South Carolina Gamecocks continue to dominate Vandy Commodores, 37-14

Nashville – For the 17^th time in 19 years of SEC play and for the tenth straight game, the USC Gamecocks defeated Vandy, this time  by a score of 37-14,  in what was expected to be a more closely contested game.  After a five-point loss on the road at Notre Dame, Vandy trailed SC at halftime but kept it close down, 20-14.  A balanced rushing and passing attack by the Cocks along with a solid defense allowed them to increase their lead to 30-14 with 4:34 left in the third before officials suspended play due to a threatening storm system tracking over Vanderbilt Stadium.

For Collegefootballfan.com, this SEC East contest marked our first game ever at Vandy’s home field, and the suspended play was the first ever in our 566-game history. The game resumed about an hour later.  The Gamecocks continued to dominate defensively, but their two fumbles terminated drives at the Vandy two and at the 25 before the final TD by Tyson Williams with 2:04 remaining punctuated the 37-14 win for Carolina.

Fast Start!

South Carolina covered 75 yards in less than one minute on the opening drive for their first score when Jake Bentley fired a 38-yard pass to Shi Smith (5 catches for 119 yards, 1 TD). The Cocks put up three more on their next possession with Parker White’s 33-yard FG.  An INT by DB Rashad Fenton halted a Vandy drive on the Carolina 18.

 Pick for a pick

In the second period, the Commodores’ DE Dare Odeyingbo returned the favor with a pick of his own putting the ball in play for Vandy at SC’s 23.  VU converted on a fourth and one at the 14 on Kyle Shurmur’s QB sneak.  Ke’Shawn Vaughn followed up with a TD run over right tackle at the three to cut the Gamecock lead.  Rico Dowdle returned the ensuing kick out to the 35-yard line.  Bentley’s 52-yard pass to Smith put his team at the VU two where Dowdle finished the drive he started with a two-yard run for another score.

The Commodores countered with a75-yard drive ending with a diving catch near the sideline in the end zone by WR Kalija Lipscomb. The play went under review where the thought was that his butt landed out of bounds before his foot did while he had control.  The play stood to cut Carolina’s lead to three. However, on the last play of the first half, White made good on his 35-yard FG to give the Cocks a 20-14 lead.

And the thunder roared…

To start the second half, SC forced a punt and drove to the 19 where White converted a 36-yarder.  Dark clouds loomed nearby at the time and the weather system map appeared on the stadium’s big screen.  Shurmur (son of the NY Giants new HC) got sacked, fumbled, and Carolina recovered at Vandy’s six.  Mon Denson took it over from one-yard out to go up, 30-14.  Vandy started from the 24 after the subsequent kickoff.  However, the announcement came over the public address system that play needed to be suspended and that all should seek shelter.  The announcer directed everyone to get under the stadium bleachers, or to go into the adjacent gym, or head back to their vehicles for adequate cover.

And the Lightning struck!

The gym was directly behind section S where I had negotiated for a seat right on the 50-yard line.  The rain began slowly.  The entry into the building was stifling and muggy. The AC had not yet been turned on throughout the building.  Attendants directed me and others to the farthest reaches of a practice gym where the AC had already powered up.  I seated myself against a padded wall when a few hundred other fans joined into the comfortable air conditioning.  We waited it out.   I checked out the latest scores on my cell and got live reports from fellow fans at games around the country.

After lightning and thunder passed through the immediate area, we were invited back into Vanderbilt Stadium where play would resume at 6:08.  I appreciated the fact that this wasn’t a long drawn out suspension similar to Penn State – Michigan State a year ago.  I didn’t think this one would be worth the wait, but I felt obligated to stay the entire game to be sure this one “officially“ counted for Collegefootballfan.com.

Most of the crowd dispersed since the suspension had started.  More SC fans than Vandy fans remained.  Instead of resuming a position at my seat on the visitor side of the stadium where I originally sat, I decided to roam from portal to portal checking out various vision lines while staying as dry as possible. The best view came on the end zone where I could see all the replays on the scoreboard opposite from me.  I’ve had enough rain already this early in the season.

Gamecocks stopped themselves

SC drove to the two where Dowdle fumbled the ball away.  The Commodores could not sustain any long drives against the Gamecock defense at this point.  Carolina drove again, but turned the ball over again on the ground where Vandy took over on its 25.  Late in the game with 2:04 left, Williams sealed the score with his TD to retain Gamecock dominance over Vandy with its 17th SEC victory over the home team in 19 years.

  

Same old Vandy, Same old SEC

Vandy played like the Vandy everybody who follows college football expects them to play.  Very unimpressed. SC looked to right itself after its big loss to Georgia two weeks ago and after its cancellation of the previous game versus Marshall.  Basically, things remain status quo in the SEC. Alabama sits at the top, Vandy dwells at the bottom, and everybody else shuffles around in between.

 Next!

USC (2-1, 1-1 SEC) takes on Kentucky in Lexington to try to end its four-game losing streak to the Wildcats (4-0, 2-0).  Vandy hosts its next-door neighbor, FCS Tennessee State (2-0) of the Ohio Valley Conference.  We at CFF.com gear up for another two-game weekend.  All four teams are undefeated.  Friday night, we cross the George Washington Bridge into upper Manhattan to see the awakened Columbia Lions (2-0) under HC Al Bagnoli host the 2-0 Princeton Tigers in their traditional Ivy League opener.  CU posted wins over Central Connecticut and Georgetown.  PU has already outscored its two non-conference opponents, Butler and Monmouth, 101-16.

On Saturday, it’s the best we got all season.  No. 9 Penn State (4-0, 1-0) hosts No. 4 Ohio State (4-0, 1-0) in a White-out at Beaver stadium at 7:30 pm.  The Lions have started slowly in its last three wins and won big.  They most likely can’t do that against Ohio State. They’ll have to get off to a better start defensively to upend the Buckeyes with Urban Meyer back on the sideline.  We’ve been looking forward to this one since the beginning.  It’s finally here!

Extra points:

Enjoyed Nashville as always. Some new places along with the old.  Friend of friends, Randy McCallister, introduced me to the Stillery, nice eatery right next to the good old Benchmark.  Honky-tonked around Broadway most of Friday afternoon to enjoy the sights and sounds coming from all over.

Before the game on Saturday, I parked a few blocks from the stadium for probably too much money (I made up for that with my 50-yard line seat price though). However right around the corner I found a bar called The Local.  Turned out to be a Gamecock pre-game party headquarters. Sat at the bar and watched other games, good food, and drink and a band. Being an SC Dad and thus financial out-of-state contributor, I regretted not wearing my Gamecock tailgate cap in honor of my daughter, the proud USC graduate.  I’ll plan better next time.

Heard a rumor at the Benchmark that the cancelled game South Carolina had with Marshall may be made up with West Virginia whose game with NC State also got nixed.  Both have an open date on October 20, but WVU hosts Baylor the following Thursday.  Unless the TV powers are willing to slide that one back to Saturday, I don’t see that happening. I also don’t believe South Carolina will want to take on that good a non-conference game that late in the season.  I’ll believe it when I see it.

Too bad if they don’t put this one together though.  There were a few good upsets this weekend and a few close games. However, if you check out all the scores,  the vast majority resulted in blow-outs.  Call them mismatches, creative scheduling, teams with off years, there are just too many lop-sided games this year.  They are all on TV, too.  I think and eight game playoff withe five (maybe six) automatic conference winners would entice some more games between better non-conference competition.  Wins in those kinds of game could get the winners one of the remaining at-large bids.

The result of this week’s game gave the Gamecocks a 9-3 record in the annals of our history.  Vandy fell to 1-2. I can say that though this was my first game at Vanderbilt Stadium, I’ve been to Nashville for four other football games. All of them were at Nissan Stadium, however, for four Music City Bowls.  I love Nashville!