Ok, this may seem like a reach for some of you because it probably is a stretch but in watching some of the historic games, I found myself thinking that the 2022 Vandy FB team most resembles the 1994 team as here is my rationale:
Wright favors Ronnie Gordon at QB position - Both with the ability to run, not great passers, can hurt you with legs in certain situations
Defensive unit - The 94 team under Carl Reese was an experienced unit with very good linebacker and DB play. I believe it was Jamie Duncan's freshman year but that team had Antony Jordon, Eric Vance, Corey Chavous and Robert Sheffield. This team also has experience returning and is strong in the linebacking corp and has good athletes at DB.
The RB's even have some similarities as that unit had one of my favorite Vandy RB's Jermaine Johnson, Eric Lewis and Cliff Deese who aren't that dissimilar from Davis, Smith and Griffin.
The WR's also seem similar to me as the 94 team had Gabe Banks, Kenny Simon and Sanford Ware who totaled who could be compared to Sheppard, Skinner and Bodie.
Note - That team beat Georgia 43-30 at their homecoming in one of the best Vanderbilt football games in my lifetime.
We won't mention Dinardo's forgettable last game against the Orange team that season (sigh). They won 5 with that team though the competition is obviously much better in 2022,
1. I'd love to have been at that Georgia game. Love the quote by Jermain Johnson in this remembrance of that game by former VU Hustler writer Tyler Kepner, "Crashing the Party":
The local media was just as incredulous. One Athens Daily News writer asked Vanderbilt tailback Jermaine Johnson, “Just how bad were the Georgia tacklers today?” Johnson, a Georgia native who’d just dashed for 177 yards in front of a dozen family members and friends, had a succinct and appropriate reply: “Hey,” he said, “give me a little credit.”
2, I was at the 0-65 debacle. Not that it matters but the score wouldn't have been that bad if DiNardo hadn't made such a cause célèbre of never uttering the name of that School to the East.
That’s an interesting comparison. We really didn’t have much of a passing game under Dinardo, but that I-bone offense was designed to wear teams down. We had some terrific individual players on that defense (some of the players you mentioned are all-timers), but we always struggled with D line depth. The game of college football has evolved so much schematically that it is a little tough to get past it.
FayetteDore wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 9:33 am
1. I'd love to have been at that Georgia game. Love the quote by Jermain Johnson in this remembrance of that game by former VU Hustler writer Tyler Kepner, "Crashing the Party":
The local media was just as incredulous. One Athens Daily News writer asked Vanderbilt tailback Jermaine Johnson, “Just how bad were the Georgia tacklers today?” Johnson, a Georgia native who’d just dashed for 177 yards in front of a dozen family members and friends, had a succinct and appropriate reply: “Hey,” he said, “give me a little credit.”
2, I was at the 0-65 debacle. Not that it matters but the score wouldn't have been that bad if DiNardo hadn't made such a cause célèbre of never uttering the name of that School to the East.
An interesting comparison indeed, but... Dinardo's teams eschewed the forward pass, and Mike Wright is going to throw the ball plenty this year. Wright is a better passer than Gordon, and I think he'd beat Gordon in a 40-yard dash.
I was there at the UGA Homecoming in 1994, and the win was as unexpected for me and Vanderbilt as the loss was unexpected for Georgia. It was as though Ray Goff's team hadn't prepared at all for the I-bone. It's why you never give up following your team.
I really think that DiNardo had already checked out. He had already spoken to LSU's AD and knew he would be their next head coach. He didn't care what happened in that game.
Just as I believe that Fogler checked out during the NCAA tournament when we lost in the Sweet 16 to Temple and played like crap and didn't even try to attack their zone defense all game. It was our worst effort all year. I think Fogler wanted to leave at that point and put forth little coaching effort so our season would be over and he could move on.
The week before that game, Fogler had been named "Coach of the Year" by the AP. He also was upset with the Vanderbilt AD because the AD Paul Hoolihan (nicknamed "Foolihan" by Vandy fans) hadn't called him and congratulated him on being named "Coach of the Year" and had made it clear that Fogler probably wouldn't be getting a contract extension or pay increase. (Foolihan had also hired Rod Dowhower, one of the worst SEC football coaches ever.) Also that week longtime Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins had announced that he was going to be the next coach at South Carolina. The rumor mill had it that Fogler was going to be Georgia Tech's No. 1 candidate to replace Cremins, and since Fogler had gone to North Carolina and played in the ACC, he would like to coach in the ACC.
So it was no surprise when we played that poorly against Temple and ended our season. Had Fogler coached like he had all season, I think we could have beaten them and moved to the Elite Eight and possibly even the Final Four. We had a good team that year with McCaffrey and Lawson.
As it turned out, Cremins changed his mind and went back to Georgia Tech a couple of days later, and Fogler went to South Carolina.
FayetteDore wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 9:33 am
2, I was at the 0-65 debacle. Not that it matters but the score wouldn't have been that bad if DiNardo hadn't made such a cause célèbre of never uttering the name of that School to the East.
I recall groaning and figuring we would get blown out after the big fight before the game. We'd lost any chance of catching them sleeping or distracted.
Gambit wrote: ↑Sun Aug 21, 2022 6:04 am
I was a sophomore that season. I hope you’re wrong. That team was unbearable to watch most of the time.
I hear what you are saying as it's like watching a high school game with so little passing and defensive football isn't that much fun to watch if you like action but they beat Georgia, Cincinnati, Wake Forest, Kentucky and Northern Illinois that season and came one game away from being bowl eligible at 6-5 so yeah I'd take that right now. Johnson rushed for 877 yards that season, Gordon scored 13 rushing TD's himself and Eric Lewis ranked 3rd in the SEC in yards-per-rush (5.8) so it wasn't all bad ... until the last game.
I attended the both the UGa beatdown in Athens and the 65-0 UT debacle.
UGa game -
Sat in VU section. We could run up the middle for 4+ yards at will. The option was a well oiled machine that afternoon. UGa’s KO returner muffed at least 2 KOs near his goal line which had them starting inside the 5. This helped. Post game a few of us rang their Famous Victory Bell. A UGa alum chided us for ringing it after a loss then, realizing we were Vandy fans said, “Y’all go right ahead.”
UT game-
Correct me if wrong, but wld a W have put us in s bowl game. Really thought we would win
