Vanderbilt off to best start since 1943

Associated Press

Last update: October 6, 2008 - 8:16 AM

Revenge of the nerds, SEC style.

Vanderbilt did it again, finding a way to beat Auburn 14-13 on Saturday night, upping its record to 5-0 and earning a curtain call from its fans. The last time the Commodores were 5-0 was 1943, when they played a shortened schedule because of World War II that included two victories over Tennessee Tech.

The latest victory helped push Vanderbilt to No. 13 in the AP Top 25. Which means Vandy now ranks higher in the AP football poll than it does in U.S. News and World Report’s list of top academic universities, where it’s tied for 18th with Notre Dame.

Vandy is 3-0 in the SEC and leading a division with Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. Somewhere Dan McGugin is smiling. For those who don’t keep up with turn-of-the-century SEC coaches, McGugin ruled over Vandy’s greatest gridiron success.

From 1904-34, he went 197-55-19 — and the Commodores just haven’t been the same since. The 16 coaches who have followed McGugin are 284-468-24.

Current Vandy coach Bobby Johnson knows his history. When it was suggested by a reporter that the Auburn victory was the greatest in school history, he reminded everyone about McGugin’s teams.

“I don’t know where this one ranks. Back when Dan McGugin was the coach, his teams beat teams 150-0,” Johnson said.

He was only exaggerating a little. In 1915, Vandy beat Mississippi 91-0 and followed it up a week later with a 35-0 victory over Tennessee. Apparently, coach McGugin had a little Steve Spurrier in him.

These Commodores aren’t quite so dominant. Vanderbilt ranks in the bottom half of the SEC in most offensive and defensive categories.

The key has been turnover ratio. Vandy is No. 1 in the country at an average of plus 1.80 per game. Also, Vanderbilt has been among the least penalized teams in the land.

“We still have a lot of work. We can improve in so many ways and we’re going to try and get better,” Johnson said.

Next two weeks key for Tigers
The heavy lifting is just beginning for third-ranked Missouri.

The Tigers broke the 30-year hex in Lincoln with Saturday’s 52-17 victory over Nebraska. But it’s the next two weeks — at home against No. 17 Oklahoma State and on the road against No. 5 Texas — that will determine whether the Tigers stay alive in the national championship race.

Confidence shouldn’t be an issue. The Tigers (5-0, 1-0 Big 12) have scored at least 42 points in each game, and their 53.4-point average ranks behind only Tulsa’s 56.4.

They still average 569 yards despite recording a season-low 462 against Nebraska. Their production was compromised by having a short field for two touchdown drives.

Chase Daniel didn’t put up huge numbers, but he still was 18-for-23 for 253 yards and three touchdowns before turning things over to his backups in the fourth quarter.

No joke! Ball State ranked 25th
David Letterman is going to love this: At No. 25 in the AP college football poll, his alma mater, Ball State.

The Cardinals, who have remained unbeaten while losing one of their best players to a career-ending spine injury, are ranked in the Top 25 for the first time.

On Sept. 20, star receiver Dante Love was injured when he took a head-on hit during the Cardinals’ 42-20 victory over Indiana. Ball State’s first victory against a BCS-conference school was marred by Love’s injury.

He underwent surgery and is expected to make a complete recovery, but Love’s football career is over.

Ball State, located in Muncie, Ind., is probably best known for being the place Letterman went to school. The gap-toothed host of CBS’ “Late Show” has a new reason to boast about Ball State now.

The Cardinals are off to their best start since going 9-0 to begin the 1965 season. They won their sixth consecutive game Saturday night, shutting out Toledo 31-0 to improve to 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference.

“It’s flattering, obviously, but there’s so much season left to play,” sixth-year coach Brady Hoke.

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