2002 SEC Football Previews

 
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    VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

    QUICK FACTS

    Location: Nashville, Tenn.
    Founded: 1873
    Enrollment: 6,235
    Stadium: Vanderbilt (41,201)
    Chancellor: E. Gordon Gee (Utah, '68)
    Faculty Representative: David Williams (Northern Michigan, '69)
    Athletics Director: Todd Turner (North Carolina, '73)
    Head Football Coach: Bobby Johnson (Clemson, '73)
    Off. / Def. Systems: Multiple / 4-3
    All-Time Record: 526-492-50 (.516)
    SEC Championships: 0
    Bowl App. / Record: 3 / 1-1-1 (.500)

    2001 IN REVIEW

    2001 Record: 2-9 (.182) (1-5 H, 1-4 A)
    SEC Record/Finish: 0-8 (0-4 H, 0-4 A) / 6th Eastern
    Bowl: None
    National Ranking: Not Ranked
    Home Attendance: 203,940 (33,991)

    SEC/NCAA Statistical Rankings
    Total Offense: 8th / 62nd (374.7)
    Rushing Offense: 9th / 74th (134.1)
    Passing Offense: 7th / 45th (240.6)
    Scoring Offense: 11th / 95th (20.5)
    Total Defense: 12th / 111th (489.2)
    Rushing Defense: 11th / 93rd (202.4)
    Pass Efficiency Defense: 12th / 112nd (163.9)
    Scoring Defense: 12th / 106th (36.5)

    2001 RESULTS
    (2-9 Overall * 0-8 SEC) 

    Aug. 30		MIDDLE TENNESSEE 	 39,885	 L	28-37
Sept. 8		ALABAMA (JP)		 37,318	 L	9-12
Sept. 22	RICHMOND		 23,107	 W	28-22
Sept. 29	AUBURN			 39,366	 L	21-24
Oct. 13		GEORGIA			 31,847	 L	14-30
Oct. 20		at South Carolina	 83,104	 L	14-46
Oct. 27		at Duke			 18,332	 W	42-28
Nov. 3		at Florida (JP)		 85,052	 L	13-71
Nov. 10		KENTUCKY		 32,422	 L	30-56
Nov. 24		at Tennessee (CBS)	102,519	 L	0-38
Dec. 1		at Ole Miss (JP)	 39,212	 L	27-38


    2001 STATISTICAL LEADERS 

    RUSHING    	G    	ATT  	YDS  	AVG  	PG	TD	
L. Thomas	7	105	675	6.4	96.4	5
R. Williams	11	131	590	4.5	53.6	4
* N. McKenzie	9	13	80	6.2	8.9	0
Vanderbilt	11	367	1475	4.0	134.1	17
Opponents	11	469	2226	4.7	202.4	23	
 
PASSING		G    	ATT  	CMP  	INT  	PCT  	YDS	TD
G. Zolman	11	357	186	9	52.1	2512	14
T. Olmstead	2	10	6	1	60.0	88	0
* B. Walker	4	6	2	1	33.3	48	0
Vanderbilt	11	377	195	11	51.7	2647	14
Opponents	11	333	213	9	64.0	3155	26

RECEIVING	G	REC	YDS	AVG	RPG	TD	
* D. Stricker	11	65	1079	16.6	5.9	8
* M.J. Garrett	11	27	455	16.9	2.4	4
J. Mathenia	11	22	258	11.7	2.0	1
Vanderbilt	11	195	2647	13.6	17.7	14
Opponents	11	213	3155	14.8	19.4	26

PUNTING		NO   	YDS  	AVG  	LP	BLK
J. Webb		57	2358	41.4	78	2
Vanderbilt	59	2358	40.0	78	2
Opponents	33	1338	40.5	61	0

KO RETURNS	NO   	YDS  	AVG  	TD   	LP
* R. Hatcher	29	595	20.5	0	41
J. Mathenia	15	330	22.0	0	36
Vanderbilt	47	956	20.3	0	41
Opponents	37	833	22.5	0	50

PUNT RETURNS	NO   	YDS  	AVG  	TD   	LP
* R. Hatcher	15	107	7.1	0	28
Vanderbilt	15	107	7.1	0	28
Opponents	26	257	9.9	1	55

TACKLES		TOTAL		TFL		SACKS		INT	FC-FR
A. Bradford	116 (80-36)	7.5 (-27)	2 (-18)		0	1-1
* H. Hillenmeyer 72 (44-28)	4 (-22)		2.5 (-20)	0	0-3
N. Morrow	 71 (42-29)	6 (-32)		2 (-21)		1	1-1
H. Lercius	 63 (49-14)	0		0		1	1-0
* J. Giboney	 59 (44-15)	1.5 (-1)	0		2	0-0
* P. Brunner	 59 (31-28)	0		0		0	0-0
    * - Returning Player

    TEAM INFORMATION

    LETTERMEN
    Returning: 41 (21 Offense, 18 Defense, 2 Specialists)
    Lost: 21 (11 Offense, 7 Defense, 3 Specialists)

    STARTERS RETURNING - 16
    Offense (7):
    WR M.J. Garrett (6-3, 202, Sr.)
    TE Tom Simone (6-5, 239, Sr.)
    LT Justin Geisinger (6-4, 320, So.)
    LG Jim May (6-4, 305, Sr.)
    C Jamie Byrum (6-4, 274, Sr.)
    RG Brian Kovolisky (6-7, 281, So.)
    WR Dan Stricker (6-3, 204, Sr.)
    Defense (7):
    NT Brett Beard (6-3, 290, Jr.)
    DE Chuck Losey (6-4, 250, Sr.)
    OLB Hunter Hillenmeyer (6-4, 236, Sr)
    ILB Pat Brunner (6-3, 240, So.)
    CB Aaron McWhorter (6-1, 200, Sr.)
    FS Justin Giboney (6-0, 203, Sr.)
    CB Rushen Jones (6-1, 186, Jr.)
    Specialists (2):
    RS Ronald Hatcher (5-10, 180, Jr.)
    SN Jason Daniels (6-3, 220, Jr.)

    STARTERS LOST * 11
    Offense (4):
    RT Pat Green (6-7, 344, Sr.)
    QB Greg Zolman (6-4, 212, Sr.)
    RB Lew Thomas (6-0, 213, Sr.)
    WR Jason Mathenia (6-1, 180, So.)
    Defense (4):
    DE Wally Conyers (6-7, 285, Sr.)
    ILB Antuian Bradford (6-0, 228, Sr.)
    OLB Nate Morrow (6-4, 245, Sr.)
    SS Harold Lercius (5-11, 196, Sr.)
    Specialists (3):
    P Joe Webb (6-3, 192, Sr.)
    H Justin Purkey (6-3, 205, Sr.)
    PK Jimmy Stover (5-10, 187, Sr.)

    NOTE: Specialists include kicker, punter, holder, snapper, punt returner and kickoff returner if they are not already listed at another offensive or defensive position.

    2002 SCHEDULE 

    Aug. 31		at Georgia Tech		Atlanta
Sept. 7		FURMAN			NASHVILLE
Sept. 14	at Auburn		Auburn
Sept. 21	at Ole Miss		Oxford
Sept. 28	SOUTH CAROLINA		NASHVILLE
Oct. 12		MIDDLE TENNESSEE	NASHVILLE
Oct. 19		at Georgia		Athens
Oct. 26		CONNECTICUT		NASHVILLE
Nov. 2		ALABAMA			NASHVILLE
Nov. 9		FLORIDA			NASHVILLE
Nov. 16		at Kentucky		Lexington
Nov. 23		TENNESSEE		NASHVILLE

    COACH BOBBY JOHNSON

    Alma Mater: Clemson (1973)
    Coaching Experience: Furman Assistant Coach 1976-80; Clemson Academic Counselor 1981; Furman Assistant Coach 1982-92; Clemson Assistant Coach 1993; Furman Head Coach 1994-2001; Vanderbilt Head Coach 2002-. 

    JOHNSON YEAR-BY-YEAR
Year	School	Conf.	 Pct.	 All	 Pct.	Bowl
1994	Furman	 2-6	.250	 3-8	.273
1995	Furman	 5-3	.625	 6-5	.545
1996	Furman	 6-2	.750	 9-4	.692	I-AA Qtrfinals
1997	Furman	 5-3	.625	 7-4	.636
1998	Furman	 3-5	.375	 5-6	.455
1999	Furman	 7-1	.875	 9-3	.750	I-AA 1st Rd.
2000	Furman	 6-2	.750	 9-3	.750	I-AA 1st Rd.
2001	Furman	 7-1	.875	12-3	.800	I-AA Finals
TOTALS		41-23	.641	60-36	.625	8 Years
Playoff Record	 4-4   (.500)

    COMMODORE ASSISTANT COACHES

    Charlie Fisher (Springfield, 1981) - Running Backs
    Bruce Fowler (Furman, 1981) - Defensive Coordinator
    Robbie Caldwell (Furman, 1976) - Asst. Head Coach/Offensive Line
    Ted Cain (Furman, 1974) - Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
    Jimmy Kiser (Furman, 1978) - Quarterbacks
    Warren Belin (Wake Forest, 1990) - Linebackers
    J.D. Hall (Bethune-Cookman, 1993) - Wide Receivers
    Jamie Bryant (Ohio Wesleyan, 1991) - Defensive Backs
    David Turner (Davidson, 1985) - Defensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator

    TOP RETURNEES

    WR DAN STRICKER * 6-3, 204, Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio
    Second-team All-SEC by the league's coaches and AP ... Led the Commodores and was tied for fourth in the SEC with 65 catches for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns ... Receiving yardage total was third in the SEC and 12th in the nation ... Had season-high 12 catches for 204 yards and 2 TDs against Kentucky ... Also had 11 grabs for 169 yards and a score against Ole Miss ... Caught at least three passes in every game but one (South Carolina) last season ... Has 138 career catches for 2,260 yards and 15 TDs.

    CB RUSHEN JONES * 6-1, 186, Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
    Returned in 2001 finale after missing six games due to fractured right wrist ... In finale, had six tackles and two deflected passes in reserve role ... Started 26 consecutive games prior to injury ... In his absence, Vandy opponents averaged 44.8 points per game ... All-SEC Freshman and Third Team Freshman All-American selection in 1999.

    OG JIM MAY * 6-4, 305, Sr., Lilburn, Ga.
    Has started 28 straight games for the Commodores since winning the position midway through his redshirt freshman season ... Started every game at left guard as a junior after starting as a freshman and sophomore at right guard ... Member of SEC Good Works Team.