The passion was visible in the eyes of their first-year head coach.
Minutes after dropping a heartbreaker to Georgia, James Franklin was poignant, direct and aggressive. Miffed by what he felt was disrespectful trash talk leveled toward his team at the hands of the Bulldogs, Franklin made sure people understood he thinks things are now different at Vanderbilt.
“We’re also going to fight, I want to make sure everyone understands that,” he said. “We are not going to sit back and take stuff from anybody. Anybody. No one. Those days are long gone and they are never coming back — ever.”
It’s not all hot air; the Commodores are backing up their coach’s boisterous barking with their play — at times.
Down 20-7 at halftime on Oct. 15 against UGA, Vanderbilt led a charge, pulling within five after Zac Stacy’s 19-yard touchdown run with 9:15 remaining. But quarterback Jordan Rodgers threw an interception late to seal any hope of the Commodores grabbing their first home win against the Bulldogs since 1991.
Two weeks later, at home against then-No. 10 Arkansas, Vanderbilt held the lead 21-14 at halftime. Leading 28-20 to the start the fourth quarter, the Commodores drove 57 yards to the Razorbacks 3-yard line, a game-clinching touchdown just yards away. But running back Zac Stacy fumbled on the ensuing play. Arkansas returned it 94 yards for a touchdown and converted a 2-point conversion to tie the game. A field goal on the Razorbacks’ next series was all it took to hold on for the win.
Still, Vandy’s play has been enough to garner some respect from Florida, with defensive end Sharrif Floyd saying he has seen a difference from last year’s 2-10 team.
“They’re playing with a little bit more heart in my eyes,” Floyd said Wednesday.
While trying to put to bed a four-game stretch of losses, the Gators are also trying to prevent a longer streak from ending Saturday in The Swamp: Florida has not lost to Vanderbilt since 1988.
“We can’t overlook Vandy one bit,” defensive tackle Omar Hunter said. “They’re a good team; they pushed Georgia to the limit, they pushed Arkansas to the limit.”
However, it doesn’t matter what Florida or any other opponent thinks if Vanderbilt can’t find a way to win. That’s the difference between perception and reality.
But if there’s a sign that Franklin’s words about change are true, it’s that he recognizes the difference.
In another telling moment in front of the media, after espousing all the positives that came from the near defeat to Arkansas, Franklin showed just that Monday.
“The only thing that really matters,” he said, “is the wins and losses.”
Contact Matt Watts at mwatts@alligator.org.
Coach James Franklin said he knows the only thing that will truly change what people think about Vanderbilt is wins.
