2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

The 2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2008–09 college football season. The team's head coach was Bobby Johnson, who served his seventh season in the position. The Commodores played their six home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee.

2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football
Music City Bowl champion
Music City Bowl, W 16–14 vs. Boston College
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Eastern Division
Record	7–6 (4–4 SEC)
Head coach	Bobby Johnson (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	Ted Cain (7th season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Bruce Fowler (7th season)
Base defense	4–3
Captains	Reshard Langford Bradley Vierling George Smith
Home stadium	Vanderbilt Stadium
Seasons ← 2007 2009 →

2008 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 1 Florida x$#		7	–	1					13	–	1
No. 13 Georgia		6	–	2					10	–	3
Vanderbilt		4	–	4					7	–	6
South Carolina		4	–	4					7	–	6
Tennessee		3	–	5					5	–	7
Kentucky		2	–	6					7	–	6
Western Division
No. 6 Alabama x%		8	–	0					12	–	2
No. 14 Ole Miss		5	–	3					9	–	4
LSU		3	–	5					8	–	5
Arkansas		2	–	6					5	–	7
Auburn		2	–	6					5	–	7
Mississippi State		2	–	6					4	–	8
Championship: Florida 31, Alabama 20
# – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll

This was Vanderbilt's first 5–0 start since 1943 and first bowl appearance since 1982, ending a streak of 25 straight losing seasons.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 28	6:30 p.m.	at Miami (OH)*		Yager Stadium Oxford, OH	ESPNU	W 34–13	18,398
September 4	7:30 p.m.	No. 24 South Carolina		Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	ESPN	W 24–17	36,850
September 13	6:00 p.m.	Rice*		Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN		W 38–21	37,370
September 20	6:00 p.m.	at Ole Miss		Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry)		W 23–17	51,281
October 4	5:00 p.m.	No. 13 Auburn	No. 19	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (College Gameday)	ESPN	W 14–13	39,773
October 11	1:30 p.m.	at Mississippi State	No. 13	Davis Wade Stadium Starkville, MS	PPV	L 14–17	43,619
October 18	11:30 a.m.	at No. 10 Georgia	No. 22	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	Raycom	L 14–24	92,746
October 25	2:00 p.m.	Duke*		Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN		L 7–10	38,270
November 8	7:00 p.m.	No. 4 Florida		Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	ESPN2	L 14–42	39,773
November 15	7:00 p.m.	at Kentucky		Commonwealth Stadium Lexington, KY (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 31–24	65,595
November 22	11:30 a.m.	Tennessee		Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry)	Raycom	L 10–20	38,725
November 29	6:00 p.m.	at Wake Forest*		BB&T Field Winston-Salem, NC	ESPNU	L 10–23	25,902
December 31	2:30 p.m.	vs. Boston College*		LP Field Nashville, TN (Music City Bowl)	ESPN	W 16–14	54,250
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released week prior to game All times are in Central time

Season summary

Following a 4–0 start to the season, the Vanderbilt Commodores were ranked for the first time on the AP Poll since 1984.^[1] Following the victory over Auburn, the Commodores were 5–0 for the first time since 1943.^[2] After the good start, the Commodores would lose their next four games before a 31-24 victory over Kentucky that declared them bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. Vandy would then lose their final two games of the regular season. They ended the season by going to the Music City Bowl where they defeated Boston College by a score of 16-14, ending a 53-year bowl victory drought.

Game summaries

Miami (OH)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	17	10	0	7	34
RedHawks	3	7	3	0	13

South Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Gamecocks	7	3	0	7	17
Commodores	0	3	14	7	24

Rice

	1	2	3	4	Total
Owls	14	7	0	0	21
Commodores	7	14	10	7	38

Ole Miss

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	14	3	0	6	23
Rebels	17	0	0	0	17

Auburn

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	13	0	0	0	13
Commodores	0	7	7	0	14

ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Vanderbilt's campus prior to the Auburn game.

Mississippi State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	0	7	0	7	14
Bulldogs	3	0	7	7	17

Georgia

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	0	7	7	0	14
Bulldogs	7	7	7	3	24

Duke

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Devils	0	7	3	0	10
Commodores	0	0	0	7	7

Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
Gators	21	14	7	0	42
Commodores	0	0	7	7	14

Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	14	10	0	7	31
Wildcats	0	7	10	7	24

Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Volunteers	0	20	0	0	20
Commodores	0	0	10	0	10

Wake Forest

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	3	0	0	7	10
Demon Deacons	3	7	7	6	23

Boston College

Main article: 2008 Music City Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	7	0	7	14
Commodores	6	0	7	3	16

Coaching staff

• Bobby Johnson – Head coach
• Ted Cain – Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach
• Bruce Fowler – Defensive coordinator
• Robbie Caldwell – Assistant head coach/offensive line coach
• Rick Logo – Defensive line coach
• Warren Belin – Linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator
• Jamie Bryant – Defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator
• Charlie Fisher – Co-passing game coordinator & wide receivers
• Jacob DeLucia – Co-passing game coordinator & quarterbacks
• Desmond Kitchings – Running backs coach
• Michael Hazel – Assistant director of football operations
• Joey Orck – Offensive quality control
• Andy Frank – Defensive quality control
• Norval McKenzie – Offensive graduate assistant
• Mark Moehring – Defensive graduate assistant
• Tom Bossung – Head athletic trainer
• Brian Reese – Associate director of student athletics
• John Sisk – Director of speed, strength and conditioning
• Luke Wyatt – Head equipment manager
• Gary Veach – Assistant equipment manager