2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team explained
| Sport: | football |
| Year: | 2008 |
| Team: | Vanderbilt Commodores |
| Conference: | Southeastern Conference |
| Short Conf: | SEC |
| Division: | Eastern Division |
| Record: | 7–6 |
| Conf Record: | 4–4 |
| Hc Year: | 7th |
| Oc Year: | 7th |
| Dc Year: | 7th |
| Champion: | Music City Bowl champion |
| Captain3: | George Smith |
The 2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2008–09 college football season. The team's head coach was Bobby Johnson, who served his seventh season in the position. The Commodores played their six home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee.
This was Vanderbilt's first 5–0 start since 1943 and first bowl appearance since 1982, ending a streak of 25 straight losing seasons.
Schedule
Season summary
Following a 4–0 start to the season, the Vanderbilt Commodores were ranked for the first time on the AP Poll since 1984.[1] Following the victory over Auburn, the Commodores were 5–0 for the first time since 1943.[2] After the good start, the Commodores would lose their next four games before a 31-24 victory over Kentucky that declared them bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. Vandy would then lose their final two games of the regular season. They ended the season by going to the Music City Bowl where they defeated Boston College by a score of 16-14, ending a 53-year bowl victory drought.
Game summaries
Miami (OH)
South Carolina
Rice
Ole Miss
Auburn
ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Vanderbilt's campus prior to the Auburn game.
Mississippi State
Georgia
Duke
Florida
Kentucky
Tennessee
Wake Forest
Boston College
See main article: 2008 Music City Bowl.
Coaching staff
- Bobby Johnson – Head coach
- Ted Cain – Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach
- Bruce Fowler – Defensive coordinator
- Robbie Caldwell – Assistant head coach/offensive line coach
- Rick Logo – Defensive line coach
- Warren Belin – Linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator
- Jamie Bryant – Defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator
- Charlie Fisher – Co-passing game coordinator & wide receivers
- Jacob DeLucia – Co-passing game coordinator & quarterbacks
- Desmond Kitchings – Running backs coach
- Michael Hazel – Assistant director of football operations
- Joey Orck – Offensive quality control
- Andy Frank – Defensive quality control
- Norval McKenzie – Offensive graduate assistant
- Mark Moehring – Defensive graduate assistant
- Tom Bossung – Head athletic trainer
- Brian Reese – Associate director of student athletics
- John Sisk – Director of speed, strength and conditioning
- Luke Wyatt – Head equipment manager
- Gary Veach – Assistant equipment manager
Notes and References
- Web site: Auburn's offense looks to get on track against upstart Vandy. ESPN. 2008-10-04. 2008-10-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20081007032134/http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/preview?gameId=282780238. 7 October 2008 . live.
- Web site: Vandy is officially dandy: Commodores upset Auburn; Alabama holds off Kentucky. Associated Press. 2008-10-05. 2008-10-25.
