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Victorious Vanderbilt Still Perfect

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 5, 2008

Updated: 10/05/2008 12:13 am

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vanderbilt, welcome to the big time.

Mackenzi Adams came off the bench and threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 19 Vanderbilt beat 13th-ranked Auburn 14-13 Saturday night to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1943.

The Commodores also improved to 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference for only the third time ever - the first since 1950. This win keeps them undefeated atop the SEC East while also snapping a 13-game skid to Auburn (4-2, 2-2). It was Vandy's first win in the series since the 1955 Gator Bowl.

Trying to preserve a one-point lead, Vandy had to punt the ball back to Auburn one last time with 2:16 left, but Brett Upson kicked it 55 yards and Alan Strong downed it at the Tigers 3. On the next play, Myron Lewis intercepted Chris Todd's pass intended for Rodgeriqus Smith.

All that was left was for Adams to take a knee a couple of times and the party was on. Fans poured on to the field to celebrate one of the biggest wins in the history of a program that's perennially been the doormat of the SEC.

The SEC's smallest school, and only private university, is known more for its academics than its football. Fans were celebrating the Commodores' first appearance in the Top 25 since 1984 even before the game started, sporting signs that boasted geeks rule.

Then the Commodores - whose last winning season was in 1982 - went out and backed it up by pushing around Auburn.

The difference in the game was Wes Byrum's missed extra point in the first quarter, but Vandy outgained the Tigers on offense 263-208, and a defense that had led the SEC in sacks coming in added five more by five different Commodores. Vandy sacked Todd twice inside the final 4 minutes to force the Tigers to punt away with 2:51 left.

Ben Tate ran for 108 yards, and the Tigers scored 13 points in 60 seconds in the first quarter. That was it against a Vandy defense that had been the SEC's worst in yards allowed, giving up 364.3 per game.

Quarterback Chris Nickson started the game for Vanderbilt but aggravated an injured right shoulder he hurt two weeks ago at Mississippi. Adams came in cold.

But the Commodores held Auburn to a mere 25 yards in the second quarter. They stopped Tate on two carries for losses, and D.J. Moore nearly picked off a Todd pass. That forced Clinton Durst to punt from his own end zone, and Moore caught the ball near midfield and ran it back 25 yards to the Auburn 30.

Adams completed all four of his passes for 41 yards, the last a 15-yarder to Justin Wheeler for a touchdown with 39 seconds left in the first half for a TD - the first allowed in the first half this season by Auburn. Bryant Hahnfeldt added the extra point to pull Vandy within 13-7, and Adams, who held for the kick, jumped up and down as he ran off the field.
Vandy missed a 40-yard field goal on its opening drive of the second half, but Adams drove the Commodores 68 yards in eight plays helped by a couple of Auburn mistakes with a defensive pass interference and a face mask.

Adams found Brandon Barden on a 1-yard TD pass to tie the game, and Hahnfeldt's extra point made it 14-13 with 7:09 left in the third.

NO. 2 ALABAMA 17,

KENTUCKY 14

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Glen Coffee rushed for 218 yards, Leigh Tiffin kicked a 24-yard field goal with 2:12 left and No. 2 Alabama held on for a win against Kentucky.

Playing with its best national ranking in 15 years, the Crimson Tide survived three turnovers and a sputtering passing game.

Coffee and the Crimson Tide (6-0, 3-0 SEC) mounted a bruising 15-play drive from their own 17-yard line to set up the clinching field goal. Coffee gained 57 yards on nine carries on the drive, which consumed 8:10.

Tiffin, who had missed two earlier kicks, drilled this one for a 17-7 lead, and the points proved necessary.

Mike Hartline hit DeMoreo Ford streaking down the right sideline for a 48-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds left for the Wildcats (4-1, 0-1).

Kentucky's onside kick attempt went out of bounds to give Alabama the ball and the game.

SOUTH CAROLINA 31,

MISSISSIPPI 24

OXFORD, Miss. - On-again, off-again starter Chris Smelley threw three touchdown passes, and South Carolina's No. 1 defense held Mississippi to a field goal in the second half as the Gamecocks beat the Rebels.

Given the starting job Thursday, Smelley completed 22 of 31 passes for a career-high 327 yards and led an 11-play, 95-yard drive midway through the fourth quarter to put away Ole Miss, which stumbled a week after knocking off then-No. 4 Florida.

The Rebels (3-3, 1-2 SEC) appeared to take control early, but a pair of fumbles helped the Gamecocks (4-2, 1-2) earn a critical win that kept them from exiting the SEC East race in early October.

TENNESSEE 13,

N. ILLINOIS 9

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Nick Stephens threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore and Tennessee's new starting quarterback helped the Volunteers slip past Northern Illinois.

Stephens' touchdown pass came on the first play of a third quarter drive and put Tennessee (2-3) up 13-3. It was the Vols' longest play of the season.

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