Vanderbilt Commodores football | |||
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First season | 1890; 134 years ago | ||
Athletic director | Candice Storey Lee | ||
Head coach | Clark Lea 3rd season, 10–27 (.270) | ||
Stadium | FirstBank Stadium (capacity: 40,550) | ||
Field | Dudley Field | ||
Year built | 1922 | ||
Field surface | FieldTurf | ||
Location | Nashville, Tennessee | ||
NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
Conference | Southeastern Conference | ||
Past conferences | Independent (1890–1894) SIAA (1895–1921) SoCon (1922–1932) | ||
All-time record | 618–665–50 (.482) | ||
Bowl record | 4–4–1 (.500) | ||
Unclaimed national titles | 6 (1906, 1910, 1911, 1918, 1921, 1922) | ||
Conference titles | 14 (12 SIAA, 2 SoCon) | ||
Rivalries | Georgia (rivalry) Georgia Tech (dormant) Kentucky (rivalry) Ole Miss (rivalry) Sewanee (rivalry; historical) Tennessee (rivalry) | ||
Consensus All-Americans | 7 [1] | ||
Colors | Black and gold [2] | ||
Fight song | Dynamite! | ||
Mascot | Mr. C | ||
Marching band | Spirit of Gold Marching Band | ||
Outfitter | Nike | ||
Website | vucommodores.com |
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program represents Vanderbilt University in the sport of American football. The Commodores compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They are led by head coach Clark Lea. Vanderbilt plays their home games at FirstBank Stadium, located on the university's Nashville, Tennessee campus.
Vanderbilt has a winning percentage of .798, the average among all members in the Southeastern Conference. They have had 23 seasons with ten wins.
Adopting the nickname the Commodores after the 1897 season, the team has played in 1,250 games over 126 seasons. In that time, six coaches have led the Commodores to a postseason bowl appearance: Art Guepe, Ethan Halbert, George MacIntyre, Bobby Johnson, James Franklin and Derek Mason. Four have led them to a conference championship: R. G. Acton, W. H. Watkins, James R. Henry, and Dan McGugin. McGugin is the leader in seasons coached and games won, with 198 victories during his 30 years at Vanderbilt. He was awarded two National Championships retroactively by Clyde Berryman.
Of the 29 different head coaches who have led the Commodores, McGugin, [3] Ray Morrison, [4] Red Sanders, [5] and Bill Edwards [6] have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The head coach is Clark Lea, who was hired on December 14, 2020.
Vanderbilt has been affiliated with the following conferences.[ citation needed ]
Vanderbilt has won 14 conference championships, with six shared and eight won outright.
Season | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
---|---|---|---|---|
1897 | SIAA | R. G. Acton | 6–0–1 | 3–0–1 |
1901 | W. H. Watkins | 6–1–1 | 6–0–1 | |
1903† | James H. Henry | 6–1–1 | 5–1–1 | |
1904 | Dan McGugin | 9–0 | 5–0 | |
1905 | 7–1 | 6–0 | ||
1906† | 8–1 | 6–0 | ||
1907 | 5–1–1 | 4–0 | ||
1910† | 8–0–1 | 5–0 | ||
1911 | 8–1 | 6–0 | ||
1912 | 8–1–1 | 4–0–1 | ||
1915 | 9–1 | 5–0 | ||
1921† | 7–0–1 | 4–0–1 | ||
1922† | SoCon | 8–0–1 | 3–0 | |
1923† | 5–2–1 | 3–0–1 |
† Co-champions
Vanderbilt has been awarded 6 national championships for the years 1906, 1910, 1911, 1918, 1921, and 1922.
Season | Coach | Overall record | Conference record | National Championship Selector |
---|---|---|---|---|
1906 | Dan McGugin | 8–1–0 | 6–0–0 | Billingsley Report [7] [8] [9] [10] |
1910 | 8–0–1 | 5–0–0 | James Howell [11] | |
1911 | 8–1–0 | 5–0–0 | Billingsley Report | |
1918 | 4–2–0 | 4–0–0 | David Wilson [12] [13] | |
1921 | 7–0–1 | 4–0–1 | Berryman QPRS, [14] [15] James Howell [16] | |
1922 | 8–0–1 | 3–0–0 | Berryman QPRS, James Howell [17] |
Vanderbilt has had 8 undefeated seasons in the years 1890, 1897, 1904, 1910, 1921, 1922, 1943, and 1944.
Vanderbilt has been invited to nine bowl games, with the Commodores garnering a record of 4–4–1 in bowl games.
Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1955 | Art Guepe | Gator Bowl | Auburn | W 25–13 |
1974 | Steve Sloan | Peach Bowl | Texas Tech | T 6–6 |
1982 | George MacIntyre | Hall of Fame Classic | Air Force | L 28–36 |
2008 | Bobby Johnson | Music City Bowl | Boston College | W 16–14 |
2011 | James Franklin | Liberty Bowl | Cincinnati | L 24–31 |
2012 | Music City Bowl | NC State | W 38–24 | |
2013 | BBVA Compass Bowl | Houston | W 41–24 | |
2016 | Derek Mason | Independence Bowl | NC State | L 17–41 |
2018 | Texas Bowl | Baylor | L 38–45 |
Having started in 1893, the Georgia-Vanderbilt football series has been played annually since 1968. The two were divisional opponents in the SEC East from 1992 to 2023. The series, which rotates between Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia, stands with Georgia leading 60-20–2 through the 2022 season. [18]
The Commodores first met the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1892 in Atlanta, Georgia with Vanderbilt winning 20–10. [19] Since 1924, the winning team in the series has received a silver-plated cowbell with the year and final score of each game engraved on it. The trophy was created by Ed F. Cavaleri, who was described by the Atlanta Constitution as “a faithful Georgia Tech supporter though he did not attend the Jacket institution,” according to Georgia Tech's website. Cavaleri purchased a cowbell at an Atlanta hardware store to use as a noise-maker while on his way to a game in 1924. The Commodores defeated Georgia Tech 3–0, however another fan in attendance suggested that Cavaleri award the bell to the winning team. The tradition was born and Cavaleri attended every game between the two teams from 1924 to 1967. [20] The cowbell has a gold plate screwed into each side, with “GEORGIA TECH-VANDERBILT FOOTBALL TROPHY” inscribed at the top. Three columns list the year of each game, Vanderbilt’s points scored and Georgia Tech’s points scored. The results of the games from 1924 to 1967 are engraved on one side; the results from 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2016 are on the other. [21] Vanderbilt is 15–20-3 against Georgia Tech in 38 games. The Commodores lost the last matchup 38–7 in 2016.
Having started in 1896, the Kentucky-Vanderbilt football series has been played annually since 1953. [22] The two are divisional opponents in the SEC East. The series, which rotates between Nashville, Tennessee and Lexington, Kentucky, is led by Kentucky at 48-42–4 with the average score being Vanderbilt 16.9-Kentucky 15.6. [23]
Ole Miss was Vanderbilt's cross-divisional rival in the SEC from 1992 to 2023.
Vanderbilt and Ole Miss have played 92 times since 1894. [24] Ole Miss leads the series 51-39-2. [24] The largest margin of victory was by 91 points won by Vanderbilt in 1915. Vanderbilt also holds the longest win streaks in the series (18) from 1894 to 1938.
Vanderbilt and the Sewanee Tigers were both founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Southern Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is the oldest of Vanderbilt's rivalries; [25] dating back to 1891 when Vanderbilt played its second football game. Vanderbilt leads the series 40–8–4. [26] The largest margin of victory was in 1905 when Vanderbilt won 68–4. Usually played towards the end of the season on Thanksgiving Day, the two teams have not met again since 1944 and are unlikely to anytime soon as Sewanee plays in NCAA Division III.
Vanderbilt and Tennessee have played 117 times since 1892 , Tennessee leads the series 79–33-5. [27] When the rivalry first started Vanderbilt dominated by taking 19 of the first 24 with 3 ties. But from 1928 to 2022 however, Tennessee has dominated going 77–14–2 against Vanderbilt. The largest margin of victory for Vanderbilt was by 76 points in 1918 at Old Dudley Field in Nashville. (Vanderbilt 76, Tennessee 0) The largest defeat was 65 points in 1994 at Vanderbilt Stadium (Tennessee 65, Vanderbilt 0). The longest win streaks for Vanderbilt is (9) from 1901 to 1913. The longest win streak for Tennessee is 22, from 1983 to 2004. [28]
Traditionally, Vanderbilt has featured differing designs of gold helmets, black jerseys, and gold or black pants at home, and gold helmets, white jerseys and gold, or white pants on the road. Meanwhile, the traditional alternate uniform saw gold helmets and jerseys matched with white pants.
The James Franklin (2011–2013), and Derek Mason (2014–2020) eras saw the introduction of several new combinations- including "blackout” (i.e. all black), and "whiteout" (i.e. all white) uniforms. The team's gold alternate jerseys were also re-designed with the addition of black shoulders and a more muted gold. Eventually, battleship gray was incorporated as well.
The Clark Lea (2021–Present) era has seen a return to traditional gold helmets (note: featuring a modernized “V” logo), black jerseys, and gold pants at home, and gold helmets, white jerseys, and gold (or white) pants on the road. Vanderbilt introduced a new all white ("whiteout") uniform at the start of the 2022 season.
Vanderbilt Commodore football personnel have been inducted into the National Football Foundation's National College Football Hall of Fame. [29]
Name | Position | Career |
---|---|---|
John J. Tigert | HB | 1901–1903 |
Josh Cody | T | 1914–1916, 1919 |
Lynn Bomar | End | 1921–1924 |
William Spears | QB | 1925–1927 |
Carl Hinkle | C | 1935–1937 |
Name | Career |
---|---|
Dan McGugin | 1904–1917, 1919–1934 |
Ray Morrison | 1918, 1935–1939 |
Red Sanders | 1940–1942, 1946–1948 |
Bill Edwards | 1949–1952 |
Player | Year | Position |
---|---|---|
Zach Cunningham | 2016 | LB |
Jordan Matthews | 2013 | WR |
Casey Hayward | 2011 | CB |
D.J. Moore | 2008 | DB |
Earl Bennett | 2006 | WR |
Jamie Winborn | 1999 | LB |
Jamie Duncan | 1997 | LB |
Bill Marinangel | 1996 | P |
Boo Mitchell | 1988 | WR |
Chris Gaines | 1987 | LB |
Ricky Anderson | 1984 | P |
Leonard Coleman | 1983 | DB |
Chuck Scott | 1983 | TE |
Jim Arnold | 1982 | P |
Allama Matthews | 1982 | TE |
Preston Brown | 1979 | Back |
Barry Burton | 1974 | TE |
Bob Asher | 1969 | T |
Chip Healy | 1968 | LB |
George Diedrich | 1958 | G |
Charley Horton | 1955 | RB |
Bill Wade | 1951 | QB |
Bob Werckle | 1951 | T |
Bucky Curtis | 1950 | End |
Bob Gude | 1941 | C |
Carl Hinkle | 1937 | C |
Pete Gracey | 1932 | C |
Bull Brown | 1929 | G |
Dick Abernathy | 1928 | End |
Bill Spears | 1926, 1927 | QB |
Gil Reese | 1923, 1924 | Back |
Henry Wakefield | 1923, 1924 | End |
Oliver Kuhn | 1922 | QB |
Lynn Bomar | 1922, 1923 | End |
Josh Cody | 1914, 1915, 1919 | T |
Irby Curry | 1916 | QB |
Lewie Hardage | 1912 | Back |
Ray Morrison | 1911 | QB |
W. E. Metzger | 1910 | G |
Bob Blake | 1907 | E |
Owsley Manier | 1906 | Back |
Vanderbilt has had seven consensus All-Americans in their history. In 2016, Zach Cunningham became the first unanimous All-American in Vanderbilt's history. [30]
Player | Year | Position |
---|---|---|
Lynn Bomar | 1923 | E |
Hek Wakefield | 1924 | E |
Pete Gracey | 1932 | C |
George Deiderich | 1958 | G |
Jim Arnold | 1982 | P |
Ricky Anderson | 1984 | P |
Zach Cunningham | 2016 | LB |
Vanderbilt Commodores personnel, including coaches and players, have received recognition from the Southeastern Conference for their performances on the football field. [29]
Five Vanderbilt players have been awarded Most Valuable Player, with three of them being awarded over a six year span to Commodores.
Name | Year |
---|---|
Willie Geny | 1935 |
Carl Hinkle | 1937 |
Jack Jenkins | 1941 |
Bill Wade | 1951 |
Bob Goodridge | 1967 |
One Vanderbilt player has won Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Name | Year |
---|---|
Jay Cutler | 2005 |
Two players have won Freshman of the Year while at Vanderbilt.
Name | Year |
---|---|
Kwane Doster | 2002 |
Warren Norman | 2009 |
One Commodore has won Best Blocker, doing so twice.
Name | Year |
---|---|
Jack Jenkins | 1941, 1942 |
Name | Year |
---|---|
Earl Bennett | 2005–2007 |
Five Vanderbilt coaches have won Coach of the Year honors over the past century.
Name | Year |
---|---|
Ray Morrison | 1937 |
Red Sanders | 1941 |
Art Guepe | 1955 |
George MacIntyre | 1982 |
Bobby Johnson | 2008 |
From 1992 to 2023, Vanderbilt played in the East Division of the SEC and played each opponent in the division each year along with several teams from the West Division. The SEC will expand the conference to 16 teams and will eliminate its two divisions in 2024, causing a new scheduling format for the Commodores to play against the other members of the conference. [31] Only the 2024 conference schedule was announced on June 14, 2023, while the conference still considers a new format for the future. [32]
Opponent | Site | Result |
---|---|---|
Alabama | ||
at Auburn | ||
at Kentucky | ||
at LSU | ||
at Missouri | ||
South Carolina |
| |
Tennessee |
| |
Texas |
|
at Alabama |
Auburn |
Kentucky |
LSU |
Missouri |
at South Carolina |
at Tennessee |
at Texas |
Announced schedules as of April 26, 2020 [33]
2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2032 | 2033 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vs. Virginia Tech | at Virginia Tech | Austin Peay | Eastern Kentucky | SMU | Purdue | at Stanford | Stanford |
vs.Alcorn State | Georgia State | NC State | at Stanford | at NC State | at SMU | ||
vs.Ball State | Colorado State | at Colorado State | |||||
at Georgia State | Charleston Southern | Delaware |
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams, 14 of which compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt's women's lacrosse team plays in the American Athletic Conference. The bowling team plays in Conference USA (C-USA), which absorbed Vanderbilt's former bowling home of the Southland Bowling League after the 2022–23 season. The University of Tennessee Volunteers are Vanderbilt's primary athletic rival, and the only other SEC team in Tennessee.
The Georgia Bulldogs football program represents the University of Georgia in the sport of American football. The Bulldogs compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They play their home games at historic Sanford Stadium on the university's Athens, Georgia, campus.
Daniel Earle McGugin was an American college football player and coach, as well as a lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from 1919 to 1934, compiling a record of 197–55–19. He is the winningest head coach in the history of the university. McGugin was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1951 as part of its inaugural class. He was the brother-in-law of University of Michigan coach Fielding H. Yost.
Jesse Raymond Morrison was an American football and baseball player and a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University, Vanderbilt University, Temple University (1940–1948), and Austin College (1949–1952), compiling a career college football record of 155–130–33. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954.
The Kentucky Wildcats football program represents the University of Kentucky in the sport of American football. The Wildcats compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Wildcats play their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky and are led by head coach Mark Stoops.
Joshua Crittenden Cody was an American college athlete, head coach, and athletics director. "Josh" Cody was a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, where he earned 13 letters playing several sports.
The 1926 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1926 college football season. The team's head coach was Dan McGugin, who served his 22nd season as the Commodores' head coach. Commodores had eight wins and lost only one to Alabama, who was named a national champion. Vanderbilt was a member of the Southern Conference, and went 4–1 in conference play. The Commodores played their eight home games at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee. They also played one game in Dallas, Texas vs. Texas and one in Atlanta vs. Georgia Tech.
The 2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their seven home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee, which has been Vanderbilt football's home stadium since 1922. The team's head coach was James Franklin, who was in his first year at Vanderbilt. Hired at Vanderbilt on December 17, 2010, he was previously the offensive coordinator and "head coach in waiting" at the University of Maryland. Vanderbilt has been a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in the conference's Eastern Division since its formation for the 1992 season. Vanderbilt completed the 2011 regular season with an overall record of 6–6 and a mark of 2–6 in conference play, finishing in a tie with Kentucky for fourth place in the SEC East. They were invited to the Liberty Bowl where they were defeated by Cincinnati 24–31 to finish the season 6–7. 2011. The seniors of the 2011 Vanderbilt football team became the first class in program history to qualify for two bowl games while at the school. Vanderbilt had only been to bowls in 1955 VS Auburn, 1974 VS Texas Tech, 1982 VS Air Force, and 2008 VS Boston College.
The 1922 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 1922 Southern Conference football season. During the season, Dan McGugin's 18th as head coach, Vanderbilt compiled a record of 8–0–1 and outscored its opponents 177 to 16. The Commodores' defense was unrivaled in the South, leading the nation in giving up just 1.8 points per game, none of them at home. The season included a tie with Michigan at the dedication of the new Dudley Field; the first stadium in the South to be used exclusively for college football. The season was immediately dubbed one of the best in Vanderbilt and Southern football history.
The Tennessee–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores. They are both founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt and Tennessee have played 117 times since 1892. Tennessee leads the all-time series 78–33–5.
The 1921 Vanderbilt Commodores football team was an American football team representing Vanderbilt University during the 1921 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. It was Dan McGugin's 17th season as head coach, and Wallace Wade's first season as assistant coach. Vanderbilt outscored its opponents 161–21 for a record of 7–0–1 and a share of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) championship. The team's leading scorer was halfback Rupert Smith and its captain was "Pink" Wade, father of future Vanderbilt star Bill Wade. The Commodores played their home games at Dudley Field.
The Sewanee–Vanderbilt football rivalry was an American college football rivalry between the Sewanee Tigers and Vanderbilt Commodores. They were both founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Southern Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Both teams' histories feature some powerhouses of early Southern football, e.g. 1899 Sewanee Tigers football team and 1906 Vanderbilt Commodores football team. It was the oldest of Vanderbilt's rivalries; dating back to 1891 when Vanderbilt played its second ever football game and Sewanee played its first. Vanderbilt leads the series 40–8–4. It used to be claimed as the oldest rivalry in the south, older than the "South's Oldest Rivalry" between North Carolina and Virginia. Usually played towards the end of the season on Thanksgiving Day, the two teams have not met again since 1944.
The 1910 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the sport of American football during 1910 college football season. In Dan McGugin's 7th year as head coach, the Commodores as members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) compiled an 8–0–1 record and outscored their opponents 165 to 8, winning a conference championship.
The 1927 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1927 Southern Conference football season. The 1927 season was Dan McGugin's 23rd year as head coach. Running back Jimmy Armistead led the nation in scoring in 1927 with 138 points. The team's quarterback was Bill Spears. One fellow wrote Vanderbilt produced "almost certainly the legit top Heisman candidate in Spears, if there had been a Heisman Trophy to award in 1927."
Vernon Hibbett Sharp, Jr. was a college football player and coach.
The Vanderbilt Commodores football team represents Vanderbilt University in the sport of American football.
The Georgia Tech–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Vanderbilt Commodores. Both universities are founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Southern Conference (SoCon), and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). Georgia Tech leads the series all time 20–15–3.
The history of Duke Blue Devils football began in 1888, when Duke University first fielded a football team.
Tennessee Volunteers football rivalries refers to the college football rivalries for the University of Tennessee in the sport of college football. As one of college football's winningest teams, and a founding member of the SEC in 1933, Tennessee has developed several long and historic rivalries.