where they are lined to play the Wolfpack of North Carolina St.
Both teams are going into the Music City Bowl on two different paths. The Dores are riding high after winning 7 out of their last 8 games and finishing with 5 SEC wins for the 1st time in 30 years.
The Wolfpack are coming off a bit a dissapointing year. They were expected to contend for the ACC title but after going 7-5 on the year the powers that be decided to make a change a Head Coach. Tom O’Brien was let go at the conclusion of the season in what some people thought was a bit of a surprise.
Off. Cord Dana Bible is scheduled to coach the Wolfpack for their game against Vanderbilt. Ath. Director Debbie Yow just recently hired Dave Doeren from Northern Illinois as their new head football coach.
This will be Vanderbilt’s second appearance in the Music City Bowl within the past 5 years. In 2008 the Dores defeated Boston College 16-14 and finished their year with a winning record for the 1st time in 20 plus years.
The Dores are led by a balanced offense. Sr RB Zac Stacy is the school’s all time leader in rushing yards while Jr WR Jordan Matthews is the single season leader in receiving. Both players earned All-SEC honors on Monday where Matthews was named to the 1st team while Stacy was named to the 2nd team.
Defensively, Vanderbilt finished in the top 20 nationally in total defense. The Dores have expierence and youth all across the defense and have players worthy of all conference honors.
CB Andre Hal was named to the All-SEC 2nd team on Monday and led the Commdores in Int’s at 4. Him along with CB Trey Wilson give the Dores a lockdown secondary that ended the year as one of the best pass defenses in the country.
The Wolfpack in their own right are coming into Nashville on Dec. 31st with highly talented players themselves. QB Mike Glennon is a big armed gunslinger that many NFL Draft experts expect to be a highly drafted player. Glennon’s main target is WR Quinton Payton. His length and route running could be hard handle for the Dores.
On defense North Carolina St. sports one of the best cover corners in the country. Going into the 2012 football season, CB David Amerson was considered one of the best CB’s in the nation and he certainly lived up to those lofty expectations.
This will be the 1st time both Vanderbilt and North Carolina St will meet against each other in a bowl game. This will also be the first appearance in the Music City Bowl for the Wolfpack.
Both teams are full of talented football players and neither team may have many advantages over the other. This will be the ACC vs SEC. It will be a good measuring stick for both schools to exactly see where each programs are headed in the near future.
New Year’s Eve in Nashville should be a rocking affair with the Dores and Wolfpack battling it out to see who comes out of LP Field as the Music City bowl champs.
Chris Smith/SECXoFan.com/VandyInsider.com
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