Vanderbilt: Losing Ryan Hamilton Hurts, But Not as Bad as You'd Think

Losing a starter hurts. Losing a co-captain hurts. Losing your most experienced player hurts.

The Commodores got a three-for-one raw deal in that regard when safety Ryan Hamilton, a redshirt senior, was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle during Saturday's 23-9 loss in LSU.

A co-captain and the most veteran player on the team with 34 straight starts, Hamilton's production and field savvy aren't easily replaceable.

However, the Commodores have a little something called depth that they didn't have at their disposal a few years ago, and right there to take his place is another fifth-year senior in Joel Caldwell. He's got 11 career starts at cornerback and seen a lot of time behind Hamilton at free safety.

"He's smart, he knows the defense," said Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson. "I think he'll step in and do a pretty good job."

He stepped in and almost turned the game around Saturday for the Commodores.

Caldwell had a nifty interception in the fourth quarter that was called back by a defensive holding call. I loved his answer when someone asked him whether he was due for another pick against Mississippi State.

"I'm trying to get at least two to make up for that one they called back against LSU," Caldwell said. "Hopefully I can go out there and get at least one and help the team make some plays."

Caldwell didn't mope after his redshirt freshman season in 2006, the last year that he was a starter. He continued to produce on special teams coverage units and always played solidly when called upon to spell Hamilton.

No, he doesn't have Hamilton's statistics or wealth of starting experience. But you have to like the mindset he has on the gridiron.

"You've got to step on the field and always (think), 'I'm the best player, I'm going to make plays' and be like that," Caldwell said. "That's pretty much the mindframe I try to take out in every game, whether I'm playing special teams or defense."

The best kind of back-up to have is one who thinks like a starter. Now that Caldwell actually is starting, we'll see that confidence and ability on a game-to-game basis.