Gamecocks Against Commodores

Commodore Line Stuffed Gamecocks in 4th Quarter Last Year

Considering a schedule that includes contests against the conferences best rushing defenses, Mississippi State (4th), Ole Miss (8th), LSU (6th) and Georgia (5th), Vanderbilt still has a statistically respectable seventh best rushing offense. It averages 179.57 yards per game on the ground.

The Commodore running game this year has been at times spectacular, and at times less so. Take the spectacular game against Western Carolina when the Commodores amassed 433 yards rushing. That's a huge rushing total against anybody. On the other hand, Mississippi State held Vanderbilt to just 33 rushing yards.

The chart below illustrates the rushing yardage by opponent for the Vanderbilt offense.

After giving up 264 yards rushing against the conferences best running team, Alabama, the Gamecocks have now slipped to 9th in the conference in rushing defense. (See the garnet bars on the chart, which show a bad trend.)

Gamecock fans probably remember the 24-17 loss to Vanderbilt in 2008. The Vanderbilt offense received a punt with 2:34 left in the game, and it ran the clock out by rushing the ball six times for two first downs and 23 yards. They stuffed it down the throat of the Gamecock defense.

After the game, Vanderbilt tailback Jared Hawkins, who rushed for a game-high 84 yards on 17 carries, stated: "We're trying to let people know we're not a blow-off game and we're not a blow-off team. We're going to come out and we're going to hit you in the mouth."

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the Vanderbilt coaches' 2009 game plan. Turn the game over to the big uglies.

Vandy has a big, salty offensive line. Vandy will start four redshirt seniors and a redshirt junior across their line. The line is anchored by a huge right guard, Eric Hensley (6-6 / 322).

Vanderbilt is dealing with injuries on the line this week. Thomas Welch (6-7 / 310), a senior tackle, is reported as questionable with a sprained ankle. If Welch cannot play, the Commodores will play Ryan Seymore (6-5 / 294), a redshirt freshman. The starting tight end, Austin Monahan (6-7 / 255), has been lost for the season.

Bobby Johnson is going to try to pound out rushing yards against a Gamecock defense that has appeared vulnerable to ground attacks. Johnson let everybody know after the 2008 game that he was not terribly impressed by the Gamecock team.

"I was surprised so many people thought it would be real hard for us to beat them," Johnson said. "We beat them last year [2007], and I don't know why everybody thought they got so much better than we were getting."

On Saturday, Johnson turned his criticism against his own offensive line, which allowed the Georgia defense to harry the Vandy quarterback. According to The Tennessean, a Nashville newspaper, the Vanderbilt linemen were none too pleased. "When Vanderbilt returns to the practice field Tuesday in preparation for this week's trip to South Carolina, don't expect the offensive line to be in a pleasant mood."

Hopefully, the Gamecocks defense will stuff the Commodores running game, despite a highly motivated and angry Vandy O-line. The Gamecocks need to give Bobby Johnson, a former Clemson coach, some reason to pay the Gamecocks a bit of respect. After two years of futility against Vanderbilt, it is high time Johnson got his comeuppance from the Gamecocks. More importantly, the Gamecocks really need to sneak out of this dangerous game with their sixth win of the season.