# 2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

The 2008 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2008–09 college football season. The team's head coach was Bobby Johnson, who served his seventh season in the position. The Commodores played their six home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee.
This was Vanderbilt's first 5–0 start since 1943 and first bowl appearance since 1982, ending a streak of 25 straight losing seasons.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 28 | 6:30 p.m. | at Miami (OH)* | | Yager StadiumOxford, OH | ESPNU | W 34–13 | 18,398 |
| September 4 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 24 South Carolina | | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN | W 24–17 | 36,850 |
| September 13 | 6:00 p.m. | Rice* | | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | | W 38–21 | 37,370 |
| September 20 | 6:00 p.m. | at Ole Miss | | Vaught–Hemingway StadiumOxford, MS (rivalry) | | W 23–17 | 51,281 |
| October 4 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 13 Auburn | No. 19 | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN (College Gameday) | ESPN | W 14–13 | 39,773 |
| October 11 | 1:30 p.m. | at Mississippi State | No. 13 | Davis Wade StadiumStarkville, MS | PPV | L 14–17 | 43,619 |
| October 18 | 11:30 a.m. | at No. 10 Georgia | No. 22 | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA (rivalry) | Raycom | L 14–24 | 92,746 |
| October 25 | 2:00 p.m. | Duke* | | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | | L 7–10 | 38,270 |
| November 8 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 4 Florida | | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN2 | L 14–42 | 39,773 |
| November 15 | 7:00 p.m. | at Kentucky | | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY (rivalry) | ESPN2 | W 31–24 | 65,595 |
| November 22 | 11:30 a.m. | Tennessee | | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN (rivalry) | Raycom | L 10–20 | 38,725 |
| November 29 | 6:00 p.m. | at Wake Forest* | | BB&T FieldWinston-Salem, NC | ESPNU | L 10–23 | 25,902 |
| December 31 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. Boston College* | | LP FieldNashville, TN (Music City Bowl) | ESPN | W 16–14 | 54,250 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released week prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

### Season summary

Following a 4–0 start to the season, the Vanderbilt Commodores were ranked for the first time on the AP Poll since 1984. Following the victory over Auburn, the Commodores were 5–0 for the first time since 1943. After the good start, the Commodores would lose their next four games before a 31-24 victory over Kentucky that declared them bowl eligible for the first time since 1982. Vandy would then lose their final two games of the regular season. They ended the season by going to the Music City Bowl where they defeated Boston College by a score of 16-14, ending a 53-year bowl victory drought.

## Game summaries
### Miami (OH)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commodores | 17 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 34 |
| RedHawks | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 13 |

### South Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Gamecocks | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Commodores | 0 | 3 | 14 | 7 | 24 |

### Rice

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Commodores | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |

### Ole Miss

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commodores | 14 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 23 |
| Rebels | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 |

### Auburn

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Commodores | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Vanderbilt's campus prior to the Auburn game.

### Mississippi State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commodores | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |

### Georgia

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commodores | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |

### Duke

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blue Devils | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Commodores | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |

### Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Gators | 21 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 42 |
| Commodores | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |

### Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commodores | 14 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| Wildcats | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |

### Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Volunteers | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Commodores | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |

### Wake Forest

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commodores | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Demon Deacons | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 23 |

### Boston College

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Commodores | 6 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 16 |

## Coaching staff

* Bobby Johnson – Head coach
* Ted Cain – Offensive coordinator and tight ends coach
* Bruce Fowler – Defensive coordinator
* Robbie Caldwell – Assistant head coach/offensive line coach
* Rick Logo – Defensive line coach
* Warren Belin – Linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator
* Jamie Bryant – Defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator
* Charlie Fisher – Co-passing game coordinator & wide receivers
* Jacob DeLucia – Co-passing game coordinator & quarterbacks
* Desmond Kitchings – Running backs coach
* Michael Hazel – Assistant director of football operations
* Joey Orck – Offensive quality control
* Andy Frank – Defensive quality control
* Norval McKenzie – Offensive graduate assistant
* Mark Moehring – Defensive graduate assistant
* Tom Bossung – Head athletic trainer
* Brian Reese – Associate director of student athletics
* John Sisk – Director of speed, strength and conditioning
* Luke Wyatt – Head equipment manager
* Gary Veach – Assistant equipment manager