Vanderbilt Defeats Expectations, Defeated By Georgia Tech

Vanderbilt spent the first half of its season losing games and disappointing fans.  Today, after two games in a row of losing games and impressing fans, things are looking up.

Vanderbilt played three quarters of impressive offensive football, and one and a half quarters of flippy-flappy fumbly-bumbly whoopsieball.

But you know what?  Vanderbilt fans—at least the good ones—walked away from Dudley Field with heads held high, because Vanderbilt scored their second moral victory in a row.

Last year, moral victories were a despised unwelcome house guest. But as Joni Mitchell (or the Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton, depending on your generation) sang, you don't know what you got till it's gone.

Here’s how the ‘Dores exceeded expectations Saturday:

• Plenty of people expected Vandy to lose by 25 or so points, but they probably expected a score of 35-10. The offense, quite simply, got it together.  They drove, they completed passes, they converted on third down, they scored touchdowns, they made field goals, they broke off the occasional big pass or huge run.
• Warren Norman matched the SEC single-season record with his third kickoff returned for a touchdown. As a freshman. He also leads the league comfortably in all-purpose yards with a whole freaking lot. Excuse me for not spending twenty of my precious minutes checking box scores with a calculator! I’m not getting paid for this, you know.
• Larry Smith started strong, then pulled a hamstring, but really, truly, genuinely seems to be getting better. And senior Mackenzi Adams played well off the bench, which should sate the crotchety message-board posters for a while.
• Vanderbilt played like the Music City Bowl team, which is to say, like relentless opportunists. Greg Billinger forced a fumble at the Georgia Tech 3-yard-line, which was picked up by John Stokes, who played with noticeable juice in the tubes. Udom Umoh had a highlight-reel-worthy catch-and-run, coming off an errant Adams pass tipped by a Tech linebacker.
• Vanderbilt wanted to win the game, and played like they wanted to win the game. You know, for three quarters.

I said before the game that, in order for Vanderbilt to have a chance, they would need zero mistakes. And, at least on the offensive end, the first three quarters were—if not mistake-free—mistake-lite.

Frankly, I’ll take it. And so will most Vandy fans.

Because three quarters of good offensive football is three quarters more than Vandy fans have gotten to watch in some time.

So what about the defense? Georgia Tech put up 56 points. Aren't we a defensive team?

You know what? Shut up. The defense played three quarters of the best football they could have been expected to play against an offense like Georgia Tech’s. Yes, they fell apart, but do you know what stat makes it forgivable? (WARNING: RESEARCH ALERT) Time of possession.

The defense was on the field fifteen seconds shy of forty minutes. So their collapse was technically the offense’s fault, just like it has been all year. The difference? The offense was scoring enough points to take some of the pressure off. And seriously, Tech punted four times, which is four more times than I expected.

And who would have guessed the Commodore defense would force the Yellow Jackets to pass (some)? I figured the Jackets wouldn't have to resort to trick plays!

Ultimately, the Vanderbilt defense couldn’t handle the added pressure of all the offense’s turnovers in the fourth quarter, but I forgive both of them. Three quarters of great football ain’t bad.

So what about the fourth quarter?

Seriously, shut up.

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