Vanderbilt taking historic season one step at a time

A win on Saturday night would mark the first time since 1943 and only the 11th time in 116 years of Vanderbilt football that the Commodores have started 5-0. That also would put the Commodores a victory away from being bowl eligible for the first time since 1982.

“Believe me, our team realizes that if we don’t play well every week, we’re going to have a hard time winning,” Vanderbilt coach Bobby Johnson said. “We’re not near good enough to take anybody lightly or assume this is an easier game than some before.”

Johnson expects a confident Middle Tennessee team, even though the Blue Raiders (0-3) are winless this season, because they won the past two games in this series — both at Vanderbilt Stadium. He would be right.

Middle Tennessee defensive lineman Quinton Staton said it would be real fun to win three in a row. But the team really wants to win for coach Andy McCollum.

“With all the stuff he has been going through he has kept a positive attitude and tried to keep us positive, so it would mean a lot for us to get him this win,” Staton said.

After the first of those victories in 2001, all eyes were on the Blue Raiders who followed up that season-opening 37-28 win over Vanderbilt with seven more wins. McCollum’s name circulated that year as a possibility for higher profile jobs, including the one at Vanderbilt that went to Johnson.

Now the tables have turned.

Middle Tennessee has had three losing seasons with McCollum’s job security in question, and Vanderbilt is enjoying its first 4-0 start since 1984.

But McCollum said his Blue Raiders took advantage of a bye week to focus on fixing mistakes from the first three games. He said the Raiders aren’t too worried about a Vanderbilt team that sits on top of the SEC’s Eastern Division, tied with perennial powerhouses Florida and Georgia.

“Our kids don’t worry about how big of an underdog they are,” he said. “I think our players went about the week with a great attitude and they are ready to play another game. Our kids are hungry for a win.”

Not as hungry as the Commodores. With every pass, touchdown and win, Vandy seems to break another record.

In Vanderbilt’s 37-13 win over Division I-AA Richmond, Jay Cutler broke the school’s records for total career yards with 7,956 and TD passes with 42.

Freshman Earl Bennett set personal marks with 11 receptions and 124 receiving yards, and Cassen Jackson-Garrison rushed for 119 yards, his first 100-yard game.

Commodore fans are hungry too. The 38,446 at Richmond made up the largest crowd at Vanderbilt Stadium since Auburn visited on Sept. 29, 2001.

“It is such an advantage we haven’t had in the past. I’m just happy we’ve been able to give them some wins,” Cutler said.

Johnson said even though Middle Tennessee hasn’t won, the team has proven it can move the ball with quarterback Clint Marks and enough depth to pull out the upset as a 15 1/2-point underdog.

And that’s enough to keep Johnson and the Commodores from thinking about upcoming visits from No. 4 LSU and No. 7 Georgia.

“We have enough pressure with just worrying about Middle Tennessee,” Johnson said. “We’ve got plenty of motivation and no extra pressure from those two other games. We’re not playing them right now.”