BCSNN Team Preview: 2013 Vanderbilt Commodores

We continue our SEC previews today with a Vanderbilt team that plays tonight against Ole Miss....

Last season: 9-4 (5-3), 4th in the SEC East

Postseason: W vs. North Carolina State 38-24 in the Music City Bowl

Season Outlook: Vanderbilt had it's first 9 win season since 1915 last year, and looks to carry that momentum over into 2013. Coach James Franklin leads an experienced team with more than half the starters returning on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the Commodores will have to replace their entire starting backfield however, as both Jordan "I'm not quite as good as my brother" Rodgers and Zac Stacy, the program's all time leading rusher, have graduated. Look for Austin Carta-Sameuls, a transfer from Wyoming who showed promise as a freshman in the Mountain West to get the first crack at the quarterback spot, while senior Wesley Tate and sophmore Brian Kimbrow battle for the starting tailback job. Carta-Sameuls should have plenty of help as they return the top receiver in the conference from a year ago, and the offensive line returns four of five starters including future NFL draft pick left tackle Wesley Johnson. Defensively, the experience factor should benefit a defense that was 15th in the country in points allowed last year, and returns standout safeties Javon Marshall and Kenny Ladler. Up front, the Dores are solid on the edges with three very good ends, but will need someone to step up at defensive tackle. Vanderbilt has a tough schedule with games at South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Florida, and home games with Ole Miss and Georgia. While I don't think Vandy can win 9 again this year, a bowl game for the Commodores would be a major success. The rape allegations against five players including three projected starters have depleted the Dores significantly this offseason however, and it remains to be seen how their backups progress.

Offense: Carta-Samuels was the 2009 Mountain West Freshman of the Year at Wyoming, and started there for two years amassing 3,655 yards passing and another 758 on the ground before transferring to Vandy in 2011. The dual threat quarterback should ease into Franklin's offense nicely. Running back is a bit more unsettled as Stacy was the focus of the offense for several years. Many pundits expect Wesley Tate to be the starter, but don't be surprised if it's Kimbrow that steals the job. The sophmore was a highly coveted recruit two years ago, and displayed his talent as a true freshman rushing for 413 yards and 6 touchdowns on just 66 attempts (that's a 6.25 ypc for those of you counting at home). At receiver, Vanderbilt boasts the best receiver statistcally in the conference. Senior Jordan Matthews won All-SEC honors last year with 94 catches, 1,323 yards, and 8 touchdowns, breaking the school record. Junior Chris Boyd joined him with 50 catches, 774 yards, and 5 touchdowns, but was dismissed after being embroiled in the rape controversy along with expected starting tight end Brandon Vandenburg. The offensive line has improved tremendously over the last two seasons and the anchor is Johnson, the senior left tackle who hasn't committed a holding penalty in his entire career, despite starting since his first game as a freshman.

Defense: Up front the Dores have a plethora of talent on the end, and a problem with it in the middle. Ends Walker May and Kyle Moestmann will be the starters, but sophmore Caleb Azubike is the most talented player, setting the freshman sack record last year. Tackles Barron Dixon and Vince Taylor are solid, but there's not really much behind them, and someone will have to step up to provide that depth as Vandy's big problem on defense a season ago was the inability to stop the run late in games. The linebacking corps is led by Chase Garnham, a senior who led the team with seven sacks in 2012. Karl Butler is a solid speed rusher from the outside, and Darreon Herring was impressive as a freshman as well. The secondary is the strength of the unit with cornerback Andre Hal recording 14 pass breakups a season ago. The safeties are the linchpin however, with Ladler racking up 90 tackles and Marshall another 60 beside him. Both players are fierce hitters and make it tough for opposing wide receivers to go over the middle, though Marshall is a bit undersized and can get burned by larger wideouts and tight ends.

Special Teams: Placekicker Carey Spear set the record (this is becoming a pattern isn't it?) for field goals made last season with 20. He missed just four kicks the entire year. Punter Richard Kent is gone and the battle for his spot has come down to redshirt freshman Colby Cooke and walk-on Taylor Hudson. Cooke will most likely win the starting job. Reciever Jonathan Krause will be the punt returner and Hal wil handle kickoff duties.

Breakout player: Brian Kimbrow, sophmore, running back, 5'8, 185, Memphis, TN - Kimbrow was highly coveted in the class of 2012 choosing Vanderbilt over offers from Alabama, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. The scat back has blazing speed, being clocked under 4.3 on a number of occasions. His size isn't ideal, but if he can add bit of muscle to his frame without losing speed, he could be the feature back in Nashville this season. He's certainly the most dangerous weapon on the team, as he is nearly impossible to catch in the open field once he's broken away. Detractors will say most of his yards were racked up against UMass and Presbyterian, but 6.5 yards per carry is hard to ignore regardless of the opponent, and Stacy was the feature back for Vandy last year anyway. If Kimbrow can establish himself as the top back for the Commodores look for him to produce some highlight reel moments because of that world class speed.

Key Matchup: vs. Ole Miss, August 29 - Tonight's game is probably the biggest one of the season for Vanderbilt. No one expects that the Commodores are going to beat South Carolina, A&M or Florida on the road or Georgia at home, so this is chance for them to gain their signature win, as the Rebels are expected to be much improved. Both teams come into this game with high expectations after good offseasons (although the rape charges put a damper on that for Vanderbilt somewhat). Losing Boyd and Vandenburg hurts the Commodores, but they have enough weapons to match up with what should be a talented, but inexperienced defense for Ole Miss. Conversely, whether or not the Vandy defense can contain Bo Wallace and the other weapons that the Rebels have amassed should be the deciding factor in the game. I expect this game to set the tone for the seasons of both teams. The winner should win 8 or 9 and go to a decent bowl game. The loser is going to have to scratch and claw to win 6 or 7 and play in the postseason at all. Again, this matchup should actually be fun to watch, and when's the last time you thought that about a Vanderbilt/Ole Miss matchup?