2010 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

The 2010 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2010 college football season. The team's head coach was Robbie Caldwell, who had been serving as interim head coach following the unexpected retirement of previous head coach Bobby Johnson in July 2010.[1] Vanderbilt has been a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) since the league's inception in 1932, and has participated in that conference's Eastern Division since its formation in 1992. 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 Commodores finished the season 2–10, 1–7 in SEC play. Caldwell resigned at the end of the season.

2010 Vanderbilt Commodores football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Eastern Division
2010 record	2–10 (1–7 SEC)
Head coach	Robbie Caldwell (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Jimmy Kiser (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Jamie Bryant (2nd season)
Captain	4 Joey Bailey T. J. Greenstone Adam Smotherman Chris Marve
Home stadium	Vanderbilt Stadium (Capacity: 39,773)

2010 Southeastern Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 22 South Carolina x		5	–	3					9	–	5
Florida		4	–	4					8	–	5
Georgia		3	–	5					6	–	7
Tennessee		3	–	5					6	–	7
Kentucky		2	–	6					6	–	7
Vanderbilt		1	–	7					2	–	10
Western Division
No. 1 Auburn x$#		8	–	0					14	–	0
No. 12 Arkansas %		6	–	2					10	–	3
No. 8 LSU		6	–	2					11	–	2
No. 10 Alabama		5	–	3					10	–	3
No. 15 Mississippi State		4	–	4					9	–	4
Ole Miss		1	–	7					4	–	8
Championship: Auburn 56, South Carolina 17
– BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 4	6:30 p.m.	Northwestern*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	CSS	L 21–23	37,210
September 11	6:00 p.m.	No. 19 LSU	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	ESPNU	L 3–27	36,940
September 18	11:21 a.m.	at Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry)	SECN	W 28–14	51,667
October 2	11:00 a.m.	at Connecticut*	Rentschler Field East Hartford, CT	Big East Network	L 21–40	40,000
October 9	6:00 p.m.	Eastern Michigan*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	ESPNU	W 52–6	33,107
October 16	11:21 a.m.	at Georgia	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	SECN	L 0–43	92,746
October 23	6:00 p.m.	No. 19 South Carolina	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECRN	L 7–21	33,425
October 30	6:00 p.m.	at No. 19 Arkansas	Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR	SECRN	L 14–49	70,430
November 6	11:21 a.m.	Florida	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	L 14–55	33,848
November 13	11:21 a.m.	at Kentucky	Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, KY (rivalry)	SECN	L 20–38	60,391
November 20	6:30 p.m.	Tennessee	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry)	CSS	L 10–24	37,017
November 27	6:30 p.m.	Wake Forest*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	L 13–34	21,338
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Game summaries

Northwestern

See also: 2010 Northwestern Wildcats football team

1 2 3 4 Total • Northwestern 10 0 7 6 23 Vanderbilt 0 9 6 6 21 Location: Nashville, TN Game start: 6:35 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:17 Game attendance: 37,210 Game weather: 78, Sunny Referee: Dennis Lipski Television network: CSS

Northwestern jumped out to a 10–0 lead in the first half led by first year starting quarterback Dan Persa. Vanderbilt scored its first TD late in the first half on a TD run by Warren Norman, but the extra point was missed. Vanderbilt scored a field goal as time expired in the first half to make the score 10–9. Persa threw for another TD in the 3rd quarter to extend the lead to 17–9. Vanderbilt rallied late in the 3rd quarter on a 36-yard pass from Larry Smith to TE Brandon Barden, but Vanderbilt could not convert the two-point conversion that would have tied the game, making the score 17–15 at the end of the third quarter. Persa added a third TD pass in the 4th quarter, but the extra point was not converted due to a mishandled snap, keeping the margin to one possession. Vanderbilt later blocked a Northwestern field goal attempt and scored late in the 4th quarter, but was unable to convert again on the two point play to tie the game at 23–23. Vanderbilt nearly got a final possession in the game, after appearing to stop Persa short of a first down on 3rd and 6 with under two minutes remaining, but Vanderbilt was flagged for an illegal hit, allowing Northwestern to run out the clock.

Overall Record	Last Meeting	Result[2]
0–1–1	1952	Tie, 20–20

LSU

See also: 2010 LSU Tigers football team

1 2 3 4 Total • #19 LSU 0 10 0 17 27 Vanderbilt 0 0 3 0 3 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 6:00 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:05 Game attendance: 36,940 Game weather: 78, Cloudy Referee: Ken Williamson TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Herm Edwards (color)

After an uneventful first quarter in which neither offense could put a drive together, LSU scored early in the second quarter off of a 30-yard run by Russell Shepard. LSU added a field goal as time expired in the first half to increase the lead to 10–0. Vanderbilt scored a field goal on their first possession of the second half and then got the ball back off of an interception thrown by Jordan Jefferson. Vanderbilt, however, failed to produce on offense for the remainder of the game, with all further drives resulting in punts. LSU added a field goal and two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter to end the game with the score 27–3. Vanderbilt struggled on offense throughout the game, producing just 4.4 yards per pass and 2 yards per rush against a solid LSU defense.

Mississippi

See also: 2010 Ole Miss Rebels football team

1 2 3 4 Total • Vanderbilt 0 14 7 7 28 Ole Miss 0 7 7 0 14 Location: Oxford, MS Game start: 11:21 a.m. Elapsed time: 3:28 Game attendance: 51,667[3] Game weather: 81, Clear Referee: Penn Wagers TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Andre Ware (color), Cara Capuano (sideline)

After a defense-dominated first quarter in which both teams ended all drives with punts, Vanderbilt put together a 13-play 96-yard drive capped off by at 35-yard run by Zac Stacey for at touchdown. Vanderbilt increased their lead to 14–0 after returning a Jeremiah Masoli interception for a touchdown later in the second quarter. Ole Miss bounced back, scoring a touchdown on their next drive to put the score at 14–7 at the half. The Rebels tied the game in the third quarter on a 28-yard run by Masoli, but the Commodores immediately answered on their next possession with an 80-yard touchdown run by Warren Norman. Larry Smith added a 15-yard touchdown rush in the 4th quarter while the Vanderbilt defense shut out the Rebels for the remainder of the game to give the Commodores the win 28–14.

Connecticut

See also: 2010 Connecticut Huskies football team

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 21 0 0 21 • Connecticut 7 14 10 9 40 Location: East Hartford, CT Game start: 12:08 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:16 Game attendance: 40,000 Game weather: 60, Sunny Referee: Steve Shaw Television network: Big East Network

Eastern Michigan

See also: 2010 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team

1 2 3 4 Total Eastern Michigan 3 0 3 0 6 • Vanderbilt 7 24 14 7 52 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 6:05 p.m. Elapsed time: 3:12 Game attendance: 33,107 Game weather: 85, Fair Referee: Penn Wagers TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Herm Edwards (color)

Georgia

See also: 2010 Georgia Bulldogs football team

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 0 0 0 0 0 • Georgia 12 10 21 0 43 Location: Athens, GA Game start: 12:21 p.m. Game attendance: 92,746 TV announcers (SECN): Dave Neal (play-by-play), Andre Ware (color), Cara Capuano (sideline)

South Carolina

See also: 2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

1 2 3 4 Total • #19 South Carolina 0 7 7 7 21 Vanderbilt 0 7 0 0 7 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 6:00 p.m. Game attendance: 33,425 Television network: SECRN

Arkansas

See also: 2010 Arkansas Razorbacks football team

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 14 0 0 0 14 • #19 Arkansas 6 26 3 14 49 Location: Fayetteville, AR Game attendance: 70,430 Television network: SECRN

Florida

See also: 2010 Florida Gators football team

1 2 3 4 Total • Florida 7 34 14 0 55 Vanderbilt 0 0 7 7 14 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Game start: 11:21 a.m. Game attendance: 33,848 Television network: SECN

Kentucky

See also: 2010 Kentucky Wildcats football team

1 2 3 4 Total Vanderbilt 3 10 0 7 20 • Kentucky 3 7 14 14 38 Location: Lexington, KY Television network: SECN

Tennessee

See also: 2010 Tennessee Volunteers football team

1 2 3 4 Total • Tennessee 7 7 0 10 24 Vanderbilt 0 3 0 7 10 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Television network: CSS

Wake Forest

See also: 2010 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team

1 2 3 4 Total • Wake Forest 10 14 3 7 34 Vanderbilt 3 3 0 7 13 Location: Nashville, Tennessee Television network: SECN

See also

• 2010 Southeastern Conference football season
• 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
• 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

References

1. Low, Chris (July 14, 2010). "Vanderbilt coach Johnson retires". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
2. "Northwestern Wildcats record against Vanderbilt Commodores". Archived from the original on 2014-12-27. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
3. "Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Mississippi Rebels Box Score". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.