2019 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

The 2019 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by sixth-year head coach Derek Mason.

2019 Vanderbilt Commodores football
Conference	Southeastern Conference
Division	Eastern Division
Record	3–9 (1–7 SEC)
Head coach	Derek Mason (6th season)
Offensive coordinator	Gerry Gdowski (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Jason Tarver (2nd season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Vanderbilt Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ← 2018 2020 →

2019 Southeastern Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Division
No. 4 Georgia x		7	–	1					12	–	2
No. 6 Florida		6	–	2					11	–	2
Tennessee *		5	–	3					8	–	5
Kentucky		3	–	5					8	–	5
Missouri *		3	–	5					6	–	6
South Carolina		3	–	5					4	–	8
Vanderbilt		1	–	7					3	–	9
Western Division
No. 1 LSU x$#^		8	–	0					15	–	0
No. 8 Alabama		6	–	2					11	–	2
No. 14 Auburn		5	–	3					9	–	4
Texas A&M		4	–	4					8	–	5
Mississippi State		3	–	5					6	–	7
Ole Miss		2	–	6					4	–	8
Arkansas		0	–	8					2	–	10
Championship: LSU 37, Georgia 10
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions * – Tennessee vacated all wins due to NCAA violations. Missouri was ineligible for postseason due to NCAA sanctions. Rankings from AP Poll

Recruiting

Position key

Back	B		Center	C		Cornerback	CB		Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE		Defensive lineman	DL		Defensive tackle	DT		End	E
Fullback	FB		Guard	G		Halfback	HB		Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR		Offensive tackle	OT		Offensive lineman	OL		Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS		Punter	P		Punt returner	PR		Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB		Safety	S		Tight end	TE		Wide receiver	WR

Recruits

College recruiting information (2019)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Anfernee Orji S	Rockwall, TX	Rockwall	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jul 3, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Dontye Carriere-Williams CB	Miami, FL	Independence C.C.	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Dec 18, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Daevion Davis DT	Madison, AL	James Clemens	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	315 lb (143 kg)	Jun 27, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Devin Boddie ATH	Memphis, TN	Whitehaven	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Jun 27, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Jayden Harrison WR	Nashville, TN	Pearl Cohn	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	187 lb (85 kg)	Jun 30, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Keyon Brooks RB	Acworth, GA	Kennesaw Mountain	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Dec 19, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Brayden Bapst OT	Washington, DC	St. John's College HS	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	246 lb (112 kg)	Nov 6, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Christian James DE	Memphis, TN	Christian Brothers	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	Jun 18, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Justin Harris S	Attalla, AL	Etowah	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Jun 24, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Joel DeCoursey TE	Zionsville, IN	Zionsville	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	Feb 28, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Jamil Muhammad ATH	Madison, AL	James Clemens	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	217 lb (98 kg)	Jun 21, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Donald Fitzgerald OT	Nashville, TN	Hillsboro	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Dec 10, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Jaylen Mahoney CB	Rock Hill, SC	South Pointe	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Sep 3, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Julian Hernandez OG	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Thomas Aquinas	6 ft 2.5 in (1.89 m)	294 lb (133 kg)	Sep 5, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
JR Tran-Reno ATH	Birmingham, AL	Briarwood Christian	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jun 26, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Justin Ball TE	Washington, DC	Gonzaga	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Jun 23, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Gabriel Jeudy CB	Charlotte, NC	Ardrey Kell	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	172 lb (78 kg)	Sep 9, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Brandon Maddox DT	North Augusta, SC	Pima C.C.	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	Dec 15, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Nate Clifton OT	Brentwood, TN	Brentwood Academy	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Dec 17, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Jared Wheatley P	Indian Trail, NC	Porter Ridge	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Nov 4, 2018
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruit ranking:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, 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: "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.

Preseason

SEC media poll

The 2019 SEC Media Days were held July 15–18 in Birmingham, Alabama. In the preseason media poll, Vanderbilt was projected to finish in last in the East Division.^[1]

Media poll (East Division)
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Georgia	1789 (233)
2	Florida	1499 (21)
3	Missouri	1149 (3)
4	South Carolina	883 (1)
5	Tennessee	804 (1)
6	Kentucky	798 (1)
7	Vanderbilt	358

Preseason All-SEC teams

The Commodores had three players selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.

Offense 2nd team Ke'Shawn Vaughn – RB Kalija Lipscomb – WR Jared Pinkney – TE

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	6:30 p.m.	No. 3 Georgia	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry / SEC Nation)	ESPN	L 6–30	40,350
September 7	11:00 a.m.	at Purdue*	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN	BTN	L 24–42	50,506
September 21	11:00 a.m.	No. 4 LSU	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	L 38–66	32,048
September 28	11:00 a.m.	Northern Illinois*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	W 24–18	24,519
October 5	6:30 p.m.	at Ole Miss	Vaught–Hemingway Stadium Oxford, MS (rivalry)	SECN	L 6–31	47,601
October 12	3:00 p.m.	UNLV*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	L 10–34	20,048
October 19	3:00 p.m.	No. 22 Missouri	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	W 21–14	23,900
November 2	6:30 p.m.	at South Carolina	Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC	SECN	L 7–24	71,945
November 9	11:00 a.m.	at No. 10 Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL	ESPN	L 0–56	86,201
November 16	2:30 p.m.	Kentucky	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	L 14–38	23,288
November 23	2:30 p.m.	East Tennessee State*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN Alt.	W 38–0	19,863
November 30	3:00 p.m.	at Tennessee	Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	L 10–28	87,367
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Schedule Source:^[2]

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. #3 Georgia

See also: 2019 Georgia Bulldogs football team

Week 1: #3 Georgia Bulldogs at Vanderbilt Commodores

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
#3 Georgia	14	7	3	6	30
Vanderbilt	0	6	0	0	6

at Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: August 31, 2019
• Game time: 7:30 pm
• Game attendance: 40,350
• TV announcers (ESPN): Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic
• Recap, Box Score

Game information

First quarter UGA – Demetris Robinson 3-yard pass from Jake Fromm (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 11:01. #3 Georgia 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:59. UGA – James Cook 18-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 0:56. #3 Georgia 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 89 yards, 5:34. Second quarter UGA – Brian Herrien 1-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 8:01. #3 Georgia 21–0. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 4:03. VAN – Ryley Guay 26-yard field goal, 2:25. #3 Georgia 21–3. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 5:36. VAN – Ryley Guay 46-yard field goal, 0:04. #3 Georgia 21–6. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:06. Third quarter UGA – Rodrigo Blankenship 50-yard field goal, 7:48. #3 Georgia 24–6. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 5:23. Fourth quarter UGA – Rodrigo Blankenship 37-yard field goal, 7:20. #3 Georgia 27–6. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 2:21. UGA – Rodrigo Blankenship 31-yard field goal, 2:13. #3 Georgia 30–6. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:23. Top passers UGA – Jake Fromm – 15/23, 156 yards, TD VAN – Riley Neal – 14/25, 85 yards Top rushers UGA – D'Andre Swift – 16 rushes, 147 yards VAN – Ke'Shawn Vaughn – 15 rushes, 74 yards Top receivers UGA – Lawrence Cager – 2 receptions, 41 yards VAN – Ke'Shawn Vaughn – 3 receptions, 24 yards

At Purdue

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	7	3	0	14	24
Boilermakers	7	7	14	14	42

See also: 2019 Purdue Boilermakers football team

LSU

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Tigers	28	10	21	7	66
Commodores	7	10	14	7	38

See also: 2019 LSU Tigers football team

Northern Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
Huskies	0	0	10	8	18
Commodores	14	0	7	3	24

See also: 2019 Northern Illinois Huskies football team

At Ole Miss

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	0	6	0	0	6
Rebels	10	0	14	7	31

See also: 2019 Ole Miss Rebels football team

UNLV

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rebels	7	17	0	10	34
Commodores	7	3	0	0	10

See also: 2019 UNLV Rebels football team

Missouri

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Tigers	0	7	7	0	14
Commodores	0	14	0	7	21

See also: 2019 Missouri Tigers football team

At South Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	7	0	0	0	7
Gamecocks	0	14	0	10	24

See also: 2019 South Carolina Gamecocks football team

At Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	0	0	0	0	0
No. 10 Gators	0	14	28	14	56

See also: 2019 Florida Gators football team

Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	3	21	14	0	38
Commodores	14	0	0	0	14

See also: 2019 Kentucky Wildcats football team

East Tennessee State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Buccaneers	0	0	0	0	0
Commodores	7	7	17	7	38

See also: 2019 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team

At Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	3	0	0	7	10
Volunteers	7	14	0	7	28

See also: 2019 Tennessee Volunteers football team

^[3]

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2020 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
3	76	Ke'Shawn Vaughn	RB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers