Sign Up
for the

Vanderbilt Commodores Should Bounce Back Against Austin Peay


Don McPeak-USA TODAY SPORTS

The Vanderbilt Commodores suffered a heartbreaking loss in the 2013 season opener against the Ole Miss Rebels. Vandy seemed to have won the game when quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels connected with Steven Scheu on a 34-yard touchdown pass with 1:30 remaining in the game.

However, Ole Miss struck right back on a 75-yard touchdown scamper by Jeff Scott to steal victory from the jaws of defeat, 39-35.

An old coaching cliche says that you don’t let a team beat you twice. That is the situation Vanderbilt will try to prevent this weekend when they host Austin Peay in Nashville. The ‘Dores cannot have a hangover from the tough loss to Ole Miss and let a team like Austin Peay sneak up on them.

While this should be an easy win for James Franklin and his ‘Dores, the Vandy head coach simply cannot let his team overlook Austin Peay. The Governors are not exactly a juggernaut in the Football Championship Series, having lost to the Tennessee Volunteers 45-0 in last week’s season opener for both teams.

Vanderbilt has been to back-to-back bowl games, and if the Commodores want to make it three in a row, they must win all of the games on the schedule that they are supposed to win. The ‘Dores need to get this victory without looking back or looking ahead to next week’s game against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

While Vandy could easily be 1-0 and riding high right now, they aren’t, and Franklin needs to keep them focused on the primary task at hand — beating Austin Peay on Saturday.

Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

Related:

Vanderbilt Commodores: What We Learned In Week 1, What To Look For In Week 2
Ole Miss, Vanderbilt Ready to Take Down SEC Big Boys
Vanderbilt Receiver Jordan Matthews Pukes on Field, Makes Highlight-Reel Catch

Be sure to check out the Rant Sports 100 in 100 Series, a preview of the top 100 College Football Teams for the 2013 Season!



Around the Web

ZergNet

We Recommend

Partner with USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties