Team preview: Vanderbilt

Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 119 Division I-A teams. To order the complete 2007 edition of Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, visit www.blueribbonyearbook.com or call 1-866-805-BALL (2255).

(All information as of June 20, 2007)

Bobby Johnson is to frills what the Sahara is to water -- a distant stranger.

So, this whole notion of Johnson owning the fifth-longest contiguous tenure among coaches in the SEC sneaks up on people like camouflaged air.

"You mean Vanderbilt's coach? Do they even have a coach? I heard something about their athletic department disappearing a few years ago ..."

Oh, but it's true. Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer (15 years) remains the dean of a conference that boasts four national championship winners -- Fulmer, Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer -- among its head-coaching ranks. Houston Nutt's nine tenuous years at Arkansas is next, followed by Tommy Tuberville's eight seasons at Auburn and six years of Dawg days for Mark Richt at Georgia. And here's Johnson, closing in on his sixth year at Vanderbilt, giving an aw-shucks nod toward the cluster of Benzes in the SEC parking lot.

"This league's always been tough," Johnson said. "They're going to attract some very good coaches in this league. We've got four coaches who have won national championships, which speaks very highly of this league. Our guys are excited to be playing in the SEC, and they're looking forward to playing some of these other good SEC teams. Hopefully we'll have some success in the league and get some quality conference wins. We're excited about the challenge."

Coaching stability at Vanderbilt -- once an oxymoron -- projects much deeper than just the head coach. Only two assistant coaches have fallen away from the staff since Johnson took over in 2002 -- J.D. Hall, now a high school coach in Florida, and David Turner, who migrated to Alabama as defensive line coach. Kenny Carter and Ricky Logo are the only two assistants who haven't been in Nashville since day one.

Assistants are supposed to ebb and flow like the tide, but consider that Fulmer has added five new coaches since 2003, Richt has filled four vacancies since 2005 and Nutt is wondering whether Gus Malzahn's solitary year as offensive coordinator was just a figment of the head coach's imagination.

"That's been an M.O. with our staff for years," said offensive coordinator Ted Cain, who spent three years with Johnson at Furman before coming to Vanderbilt. "We don't like to move around a lot. We like to get in an area and stick.

"We're a close group. We like working with each other. We have a lot of trust in each other, as far as X-and-Oing and scheming.''

"I think that continuity has been a tremendous advantage for us," said defensive coordinator Bruce Fowler, who played for Johnson when he was a secondary coach at Furman. "With commu-nication with our players, that is critical. The communication, the terminology, the expectations, all get passed down."

If only the losing wasn't passed down, the Commodores would be downright legendary.

Johnson is 15-43 in Nashville, including last year's confusing 4-8 record. On the statistical bottom line, opponents outscored Vandy 284-264, a differential of less than two points per game. Twenty total yards separated the Commodores from their foes. And yet ... 4-8.

"There were some crucial times where we had chances to make crucial plays," Fowler said. "We just didn't know how to close games. There's not one thing you can put your finger on -- whether it was a turnover that we didn't get or a turnover that happened."

Fowler is half right; closing out games was a persistent problem. In fourth quarters, Vandy's opponents punched out an 84-58 scoring margin. But there is one thing that separated a near-breakout in 2005 (5-6, 3-5 SEC) from the '06 drop -- red-zone efficiency.

With eventual NFL first-rounder Jay Cutler at the controls, Vanderbilt cashed in 88.9 percent of its red-zone trips in 2005, second to LSU in the league. Minus Cutler and burrowing tailback Jeff Jennings, the Commodores crashed to 11th in the SEC last fall, converting 67.4 percent of their red-zone forays. That disparity produced some really weird outcomes, like 400 total yards and 10 points in a loss to Ole Miss. Or 446 passing yards yet only one touchdown through the air in a 38-26 defeat to Kentucky.

"We needed to get better going into this year with our red-zone efficiency," Cain said. "We did a good job of moving the ball and going up and down the field, but we bogged down in the red zone."

Not to even hint that Johnson will drive the next Benz into the SEC parking lot, but the Commodores should be riding a more even keel in 2007. Chris Nickson is under center for a second go-around, and All-America candidate Earl Bennett will catch everything thrown his way.

After rehabbing a knee injury, Jennings brings back the hammer in Vandy's goal-line sets. The offensive line is dominated by fifth-year seniors, and the eight returning starters on defense include several seasoned disruptors in the front seven.

Aw, shucks -- Vanderbilt has revival potential, even if it's swimming in the deepest division in college football.

He looked a little lost in his first start on the road against a BCS power, and inconsistency plagued his performances against SEC teams. He completed less than 55 percent of his throws, and his touchdown passes barely outnumbered his interceptions. But he had a knack for putting defenses on the backpedal with his scrambling ability, rushing for a team-high nine touchdowns.

Inside the SEC
Take an Inside look at the SEC with Blue Ribbon's 2007 team reports :
Alabama Crimson Tide
Arkansas Razorbacks
Auburn Tigers
Florida Gators
Georgia Bulldogs
Kentucky Wildcats
LSU Tigers
Mississippi Rebels
Mississippi State Bulldogs
South Carolina Gamecocks
Tennessee Volunteers
Vanderbilt Commodores
2007 Blue Ribbon Index

Is he Jay Cutler or Chris Nickson (6-2, 210)? Yes.

All of the above applies equally to the 11th pick of the 2006 NFL draft and Vandy's junior signal-caller in their first full seasons as starter. Here's the catch -- overall, Nickson had a far more productive inaugural season than the current Denver Broncos quarterback.

Through the air, Nickson piled up 2,085 yards -- second all-time among Commodore sophomores, trailing you know who. Closer to the earth, the former Pike County (Ala.) star rumbled for 694 yards, a single-season standard for any Commodore quarterback -- even ones born in Santa Claus, Ind.

Cutler was a redshirt freshman when he took the controls, whereas Nickson was a redshirt sophomore. But comparisons between the two can legitimately stop here; this is Nickson's show, and his continued development will determine the Commodores' course in 2007.

"He's become a more consistent player at quarterback," Cain said. "He had some games last year where he was absolutely brilliant and some other games where he wasn't. But he's working on his consistency, and he's done that in spring practice."

Wild swings in output are unsurprising for new guys, and Nickson sure pulled some fine Jekyll and Hydes. A week after an ugly 4-of-15, two-interception showing against South Carolina, Nickson cut up Duke for 400 yards of total offense and five total touchdowns. Nickson hit up Kentucky for 517 total yards; seven days later, at home against Tennessee, he was a measly 10-for-23 for 97 yards and two picks.

Sometimes Nickson's schizophrenia came unmasked in the same game; only five of his 23 passes against Alabama hit the turf. The problem was three of them landed in Crimson hands.

A healthier running game would have sapped some of the pressure from Nickson; leading the team in rushing is OK if you're a pure option guy, but Nickson is not. Nor does Cain believe, for the most part, that the youngster left the pocket too soon when the heat arrived.

"Probably in his high school days, he pulled it down and ran in a hurry," the offensive coordinator said. "But he's maturing. He's going through his drops, he's sticking his foot in the ground and going through his reads."

It seems long, long ago that Nickson was actually involved in a scrap just to commandeer the starting spot. Now that fight has been confined to his understudies, namely sophomore Mackenzi Adams (6-2, 208) and senior Richard Kovalcheck (6-2, 222).

Adams is another dual threat who performed reasonably (15-of-29, 224 passing yards; 19 carries for 86 yards) in spot duty. Against Ole Miss, the Tulsa native completed half of 20 attempts for 176 yards in relief of an injured Nickson.

Kovalcheck, who last summer capitalized on an NCAA loophole -- since closed -- to transfer from Arizona without sitting out a year because he completed his undergraduate degree in Tucson, appeared in only three games last fall. But Kovalcheck sparkled in his first spring in Nashville, tossing three scoring strikes in five series during the Black and Gold game, signaling he is ready to push Adams for the second-string slot.

The game scenario might drive the call; Adams has better mobility for the long haul, but Kovacheck's pocket presence is ideal for two-minute drives.

Vanderbilt's red-zone ailments last fall would not have been so pronounced if junior Jeff Jennings (6-1, 222) had been available. Jennings, who severely injured his knee in the 2005 home finale against Kentucky and redshirted last season just to rehab, is the pop in the mouth the Commodores lacked when the yards got hard. He has scored 12 touchdowns on just 169 carries in his Vandy career.

"Going back to red-zone and goal-line situations, we missed him last year," Cain said. "He packed a lot of punch in there and had a knack for getting us the tough yard or scoring."

Jennings showed confidence in his rebuilt wheel during the spring, which is great news for the Commodores' other front-line back, senior Cassen Jackson-Garrison (6-1, 220). An east Tennessee native like Jennings, Jackson-Garrison graded out a consistent 4.0 yards per carry last fall. His 614 rushing yards trailed by 80 the total rung up by Nickson, with a 142-yard, two-score effort against Temple representing Jackson-Garrison's apex.

A Prius in this land of SUVs is sophomore Jared Hawkins (5-10, 192), a fluid dasher who averaged 6.9 yards per carry in limited duty behind Jackson-Garrison. Patient with his blockers, Hawkins lost only nine yards on 43 carries last year and serves as a nice changeup to the upperclassmen.

Sophomore Gaston Miller (5-7, 165), like Hawkins, is a great tempo adjuster. Generally a special-teams participant as a true freshman, the sprightly Miller toted the rock 13 times last fall for 70 yards.

"He's just lightning in a bottle," Cain said.

As Nickson grows more experienced in the offense, look for Vanderbilt to spread the field with more three-wideout and one-back sets this year. That means Hawkins or Miller might spring forth from the slot in gimmicks or reverses -- anything to get them to the edges.

"We migrated to that [one-back sets] in Jay's senior year and we've done a lot more of it with Chris," Cain said.

The Commodores' corral of backs also need to be more integrated into the passing game. Jackson-Garrison is the only returnee who caught a pass last year -- just 15 in 12 games. Jennings again should accelerate this process, having caught 21 balls two years ago.

Before sneaking out of Nashville with a thorny, 25-19 win over Vanderbilt last November, Florida head coach Urban Meyer put into words what most SEC observers already thought about Earl Bennett (6-1, 202).

"I think that he is an NFL wide receiver," Meyer said in the press conference after Bennett ripped the eventual national champions for 13 catches and 157 yards. "It is a shame that he is only a sophomore and that we have to see him the next couple of years."

Let's play a parlor game with Bennett's statistical potential. After two seasons of first-team coaches' All-SEC accolades, the Birmingham native has 161 receptions for 2,022 yards. If Bennett were to maintain that production for two more years (shoo, NFL), he would obliterate the SEC's career receptions mark (208, Craig Yeast, Kentucky) by 116.

Double Bennett's receiving yards, and he would overwhelm Georgia's Terrence Edwards (3,093) by nearly a grand. Never mind Vanderbilt's career records, all of which could fall this season.

Most remarkable is that Bennett clicked with an NFL first-rounder (Jay Cutler) as a freshman and a first-year starter (Nickson) as a sophomore, making Bennett the ultimate go-to guy in VU's passing attack.

Cain never doubted Nickson and Bennett would connect for most of the latter's 82 receptions last fall. "[Nickson] gets Earl in great spots, and Earl has great talent on top of that," the offensive coordinator said.

Cain is charged with the increasingly difficult task of freeing up the muscular junior, which means Bennett may see more screens and reverses in his future.

The best way to create space for Bennett, of course, is having an equal pass-catching threat on the other side of the formation. Junior George Smith (6-3, 195) is first in line after spearing 10 passes for 159 yards over the last three games in '06.

Smith's long road back from a potentially deadly case of spinal transverse myelitis sustained three years ago appears complete. Four of Smith's 30 receptions last year gained 30 or more yards.

"He's made a lot of acrobatic, athletic catches over people in his career," Cain said of Smith.

Vandy's upset of Georgia between the hedges last fall was also an exclamation point for Sean Walker (6-0, 180). The junior hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass and snared a 6-yarder on fourth down during Vandy's game-winning field-goal drive. For the season, Walker accumulated 16 receptions for 204 yards.

The Commodores' second-best pass catcher from last season, Marlon White, has graduated, presenting new opportunities for junior Bryant Anderson (6-3, 210), sophomore Alex Washington (5-10, 180) or sophomore Justin Wheeler (6-0, 175).

Anderson and Washington each recorded three catches last year, but the former isn't as far from the big time as it seems. Anderson's father, Ray, is the senior vice president of football opera-tions in the NFL office.

The tight end position earned few gold stars last season; junior Brad Allen (6-3, 240) had three receptions, and he's considered the "pass-catching" half of the duo including sophomore Jake Bradford (6-6, 260). If Allen or Bradford fail to impress, look for gangly redshirt freshman Justin Green (6-7, 230) to press for action.

For all of Bennett's accolades, he accounted for only six receiving touchdowns last fall. That's symptomatic of Vanderbilt's red-zone troubles throughout the year. The 'Dores need to stop knocking on the door so often and bull right in; expect a passing game with one more year's experience to do that in 2007.

The Commodores caught a significant break when senior Brian Stamper (6-5, 295) was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA last January, allowing the 2005 second-team All-SEC pick to return for a fifth year. Stamper carried a 31-game starting streak into the fifth game of last season, but a lingering back injury severely limited his time in the last two of those contests. He finally opted for season-ending surgery, and the NCAA interpreted Stamper's actual playing time to 20 percent of the season, the cutoff for a medical waiver.

"The NCAA finally made a good, commonsense decision that allowed him to come back," Cain said. How did Stamper celebrate? By suffering a stress fracture in his foot on the first day of spring practice. Anticipating the talented right tackle's autumn comeback, Vandy will bring back five seniors who started for large chunks of the 2006 season.

From academic casualty three years ago to team captain, senior left tackle Chris Williams (6-6, 315) has redefined "reclamation project." Williams was a second-team All-SEC pick after cleaning up Chris Nickson's blindside with ruthless efficiency.

"He's poised for an outstanding senior year," Cain said.

Senior Hamilton Holliday (6-3, 290) decently handled his first full season at center; he primarily played guard in his previous two seasons.

Flanking Holliday at the guards are seniors Merritt Kirchhoffer (6-5, 315) and Josh Eames (6-5, 310). In Cain's estimation, Kirchhoffer "runs like the wind" (relative for a lineman, to be sure) but he couldn't outrun the graduated Mac Pyle for the starting right guard spot in Vandy's last four games. Kirchhoffer fought through injury issues to start at right tackle in the season finale against Tennessee.

Eames too shuttled between guard and tackle out of necessity last fall, but he's poised to anchor the left guard spot this time around. A knee injury at Georgia limited his effectiveness in the season's second half.

Sophomore Thomas Welch (6-6, 280) has inspired a tiny wellspring of excitement among the coaches after moving from tight end to tackle last fall. A native of the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Welch has unique range of motion that only improved while subbing for Stamper last spring.

Sophomore Ryan Custer (6-4, 295), a three-time starter in '06, experimented on the defensive side in the spring before being locked back into the O-line guard rotation. Another sophomore, Bradley Vierling (6-3, 290), is a nasty cuss who backs up Holliday at center.

"Vierling is a rough-and-tumble guy," Cain said. "He gets after you."

Other cogs in an otherwise clearly-defined two-deep include sophomore tackle Eric Hensley (6-6, 305) and sophomore guard Drew Gardner (6-5, 300).

Senior Elliot Hood, a projected tackle, decided to graduate with his class and forego a final season of eligibility. Vanderbilt has been piecing this dream scenario for four years -- a senior-dominated offensive line with multidimensional experience. Injuries -- and this unit has had a history of them -- are the only hurdles to an exceptional season in the trenches for the Commodores.

Nine months after knee surgery, junior Bryant Hahnfeldt (5-11, 180) gamely resumed placekicking duties last fall. The results -- 8-of-17 through the uprights, including just four of 12 between 30 and 50 yards -- left the Nashville native singing the blues.

However, there isn't any experienced competition in camp; redshirt freshman John Laughrey (6-0, 180) and sophomore Thomas Carroll (5-9, 165) are both walk-ons.

Hahnfeldt, a former All-SEC Freshman selection, has displayed better range in the past. The Commodores figure to walk the tightrope in a lot of games this year, so Hahnfeldt's return to form would be most welcome.

For as many defenders as Vandy has graduated into the NFL recently -- Jamie Duncan, Jamie Winborn, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Corey Chavous and Jimmy Williams, to name a few -- the defensive line has never pulled its weight.

Name the last great Commodore defensive lineman. Jovan Haye? James Manley? Alan Young? Vandy grad Dennis Harrison, the ferocious ex-Philadelphia Eagle who was picked in the fourth round of the 1978 draft, would steal that trio's milk money.

No sane observer would put any of the current crop in Harrison's class, let alone project them as pros. But there are whiffs of big-play capability emanating from the trench this season.

The Commodores nearly doubled their sack output (25 in '06, 14 in '05) thanks in part to interior heat from Theo Horrocks (6-3, 295) and edge pressure from Curtis Gatewood (6-3, 245).

A senior who arrived four years ago as a smallish defensive end from Fayetteville, Tenn., Horrocks has bulked up both his body and the VU line. He posted five sacks, four forced fumbles and made 31 solo tackles last year, all top numbers for a Commodore interior lineman.

A converted linebacker who likewise added mass to run around at end, the senior Gatewood's seven sacks ranked eighth in the SEC last fall. He and Horrocks each totaled 49 tackles; naturally, the duo split the team's defensive line MVP award.

Determining Horrocks' tag-team partner inside is one of the intriguing position battles of this fall. Senior Gabe Hall (6-1, 288) has yet to live up to his potential; hampered by injuries, he registered only nine tackles in 10 games last season. Sophomore Greg Billinger (6-3, 290) was the only freshman to log game time for either of Vandy's interior lines last year. However, Billinger's impact (six tackles) was nominal.

For the 'Dores to complete their typical four-tackle rotation, either junior Brandon Holmes (6-3, 295), redshirt freshman Adam Smotherman (6-4, 270) or sophomore Derrius Dowell (6-3, 280) must emerge.

The best bet to bookend Gatewood is sophomore Broderick Stewart (6-5, 225), who registered five sacks for a loss of 44 yards in a reserve role during '06. However, Stewart's speed has to hold off sophomore Steven Stone's size. Stone (6-6, 255) also appeared in all 12 games last year, and his 6.5 tackles for loss ranked fourth among the Commodores.

Like Gatewood once did, sophomore Quavian Lewis (6-3, 225) is adjusting to a move from linebacker to defensive end. Former fullback David Whittington (6-2, 250), a junior, is still find-ing his way at end.

Depth is an annual dilemma, but second-year line coach Ricky Logo has already worked wonders in what has been an underwhelming unit in previous years.

"I think number one is improvement in athleticism, as far as speed goes," Fowler said. "I think we're able to be more aggressive because we know more what we're doing on defense."

From scout team as a 17-year-old freshman to scouting NFL draft possibilities after a superlative junior year, Jonathan Goff (6-4, 235) has engineered quite an ascent at Vanderbilt.

Well, the stolid senior middle linebacker is an engineering major, so the climb shouldn't be such a shock. Goff earned a second-team All-SEC tag after piling up 93 tackles (67 solo) and six tackles for loss last fall. He didn't pick on the scrawny, either; Michigan (12 solo stops) and Alabama (13 tackles, two forced fumbles) absorbed two of Goff's best performances.

After 27 consecutive starts and 141 solo tackles to date, Goff evaluated his status for the draft and found it lacking. So, to the relief of VU backers nationwide, he decided to return for his senior season. Immediately, Goff becomes the de facto leader of not only the linebacker unit but the defense at large.

"Jon had a tremendous year again last year,"

Fowler said. "We're very excited about him being a leader for us."

Flanking Goff on the strong side is senior Marcus Buggs (5-11, 235), the team's top tackle-for-loss artisan (10.5) last year. A former safety whose cousin, Waymon, starred as a receiver at Vandy in the '80s, Buggs has the best instincts for pass coverage among the linebackers.

The 'Dores graduated weak-side starter Kevin Joyce, opening a slot for sophomores Brandon Bryant (6-1, 230) or Patrick Benoist (6-0, 215). Both played in reserve and special-teams roles last year; Bryant registered two forced fumbles and 18 tackles while Benoist posted 14 tackles before a foot injury swaddled him in street clothes for the final four games. A spectacular spring may have given Bryant an edge heading for the fall.

"Bryant is explosive and fast," Fowler said. "He can make a lot of things happen."

Benoist is a leading candidate to back up Goff in the middle. Freshman Nate Campbell (6-3, 228) was probably a twisted ankle away from tossing the redshirt aside last season; he'll back up Buggs on the strong side.

Sophomore Chris Johnson (6-1, 230) also dabbled at the Mike in the spring, but he should find a reserve role awaiting at either outside slot.

Austin Newton (6-2, 215) slides out from defensive end to linebacker as a redshirt freshman.

The Commodores were certainly fortunate in starting a healthy trio of Goff, Buggs and Joyce throughout the 2006 season. This year, it's more imperative that Goff and Buggs play every Saturday. Although Bryant, Benoist and Campbell are promising prospects, none of them has the merit badges earned by the two seniors.

Version 1.0 of the 2006 Vanderbilt pass defense highlights the fact that the Commodores shaved more than 25 yards per game allowed from two seasons ago while starting two first-year players at cornerback.

Version 2.0 of the same unit points a finger at a 60-percent completion rate (highest in the SEC) by opposing quarterbacks. Even Arkansas -- land of Heisman-caliber tailbacks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones -- went up top for all three of its touchdowns against VU last fall.

Which version of the truth wins out this season? That depends on which combination of the six returning cornerbacks who saw extensive action in '06 brings the thickest blankets to fall camp.

The aforementioned first-year starters, sophomores D.J. Moore (5-10, 175) and Joel Caldwell (6-1, 185), were a little toasted around the edges after debuting against Alabama in the second game of 2006.

Moore, who posted 37 tackles and recovered three fumbles as a true freshman, can get manhandled by bigger receivers.

"He got thrown in the fire last year and did a pretty good job," Fowler said of Moore. "He'll do much better, just because he got a lot of action."

After scoring 42 stops but nary an interception last fall, Caldwell got a long look at safety in the spring. If that change holds, another sophomore, Myron Lewis (6-2, 195) could hunker down opposite Moore. Lewis played sparingly (four tackles in 10 appearances) while switching from safety to corner last fall, but he showed outstanding progress in the spring.

Sophomore Darlron Spead (5-10, 185), who was hampered by a knee injury, nevertheless provided at least seven cents' worth of help at nickel back, securing three interceptions and breaking up five other passes.

Former starters Josh Allen (5-9, 182) and Jared Fagan (5-10, 180), both juniors with average cover skills, will factor into any corner discussion.

"It obviously means more experience, but it also means we have some good depth there," Fowler said. "We've got a lot of competition back there."

At corner, Vandy possesses decent depth without clear-cut starters. The opposite is true at safety, where skull-crushing junior Reshard Langford (6-2, 215) and sophomore Ryan Hamilton (6-1, 205) roost.

With 23 consecutive starts, an All-SEC Freshman certificate and 51 tackles last fall (third-most on the squad), Langford's credentials are impeccable.

Teammates relish his bruising style and leadership.

In his first season of action, Hamilton flew solo on 36 of his 43 tackles.

At strong safety, Langford makes more plays on the airborne ball than Hamilton, but both bring heavy timber to the Commodores' run support. The insurance policy for that duo is not fully paid. Sophomore Brent Trice (6-2, 205) played nibbles of all 12 games last year, accumulating eight tackles behind Langford.

Roger Herndon (5-11, 200), a sophomore walk-on from nearby Greenbrier, Tenn., is still learning the position. No wonder Caldwell shifted downfield during the spring.

Vanderbilt's callow secondary held it together until the last two games of '06, when Kentucky and Tennessee victimized the unit for a combined 716 passing yards. If the corners catch on and Langford and Hamilton stay upright, the Commodores should be better along the last line of defense.

"Obviously we're still pretty young back there," Fowler said. "In our league, that's a critical thing."

Sophomore Brett Upson (5-10, 175) averaged 37.4 yards on 52 punts in 2006; a net of 33.5 yards per boot was nothing to brag about. Upson was boomer sooner; he averaged 40 yards a launch in the season's first three games but never better than that through an entire game during the second half of '06.

Hahnfeldt, who punted two years ago before injuring a knee, is Upson's primary challenger.

Christening linebackers coach Warren Belin as special teams coordinator before the 2006 season didn't reap massive dividends in the return game. In fact, Vanderbilt's punt- and kick-return units each ranked among the lowest tenth of Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

While netting 19.6 yards per kickoff return and a scant 5.6 yards per punt return last fall, Alex Washington simultaneously battled a fumble syndrome.

That opens the gates for challengers like Josh Allen -- who fielded 12 kickoffs in '06 -- Sean Walker and D.J. Moore. Earl Bennett may still get a look as a returner, but he is too valuable offensively to risk in special teams.

On the other hand, Vandy wasn't burned for a return touchdown against its coverage units, a nettlesome issue in seasons past. Punter Brett Upson's superior hang time helped Vandy rank 17th in the NCAA in punt coverage.

Raise your hand if you're an SEC East team that didn't go to a bowl game last season -- or any season since 1982.

Grading the Commodores
Unit	Grade
Offense	B-
Special teams	D
Defense	B
Intangibles	A-

That's Vanderbilt's gruesome distinction, a hex that will continue into 2007 if the Commodores don't play above their pay grade.

Opening with four straight home games certainly bodes well, though two three-game stretches will likely determine Vandy's fate. First, there's the October barn dance featuring road trips to Auburn and South Carolina wrapped around a home date against Georgia.

Then, just before the Thanksgiving turkey is slain, VU heads to Florida, hosts Kentucky and drives to Tennessee. One victory in each of these gantlets will allow the Commodores to play in December; the nonconference schedule, outside of Wake Forest, is that soft.

On the other hand, one injury to Bennett or Nickson, and Vanderbilt's postseason desert eats up another year of savanna. Nickson might actually be the more valuable; his scrambling acumen makes up for a scattershot arm, whereas Bennett is totally reliant on his quarterback's aim.

The Commodores are starting to gain ground on the rest of the SEC in terms of athleticism. Execution in critical situations, however, has persistently been a stumbling block. This fall, Vandy might put the two together -- or simply raise its hand again in a class full of bullies.

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 119 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college football, the 2007 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbook.com or call 1-866-805-BALL (2255).