In Vanderbilt football’s not-so-distant past, there were plenty of losses that led to checking the record books, seeking to discover whether the Commodores’ misery had reached a new level.
These days? It’s exactly the opposite.
kAm(:E9 6G6CJ '2?5J G:4E@CJ[ E96 r@>>@5@C6D D66> E@ 36 C64@C5:?8 @?6 DFA6C=2E:G6 27E6C 2?@E96C[ =625:?8 E@ 9:DE@C:4 4@>A2C:D@?D @7 2 72C >@C6 A@D:E:G6 ?2EFC6]k^Am
kAm%96 =2E6DE 6I2>A=6D 42>6 $2EFC52J[ H96? E96 ‘s@C6D E9C2D965 v6@C8:2 $E2E6 f_\a` :? 7C@?E @7 2 D6==@FE 4C@H5 2E u:CDEq2?< $E25:F>[ 62C?:?8 C6G6?86 7@C =2DE J62C’D DEF??:?8 =@DD E@ E96 !2?E96CD 2?5 C:D:?8 EH@ DA@ED E@ }@] `g :? E9:D H66<’D pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD A@==]k^Am
kAmw6C6’D 2 D2>A=:?8 @7 '2?5J’D “7:CDE E:>6 D:?46” >@>6?ED 7C@> E96 4@?E6DEik^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m•k^DEC@?8m '2?56C3:=E :D c\_ E@ DE2CE E96 D62D@? 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 a__g]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m•k^DEC@?8m %96 r@>>@5@C6D 92G6 H@? 6249 @7 E96:C 7:CDE 7@FC 82>6D 3J a_\A=FD A@:?ED 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 `hb_]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m•k^DEC@?8m %96 ‘s@C6D 92G6 D4@C65 b_\A=FD A@:?ED :? 6249 @7 E96:C 7:CDE 7@FC 82>6D 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 `h`e]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m•k^DEC@?8m '2?5J’D f_ A@:?ED D4@C65 H6C6 E96 >@DE A@:?ED D4@C65 D:?46 `h`g[ H96? E96 r@>>@5@C6D 5C@AA65 fe @? %6??6DD66]k^Am
kAm“(6 5:5 ?@E 7@C86E E92E 82>6 7C@> 2 J62C 28@ 2?5 9@H A2:?7F= :E H2D[ 2 A2:?7F= =6DD@?[” '2?5J 4@249 r=2C< {62 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“qFE ,$2EFC52J. H2D @FC ?:89E] p?5 E96 <:5D 42>6 @FE[ E96J DE2CE65 72DE[ E96J >2:?E2:?65 E96 6?6C8J E9C@F89@FE] p =@E @7 8FJD 8@E 2 492?46 E@ 4@?EC:3FE6] (2D AC@F5 @7 E96 H2J H6 C2? E96 32==[ H2D AC@F5 @7 E96 H2J H6 DE@AA65 E96 CF?] yFDE 6I4:E65 7@C E96> E@ 92G6 2 492?46 E@ 46=63C2E6 2?@E96C H:?]”k^Am
kAm'2?5J D4@C65 E@F495@H?D @? :ED 7:CDE D:I A@DD6DD:@?D 2?5 D9@H65 @FEDE2?5:?8 @776?D:G6 32=2?46[ 2D `a A=2J6CD 7:?:D965 E96 82>6 H:E9 2E =62DE @?6 42E49[ `` A=2J6CD 42CC:65 E96 7@@E32== 2E =62DE @?6 E:>6 2?5 D6G6? A=2J6CD D4@C65]k^Am
kAmqFE :E H2D BF2CE6C324< s:68@ !2G:2[ A6C FDF2=[ H9@ H2D E96 6?8:?6[ 4@>A=6E:?8 `g\@7\ac A2DD6D 7@C acd J2C5D 2?5 @?6 E@F495@H?[ H9:=6 CF??:?8 ?:?6 E:>6D 7@C ge J2C5D 2?5 2?@E96C D4@C6]k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 '2?5J’D 7:CDE 7@FC 82>6D[ !2G:2 92D 4@>A=6E65 fb]h A6C46?E @7 9:D A2DD6D WFA 7C@> dh]c A6C46?E =2DE J62CX[ A@DE65 2 E@F495@H? A2DD C2E6 @7 g]f A6C46?E WFA 7C@> e]f A6C46?E :? a_acX 2?5 2G6C2865 h]f J2C5D A6C A2DD 2EE6>AE WFA 7C@> f]f A6C46?E =2DE J62CX]k^Am
kAm!2G:2VD fb]h 4@>A=6E:@? C2E6 C2?<D }@] d ?2E:@?2==J W=6256C yF=:2? $2J6? @7 ~9:@ $E2E6 :D 4@>A=6E:?8 fg]h A6C46?E @7 9:D A2DD6DX]k^Am
kAm“s:68@ :D :>AC@G65[” {62 D2:5] “%92E’D @?6 @7 E96 DE@C:6D x E9:?< E92E’D H@CE9 A2J:?8 2EE6?E:@? E@] %9:D 8FJ :D DE6AA:?8 :?E@ 2?@E96C =6G6= @7 A6C7@C>2?46[ H96C6 96’D D66:?8 E96 82>6 4=62C=J] %96 82>6 :D C62==J D=@H 7@C 9:> C:89E ?@H] w6’D 86EE:?8 FD :? 8@@5 A=2JD 2?5 >2<:?8 8@@5 564:D:@?D H:E9 E96 32==]”k^Am
kAm!C6D62D@? p== p>6C:42? E:89E 6?5 t=: $E@H6CD =65 '2?56C3:=E H:E9 7:G6 42E496D 7@C fb J2C5D[ H9:=6 CF??:?8 324< |2<9:=J? *@F?8 25565 ec J2C5D @? ;FDE EH@ 42CC:6D] '2?56C3:=E C2? bf E:>6D 7@C ahg J2C5D[ 2G6C28:?8 f]f J2C5D A6C 2EE6>AE 282:?DE v6@C8:2 $E2E6 W`\bX]k^Am
kAms676?D:G6=J[ y@C52? |2EE96HD AC@5F465 7@FC E24<=6D 2?5 C64@C565 2 7@C465 7F>3=6[ H9:=6 |:=6D r2A6CD ?@E4965 a]d E24<=6D 7@C =@DD]k^Am
kAm“!C@F5 @7 @FC E62>[ AC@F5 @7 E96 677@CE[” {62 D2:5] “!=2J65 E96 82>6 E96 C:89E H2J[ 2?5 E96 82>6 9@?@CD E@F89?6DD]”k^Am
kAm'2?56C3:=E H:== 36 72G@C65 E@ :>AC@G6 E@ d\_ E9:D $2EFC52J[ H96? E96 r@>>@5@C6D A=2J 9@DE E@ &E29 $E2E6 Wb\`X] %96 p88:6D 92G6 D4@C65 ch 2?5 cg A@:?ED :? H:?D @G6C p:C u@C46 2?5 |4}66D6[ C6DA64E:G6=J[ @G6C E96 A2DE EH@ H66<D[ 3FE &E29 $E2E6 =@DE cc\aa E@ }@] `h %6I2D pU2>Aj| :? (66< a]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D 2 ?6H E62>[” !2G:2 D2:5 H96? 2D<65 23@FE 62C?:?8 C6G6?86 282:?DE v6@C8:2 $E2E6] “%9:D :D 2 ?6H '2?56C3:=E] *@F 766= E96 6?6C8J] *@F 766= E96 72?D 4@>:?8 @FE]”k^Am

