Just like that, Vanderbilt disappeared from the national spotlight.
Vanderbilt football was 3-0, coming off a rare convincing win over a Southeastern Conference rival. The program and its head coach had just been highlighted in a laudatory Sports Illustrated feature. The Commodores removed themselves from the cellar of the conference, and the country was starting to take notice.
Predictably, so were their fans. Optimism was palpable, with students talking about the possibility of beating SEC powerhouses on the way to an elusive bowl bid.
The student body was only taking its cues from the players themselves, whose demeanor both on and off the field exhibited a stark contrast to Vanderbilt teams past. This was not your father or grandfather’s Commodores, who had been known to collapse under the weight of second-half leads. The Commodores had not only knocked off Elon, UConn and Ole Miss, but they’d done so with an efficiency and dominance almost unheard of south of West End.
Then came the inevitable reality check.
On Saturday, in primetime and on a national stage, the resurgent Commodores faced South Carolina and legendary coach Steve Spurrier. While the defense added to its FBS-leading total by intercepting Gamecock quarterback Stephen Garcia four times, it was all in vain.
After trampling the Rebel defense to the tune of 281 rushing yards a week prior, Vanderbilt picked up just four yards on the ground in Saturday’s contest. As a whole, the offense mustered only 77 total yards and a paltry 3.2 yards per passing attempt.
The lack of rushing yardage early on coupled with an inability to get the ball down field proved fatal. Left in numerous third-and-longs and without an offensive crutch to lean on, the Commodores were just 1-for-14 in third down conversions. Overall, Vandy picked up just five first downs.
By the end, the Commodores had fallen by the score of 21-3 and were dropped from the national conversation in the process. Like two sacks from Gamecock defensive end and top freshman recruit Jadeveon Clowney, reality hit — hard.
But not as hard as it would have for a program with a more promising track record.
Teams with 2-10 records don’t contend overnight. They surely don’t do it in the treacherous SEC, home of powerhouse programs whose formidable rosters are trumped only by their tradition and history. No matter who you are — James Franklin, Bobby Johnson or Bear Bryant — it is impossible to turn a perennial loser into a winner with only one summer at your disposal.
But making a perennial loser respectable is an entirely different story. James Franklin has proved to be the right ambitious man for a challenging job. He’s instilled a sense of enthusiasm among the fan base and made his players believe. He’s built a dominant defense and expanded Vanderbilt’s presence in the national media, a feat that will no doubt assist in his quest for recruits.
For however brief a time, he had the rest of the nation jumping on the bandwagon. Now, for the first time in fifty years, he must accomplish a much more difficult feat: getting the SEC to believe in Vanderbilt football.
