Sept. 19, 2009
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Sept. 19, 2009
Vanderbilt Game Notes
September 19, 2009
Opponent: Mississippi State Bulldogs
Attendance: 31,840
Mississippi State 15, Vanderbilt 3
- With the loss, Vanderbilt falls to 1-2 on the season, 0-2 in SEC play.
- Mississippi State moves to 2-1 on the season, 1-1 in SEC play.
Team Superlatives:
- Vanderbilt's defense excelled tonight, only allowing Mississippi State into the red zone once.
- Vanderbilt's defense held the Bulldogs to two third down conversions out of 15 attempts.
- Vanderbilt's defense rebounded in the third quarter from a fumbled punt return on their own 26-yard line to push back Mississippi State's offense and held the Bulldogs to a 49-yard field goal.
Individual Superlatives:
- Brett Upson had 65 and 61 yard punts, accounting for the 2nd and 3rd longest punts in his career. He finished with a career-high 11 punts for a 43.0 yard average.
- Warren Norman finished with 150 yards on five kick returns, including a team season best of 41 yards.
- Chris Marve had 15 tackles, one shy of his career high set against Duke a year ago.
- Patrick Benoist ended with 13 tackles, tying the second best total of his career. He had 15 against South Carolina last year.
- Sean Richardson had 10 tackles on the night, including two for loss. It is his second straight game with 10 tackles.
- John Cole had a season-high in receptions with three (for 32 yards). Cole had two catches on the season previous to tonight's game.
- Larry Smith surpassed his career passing attempts, going 12-for-32 on the night.
First Half:
- Casey Hayward leads the league in tackles for loss, recording his fifth at the 9:46 mark, consequently putting the Bulldogs at 3rd and long.
- Brett Upson punting above his season average of 34.6 yards, averaging 46.8 through the first half
- Brett Upson kicked four punts inside the 20, doubling his season total in the first half.
- Brett Upson's 65-yard punt is second best for Upson's career.
- Tim Fugger's fumble recovery at the 13:01 mark in the second quarter was his first of the season, Vanderbilt's sixth forced fumble of the season. The turnover resulted in Vanderbilt's first score of the game, a 20-yard field goal by Ryan Fowler.
- Mississippi State had 27 rushing attempts to Vanderbilt's 12.
- Vanderbilt ended the half with sacks by Brent Trice and T.J. Greenstone, respectively, for a total of 9 yards thus resulting in moving Mississippi State out of field goal range.
- Vanderbilt's offense struggled in the first half, only gaining 10 yards. Vanderbilt only achieved one first down, which came in the first drive of the game.
- Brett Upson shined for the defense, punting his second and third career-long punts and dropping four punts within the 20-yard line.
Second Half:
- It only took three plays into the second half for Vanderbilt to get their second first down of the game.
- Jamie Graham had back-to-back defensive gems, breaking up a potential touchdown pass at the 8:56 mark, and tackling for loss with Chris Marve, resulting in a 4th and 10 for Mississippi State on the Vanderbilt 42-yard line.
- Junior wide receiver Turner Wimberly had the first reception of his career, an 11-yard catch for Vanderbilt's fourth first down of the game.
- Sean Richardson continued his defensive prowess, recording his second tackle for loss at the 8:01 mark in the third quarter.
- Alex Washington's 29-yard reception at the 12:53 mark of the fourth quarter was the longest of the game for the Commodores. The catch was also Washington's season-high.
- Warren Norman's 41-yard kickoff return at the 3:20 mark of the fourth quarter is the longest of the season for the Commodores.
