VANDERBILT FOOTBALL NEWS – 10/21/08
October 21st, 2008 ║ Posted By: Jarred Amato ║ Permalink ║ Tags: Vanderbilt
Make no mistake about it. Vanderbilt players know this Saturday’s Homecoming contest with Duke is the first of their last five chances to pick up win No. 6 and become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years.
“Our guys can count,” said Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson. “They know how many (wins) we’ve got, they know how many we need to be bowl-eligible, they know how many (games) we have left. We’ve all taken math here at Vanderbilt. We’re not trying to hide or ignore it. That’s part of our story this year. We can’t ignore that big thing sitting right over there, staring at us.”
With the final four opponents boasting a 17-9 combined record, the Blue Devils appear to be Vanderbilt’s best opportunity to pick up that elusive sixth win.
“We’ve got to look at it as just another game, but we know it’s important,” said wide receiver Jamie Graham. “We can change history. We can make history around here.”
A few other nuggets from this story:
1) The Dores won’t overlook Duke.
2) Punter Brett Upson was honored as SEC special teams player of the week.
3) Vandy has lost its last five Homecoming contests.
4) The Dores are 3-0 at home for the first time since 1982.
One of the most pleasant surprises this season has been the emergence of redshirt freshman wide receiver Jamie Graham, who caught two touchdown passes against Georgia.
Graham, who also plays basketball for the Commodores, is having a blast in his first season on the gridiron.
“He’s liking it right now,” Johnson said. “We’ll start giving him the ball and see what he can do with it. We like him liking it.”
