Vanderbilt 24, South Carolina 17

[wilson]

With less than 2:00 remaining in the game, Vandy leads 24-17, with the ball. They haven't beaten a ranked team since '92. Personally, I always root for Vandy (in non-Duke related situations, of course), because I see them as kindred souls (though if you put them in the ACC, I'm convinced this team would win 8 games). Here's hoping the Commodores (also a nickname I really like) pull this one out.

[CameronBornAndBred]

With less than 2:00 remaining in the game, Vandy leads 24-17, with the ball. They haven't beaten a ranked team since '92. Personally, I always root for Vandy (in non-Duke related situations, of course), because I see them as kindred souls (though if you put them in the ACC, I'm convinced this team would win 8 games). Here's hoping the Commodores (also a nickname I really like) pull this one out.

Yup, gotta pull for the commodores. This makes State look even worse IMO. 21-0 run...that hurts.

[devilirium]

They look like a pretty good football team. I suspected as much before tonite. We had all kinds of problems with Nickson when they came over here a few years ago.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

With less than 2:00 remaining in the game, Vandy leads 24-17, with the ball. They haven't beaten a ranked team since '92. Personally, I always root for Vandy (in non-Duke related situations, of course), because I see them as kindred souls (though if you put them in the ACC, I'm convinced this team would win 8 games). Here's hoping the Commodores (also a nickname I really like) pull this one out.

Haven't beaten a ranked team at home since '92. We beat Spurrier last year in Columbia when they were ranked 6th, and I think Georgia was ranked the year before that when we won in Athens.

Such a great win tonight. I was really prepared to have my heart broken again after USC scored that last TD. The defense held on this time and Hawkins grabbed a 1st down when we needed it.

I'm ecstatic. Go Dores!

[Uncle Drew]

Yup, gotta pull for the commodores. This makes State look even worse IMO. 21-0 run...that hurts.

Yeah CB&B, it makes State look worse, but it also makes the ACC look worse and the SEC look that much better. I will say Vandy being the quality institution it is, it's nice to see a school like that win but I think home field played a lot into the victory. That's no disrespect to Vandy at all, but their crowd was into the game. At any rate when the only teams beating SEC teams are other SEC teams (or in the case of NCSU even giving them a game) it really says how tough a conference the SEC is.

While LSu won it last season with two losses, as tough as that conference is I could see the SEC championship game being played two three loss teams. If that ends up being the case I wonder if the BCS would allow the winner in the Orange Bowl?

I also like Vandy, but am I the only one who still kind of pulls for a Spurrier team for his Duke days? Sure he left, but it was for his alma mater. And until he got reamed he always gave Duke a token vote each pre-season. I guess it's kind of like ex Duke basketball players that left early. Some people don't hold them in the same regard as four year guys. And by that a Shawn Livingston isn't a Duke guy at all.

[BD80]

I have heard that SC's starter last week, Tommy Beecher, is a local kid that had a real desire to go to Duke, but never got an offer.

Is this true? Why didn't we offer a kid that is good enough to start at USC? I understand that academics were NOT an issue, that he is a great student.

[YmoBeThere]

My avatar says it all...

[YmoBeThere]

Oh, FWIW, Duke is Vandy's Homecoming game.

[killerleft]

Great win for Vandy! I usually pull for them, too. But, YmoBeThere, please tell me that Houston Baker is being used as a tackling dummy.:)

[ugadevil]

Vandy's a solid program and that coach has really done a nice job there. I wouldn't be surprised if they were able to get to a bowl game this year.

[Wander]

Yeah CB&B, it makes State look worse, but it also makes the ACC look worse and the SEC look that much better.


It does make NCSU look terrible (I suspect they might be the worst team out of all the BCS conferences), but it doesn't make the SEC look better at all. What it shows is what anyone who saw South Carolina play last week already knew - that despite the final margin they aren't all that great and had no business being ranked.


At any rate when the only teams beating SEC teams are other SEC teams (or in the case of NCSU even giving them a game) it really says how tough a conference the SEC is.


SEC teams lost to UCLA and Louisiana Tech, giving the SEC just as many losses as the Big 12. There's no way to prove which of those two conferences is better right now, despite the fact that the media treats the SEC as if it were an NFL division.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Vandy's a solid program and that coach has really done a nice job there. I wouldn't be surprised if they were able to get to a bowl game this year.

That's kind, but I would be very surprised. Finding 4 more wins is going to be very tough.

[ugadevil]

Did anyone else just see Robert Smith on SportsCenter? He just talked about Steve Spurrier and how difficult it is for him to recruit at South Carolina. He said that big name athletes coming out of high school just don't want to go to South Carolina to play and Spurrier won't be able to get a lot of depth for his team. What on earth is he talking about!?!

If Spurrier can't get athletes to come to South Carolina, is that anyone's fault other than his own? He's never been known as a great recruiter - he goes more along the lines that great athletes will want to come play for him because of his reputation. Why wouldn't great players want to go to South Carolina? They'd get a chance to play in the SEC where they'd probably be playing in front of packed stadiums and TV audiences every week, which makes them that much more noticeable for the NFL. Columbia can't be THAT bad of a place to go to school. And Robert Smith is saying that it's difficult to recruit at South Carolina when they just lost to VANDERBILT! I guess he thinks it's easier to recruit at Vandy because great high school football players really want to be around great country music.

[ugadevil]

That's kind, but I would be very surprised. Finding 4 more wins is going to be very tough.

I'm not making a guarantee by any means but I see some potential wins for Vandy.

9/13 - Rice
9/20 - @ Ole' Miss
10/11 - @ Miss. State
10/25 - Duke
11/15 - @ Kentucky

I'd say all 5 of those are games where if the Commodores play well, they should have a chance to pull out victories. That being said, I really hope Georgia will stop struggling against Vandy and get a decisive victory - the past 2 contests w/ Vanderbilt have not been fun for the Dawgs.

[Inonehand]

I have heard that SC's starter last week, Tommy Beecher, is a local kid that had a real desire to go to Duke, but never got an offer.

Is this true? Why didn't we offer a kid that is good enough to start at USC? I understand that academics were NOT an issue, that he is a great student.

I think he proved fairly well that he wasn't good enough to start at South Carolina. I'd take Thad any day.

[Uncle Drew]

Did anyone else just see Robert Smith on SportsCenter? He just talked about Steve Spurrier and how difficult it is for him to recruit at South Carolina. He said that big name athletes coming out of high school just don't want to go to South Carolina to play and Spurrier won't be able to get a lot of depth for his team. What on earth is he talking about!?!

If Spurrier can't get athletes to come to South Carolina, is that anyone's fault other than his own? He's never been known as a great recruiter - he goes more along the lines that great athletes will want to come play for him because of his reputation. Why wouldn't great players want to go to South Carolina? They'd get a chance to play in the SEC where they'd probably be playing in front of packed stadiums and TV audiences every week, which makes them that much more noticeable for the NFL. Columbia can't be THAT bad of a place to go to school. And Robert Smith is saying that it's difficult to recruit at South Carolina when they just lost to VANDERBILT! I guess he thinks it's easier to recruit at Vandy because great high school football players really want to be around great country music.


It's hard to get great players to go to South Carolina since Hootie and the Blowfish left town. If the B-52's and REM leave Athens look for a HUGE drop off. :D

[Richard Berg]

Why wouldn't great players want to go to South Carolina?
Because it's in South Carolina?

[BD80]

I think he proved fairly well that he wasn't good enough to start at South Carolina. ...

Ouch. That's going to leave a mark.

[ugadevil]

Because it's in South Carolina?

Tell that to the top recruits that go to Clemson every year. Clemson may be overrated as a team, but they sure can bring in recruits.

[PDDuke85]

Because it's in South Carolina?

Because it's in Columbia!

We have all kinds of football players at the College of Charleston. It just takes 'em 4 years to fgure out there's no football program.:)

[Uncle Drew]

Because it's in Columbia!

We have all kinds of football players at the College of Charleston. It just takes 'em 4 years to fgure out there's no football program.:)

There may be something to this statement. Columbia SC durring the summer is the hottest most unbearable place I have ever been. The city sits in a valley and it traps the heat plus doesn't allow for much if any breeze. Football practice anywhere in the South Eastern US takes it's toll. I'd bet practice in Columbia is like practicing on a hot frying pan.

[wilson]

There may be something to this statement. Columbia SC durring the summer is the hottest most unbearable place I have ever been. The city sits in a valley and it traps the heat plus doesn't allow for much if any breeze. Football practice anywhere in the South Eastern US takes it's toll. I'd bet practice in Columbia is like practicing on a hot frying pan.

It is truly bizarre how, beginning about 7 miles on one side of Columbia and ending about 7 miles on the other side, the temperature spikes by about 10-15 degrees. It's like clockwork.
Greenville, NC is largely the same. Those are the two hottest places I've ever been.

[devildeac]

It is truly bizarre how, beginning about 7 miles on one side of Columbia and ending about 7 miles on the other side, the temperature spikes by about 10-15 degrees. It's like clockwork.
Greenville, NC is largely the same. Those are the two hottest places I've ever been.

We lived in Augusta, Ga for about 5 years. It wasn't much different there than Columbia, I'd wager. Many a time we'd return from a trip in the summer time and ride over a hill approaching the Savannah River valley and all we'd see would be haze. Not appealing. Many times my wife would finish work at 11 PM and drive by a bank on the way home and see a temp of 88-89 degrees with a humidity not much different than that. Disgusting.

[RainingThrees]

Did you live in Ga. during the drought around the early 2000's? Man, I used to live in Northern Ga. around Athens and I remember going outside and sitting under a tree's shadow and sweating without even moving, it was so freaking hot!! There was a one week stretch when it hovered around 100 degrees.

[devildeac]

Did you live in Ga. during the drought around the early 2000's? Man, I used to live in Northern Ga. around Athens and I remember going outside and sitting under a tree's shadow and sweating without even moving, it was so freaking hot!! There was a one week stretch when it hovered around 100 degrees.

Nope, lived there from 1981-1986, then moved back to NC.

[ugadevil]

Did you live in Ga. during the drought around the early 2000's? Man, I used to live in Northern Ga. around Athens and I remember going outside and sitting under a tree's shadow and sweating without even moving, it was so freaking hot!! There was a one week stretch when it hovered around 100 degrees.

That happened last summer too. There was a two week span when the average was around 96-103. Yet, they're still able to recruit good football players.

[RainingThrees]

Yeah dude the dawgs are doing very well. My older sis goes there and I lived in Ga for 11 years so I'm also a UGA fan. Hopefully UGA VII can win a title.