2013 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

The 2013 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. 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 2013 team was coming off back-to-back bowls for the first time in school history. The 2012 season was the best win percentage since 1955 (.692); the nine wins were the most since 1915, and the 5 SEC wins were the most since 1935. The 2013 team was headed by James Franklin who was in his 3rd and final year at Vanderbilt.[1] It marked the Commodores 123rd overall season, 80th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and its 22nd within the SEC Eastern Division. For the third straight year Vanderbilt had made it to a bowl game. Vandy defeated the Houston Cougars in the BBVA Compass Bowl 41–24. Vanderbilt finished with 9 wins in back to back seasons for the first time in school history.

2013 Vanderbilt Commodores football
BBVA Compass Bowl champion
BBVA Compass Bowl, W 41–24 vs. Houston
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
DivisionEastern Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 23
APNo. 24
Record9–4 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorJohn Donovan (3rd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorBob Shoop (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
Captain
9
Home stadiumVanderbilt Stadium
Seasons
← 2012
2014 →
2013 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Division
No. 5 Missouri x   7 1     12 2  
No. 4 South Carolina   6 2     11 2  
Georgia   5 3     8 5  
No. 24 Vanderbilt   4 4     9 4  
Florida   3 5     4 8  
Tennessee   2 6     5 7  
Kentucky   0 8     2 10  
Western Division
No. 2 Auburn xy$   7 1     12 2  
No. 7 Alabama x%   7 1     11 2  
No. 14 LSU *   5 3     10 3  
No. 18 Texas A&M   4 4     9 4  
Mississippi State   3 5     7 6  
Ole Miss *   3 5     8 5  
Arkansas   0 8     3 9  
Championship: Auburn 59, Missouri 42
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * LSU and Ole Miss vacated all wins (except for Ole Miss' Music City Bowl win) due to NCAA violations.
Rankings from AP Poll

Before the season

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A small amount of controversy occurred when Vanderbilt canceled games at home with Northwestern and away with Ohio State. Letters were sent cancelling the games, with the explicit reason being the need to accommodate Mizzou into Vanderbilt's SEC East Division. Northwestern, like Vanderbilt in the SEC, is the sole private institution in the Big 10, alleged that the real reason was fear on the part of Vanderbilt to continue playing its Big 10 counterpart—a series which had been referred to as the Battle of the Nerds.[2]

Rape case

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On August 9, 2013, four Vanderbilt football players were arrested and indicted for rape. Brandon Vandenburg, Cory Lamont Batey, Brandon E. Banks, and Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie were taken into custody and given a state-mandated HIV test in connection with the Vanderbilt rape case.[3] All four men were charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. They allegedly carried an unconscious 21-year-old female student into a dorm room in the school's Gilette House, and gang-raped and sodomized her on the floor in a 32-minute attack on June 23, 2013.[4][5][6][7][8] They took graphic photos and videos of the rape.[8] The victim (who is White) told the court that after Batey (who is Black) raped her, he urinated on her face while saying she deserved what he was doing to her because of the color of her skin, which sources reported was "That’s for 400 years of slavery you b----."[9][8] The defendants were dismissed from the football team on June 29, 2013 and banned from campus during the six-week investigation that followed.[10] A fifth player, Chris Boyd, pleaded guilty to criminal attempt to commit accessory after the fact and was dismissed from the team but not the university[11] for his role in helping to cover up the rape.[12] Three of the players were convicted, and received prison sentences ranging from 15 years, the minimum allowed by Tennessee law for their crimes, to 17 years. The fourth player accepted a plea deal which included 10 years' probation, and did not receive any jail time.[7][13][8][14]

Coaching staff

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Name Position Year
James Franklin Head coach 3rd
John Donovan Offensive coordinator / running backs coach 3rd
Bob Shoop Defensive coordinator / safeties coach 3rd
Charles Bankins Special teams coordinator / tight ends coach 3rd
Josh Gattis Wide receivers coach 2nd
Herb Hand Run game coordinator / offensive line coach 4th
George Barlow Defensive backs coach 2nd
Brent Pry Co-defensive coordinator / linebackers coach 3rd
Ricky Rahne Quarterbacks Coach 3rd
Sean Spencer Defensive line coach 3rd
Andy Frank Assistant director of football operations 5th
Jemal Griffin Football Chief of Staff 3rd
Michael Hazel Director of football operations 5th
Matt Ruland Assistant Recruiting Coordinator 2nd
Joey Orck Offensive Graduate Assistant 5th
Tom Bossung Head Athletic Trainer 15th
Kevin Colon Associate Director of student athletics 3rd
Dwight Galt Football Strength and Conditioning Director 3rd
Chuck Losey Football Assistant Strength Coach 3rd
Kevin Threlkel Offensive Administrative Assistant 3rd
Luke Wyatt Head equipment manager 31st

[15]

Recruiting

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US college sports recruiting information for 2013 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Zach Cunningham
LB
Pinson, AL Pinson Valley High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Feb 6, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 84
Jordan Cunningham
WR
Fort Lauderdale, FL University School of Nova Southeastern University 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Feb 6, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 82
Brandon Vandenburg
TE
Indio, CA College of the Desert 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 255 lb (116 kg) Jan 20, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 83
Chad Kanoff
QB
Pacific Palisades, CA Harvard-Westlake School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) May 28, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 82
Jay Woods
DT
Jackson, GA Jackson High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 280 lb (130 kg) Aug 16, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 83
Gerald Perry
WR
Memphis, TN Whitehaven High School 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 165 lb (75 kg) May 14, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 76
Darrius Sims
DB
Memphis, TN Whitehaven High School 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Jun 17, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 76
Mitchell Parsons
TE
Parker, OH College of the Desert 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Jan 21, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 77
Taurean Ferguson
DB
Jonesboro, GA Jonesboro High School 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Mar 31, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 74
DeAndre Woods
WR
Clay, AL Clay-Chalkville High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 208 lb (94 kg) Oct 21, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 83
Delando Crooks
OL
Atlanta, GA The New Schools at Carver 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 275 lb (125 kg) Dec 15, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 77
Nathan Marcus
TE
Glen Ellyn, IL Glenbard West High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Apr 11, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 77
Jonathan Wynn
DE
Stone Mountain, GA Stephenson High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Mar 27, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 76
Mack Weaver
DE
Collierville, FL Harding Academy 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 248 lb (112 kg) Aug 22, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 80
Ralph Webb
RB
Gainesville, FL Gainesville High School 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Feb 2, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 76
Latevius Rayford
WR
Memphis, TN Central High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) May 4, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 78
Jalen Banks
DB
Markham, IL Thornton Township High School 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 188 lb (85 kg) Oct 14, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 77
Tre Bell
DB
Union, NJ St. Peter's Preparatory School 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Aug 10, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 82
Nigel Bowden
LB
Macon, GA Central High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Jun 17, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 77
Landon Stokes
DE
Orlando, FL Lake Highland Preparatory School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Jun 26, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 80
Oren Burks
LB
Fairfax Station, VA South County Secondary School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Aug 11, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 79
Ryan White
DB
Louisville, KY Trinity High School 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 188 lb (85 kg) Jul 31, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 80
Carlos Burse
WR
Alpharetta, GA Alpharetta High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jun 14, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 82
Tommy Openshaw
K/P
Jacksonville, FL Creekside High School 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Oct 31, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    RivalsN/A   247Sports: 
Sean Dowling
OL
Fallbrook, CA Fallbrook Union High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 270 lb (120 kg) Dec 22, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 77
Johnny McCrary
QB
Decatur, GA Cedar Grove High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Feb 16, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN grade: 82
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 19   Rivals: 19  247Sports: 19  ESPN: 22
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2013 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 6, 2013.

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 298:15 p.m.Ole MissESPNL 35–3940,350
September 76:30 p.m.Austin Peay*
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
CSSW 38–333,162
September 146:00 p.m.at No. 13 South CarolinaESPNL 25–3581,371
September 2111:00 a.m.at Massachusetts*ESPNewsW 24–716,419
September 286:30 p.m.UAB*
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
ESPN3W 52–2432,467
October 56:30 p.m.Missouri 
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
CSSL 28–5136,892
October 1911:00 a.m.No. 15 Georgia
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN (rivalry)
CBSW 31–2740,350
October 2611:21 a.m.at No. 14 Texas A&MSECTVL 24–5686,584
November 911:00 a.m.at FloridaSECRNW 34–1788,004
November 1611:21 a.m.Kentucky
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN (rivalry)
SECTVW 22–633,488
November 236:00 p.m.at TennesseeESPN2W 14–1097,223
November 3011:21 a.m.Wake Forest*
  • Vanderbilt Stadium
  • Nashville, TN
SECTVW 23–2133,019
January 4, 201412:00 p.m.vs. Houston*ESPNW 41–2442,717
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
APRVRVRVRV24
CoachesRVRVRVRV23
HarrisNot releasedNot released
BCSNot releasedNot released

References

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