Frustration brings out tempers at Vandy practice
Commodores regroup after big loss
Vanderbilt football players are in a fighting mood, at least with one another, and coach Derek Mason said that’s a good thing.
Tuesday morning’s closed practice featured a few fights on the field, according to Mason. It was the response he hoped to see after the Commodores’ 38-7 loss at Georgia Tech and heading into Saturday’s game (2:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network) at Western Kentucky.
“Guys were chippy out there. Guys were getting after each other,” Mason said. “There were a couple of fights, which is good. I wanted to see some mustard and some fight out of this football team, and that’s exactly what we saw this morning.”
WKU (2-1) beat Vanderbilt 1412 in Nashville in last season’s opener. And on Saturday, the Commodores (1-2) will be the first SEC team ever to visit the Hilltoppers’ Houchens-Smith Stadium.
“Everybody has a little fire in their stomach,” Vandy quarterback Kyle Shurmur said. “We know we are a lot better than 38-7.”
Mason said he challenged his team’s level of physicality after the loss to Georgia Tech. But he added that the extra aggression in Tuesday’s workout — which is usually the most physical of game week — was a product of players’ frustration over their play.
“They raised it up. I didn’t raise it up,” Mason said. “That’s the response we needed to see.”
When asked who was involved in the on-field fights, defensive lineman Adam Butler said, “I was. … And I would say we pretty much won the day.”
Added safety Oren Burks: “We had a bad taste in our mouth. Guys were excited to get out there. Today, there was a lot of energy. There was some chippiness, but that’s what we need.”
DeveloPMenTs
Gus Malzahn has helped lead Auburn into two national championship games and also coached them through a pair of mediocre seasons. Now, he’s in a much tougher situation.
The Tigers are 1-2 and trying to recover from losses to two current top 10 teams, No. 5 Clemson and No. 10 Texas A&M, that were both in doubt in the fourth quarter.
“I’ve been at Auburn for seven years now, experienced some very good times, a few rough times,” Malzahn said. “The last two losses have probably hurt me worse than any of the others. I fully understand our fan base is disappointed, and they should be.”
The Tigers have another big challenge Saturday when No. 18 LSU (2-1, 1-0) visits Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White will miss the remainder of the season with a right knee injury, Penn State coach James Franklin announced Tuesday. The senior was hurt midway through Penn State’s 34-27 win against Temple on Saturday . ... Florida State freshman quarterback Malik Henry has returned to the team. Henry was suspended by coach Jimbo Fisher on Aug. 20 for a violation of team rules. Fisher said Tuesday that Henry likely will redshirt this season . ... The Atlantic Coast Conference will use rankings by an analytics company, SportSource Analytics, as one of its final tiebreakers that could determine who plays in the championship game.
The image of Westin Graves crouched on the ground with his hand grasping his helmet emerged as the image from Mississippi State’s season-opening loss.
In a game that featured two quarterbacks, a defense that was unable to stop South Alabama and MSU losing a 17-point lead, special teams stuck as the biggest question.
In the two weeks since, inconsistencies continue to plague the Bulldogs, but no unit has bounced back better than special teams as MSU heads north to play UMass on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ESPN3).
“Overall, I think our special teams was solid,” coach Dan Mullen said.
Since missing the potential winning 28-yard field goal attempt against South Alabama, Graves is 4 for 4. He had no issues with kicks of 41 and 37 yards against LSU.
He also helped out in kickoffs.
Logan Cooke continued to punt, but a knee injury forced Graves into an unfamiliar role. His four kickoffs traveled an average of 63.2 yards, about one yard shy of Cooke’s average.
Seven of Cooke’s 10 kickoffs this season resulted in touchbacks. Graves didn’t have a touchback, but LSU’s average start position was the 23-yard line.
“I didn’t kick them through the end zone like Logan does but special teams, the other 10 guys made the tackles made the plays,” Graves said.
Cooke’s injury prevented him from kicking off but didn’t hinder his punting.
Cooke sent five of his seven punts inside the 20 and three fell inside the 10, including one at the 1.
His seven punts averaged 38.5 yards and he had a long of 55 yards.
“Special teams as a whole, every unit came out and performed,” Graves said. “I wish we could’ve done a little more.”
The boost from special teams when Mississippi State needed it the most.
Damian Williams received praise in guiding MSU to its second touchdown of the game and pulling the Bulldogs within three.
It might not have happened without the execution of the onside kick.
Graves sent a perfectly bouncing kick downfield. It popped up at the right time and MSU tipped it forward. Dez Harris pounced on it at the LSU 32. Two plays later, MSU scored.
Harris also forced two fumbles against LSU. He stripped Leonard Fournette of the ball twice and finished with a career-high five tackles.
“(Harris) is a really good special teams player,” Mullen said. “Which usually leads to, you’re going to continue to grow and develop and become a good defensive player.”