# 2013 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

The 2013 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their seven home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee, which has been Vanderbilt football's home stadium since 1922. The 2013 team was coming off back-to-back bowls for the first time in school history. The 2012 season was the best win percentage since 1955 (.692); the nine wins were the most since 1915, and the 5 SEC wins were the most since 1935. The 2013 team was headed by James Franklin who was in his 3rd and final year at Vanderbilt.
For the third straight year Vanderbilt had made it to a bowl game. Vandy defeated the Houston Cougars in the BBVA Compass Bowl 41–24. Vanderbilt finished with 9 wins in back to back seasons for the first time in school history. This was the last season the Commodores won a bowl game and finished with a winning record until the 2024 season.

## Before the season

A small amount of controversy occurred when Vanderbilt canceled games at home with Northwestern and away with Ohio State. Letters were sent cancelling the games, with the explicit reason being the need to accommodate Mizzou into Vanderbilt's SEC East Division. Northwestern, like Vanderbilt in the SEC, is the sole private institution in the Big 10, alleged that the real reason was fear on the part of Vanderbilt to continue playing its Big 10 counterpart—a series which had been referred to as the Battle of the Nerds.

### Rape case

On August 9, 2013, four Vanderbilt football players were arrested and indicted for rape. Brandon Vandenburg, Cory Lamont Batey, Brandon E. Banks, and Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie were taken into custody and given a state-mandated HIV test in connection with the Vanderbilt rape case. All four men were charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. They allegedly carried an unconscious 21-year-old female student into a dorm room in the school's Gilette House, and gang-raped and sodomized her on the floor in a 32-minute attack on June 23, 2013. They took graphic photos and videos of the rape. The victim (who is White) told the court that after Batey (who is Black) raped her, he urinated on her face while saying she deserved what he was doing to her because of the color of her skin, which sources reported was "That’s for 400 years of slavery you b----." The defendants were dismissed from the football team on June 29, 2013 and banned from campus during the six-week investigation that followed. A fifth player, Chris Boyd, pleaded guilty to criminal attempt to commit accessory after the fact and was dismissed from the team but not the university for his role in helping to cover up the rape. Three of the players were convicted, and received prison sentences ranging from 15 years, the minimum allowed by Tennessee law for their crimes, to 17 years. The fourth player accepted a plea deal which included 10 years' probation, and did not receive any jail time.

## Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Year |
| James Franklin | Head coach | 3rd |
| John Donovan | Offensive coordinator / running backs coach | 3rd |
| Bob Shoop | Defensive coordinator / safeties coach | 3rd |
| Charles Bankins | Special teams coordinator / tight ends coach | 3rd |
| Josh Gattis | Wide receivers coach | 2nd |
| Herb Hand | Run game coordinator / offensive line coach | 4th |
| George Barlow | Defensive backs coach | 2nd |
| Brent Pry | Co-defensive coordinator / linebackers coach | 3rd |
| Ricky Rahne | Quarterbacks Coach | 3rd |
| Sean Spencer | Defensive line coach | 3rd |
| Andy Frank | Assistant director of football operations | 5th |
| Jemal Griffin | Football Chief of Staff | 3rd |
| Michael Hazel | Director of football operations | 5th |
| Matt Ruland | Assistant Recruiting Coordinator | 2nd |
| Joey Orck | Offensive Graduate Assistant | 5th |
| Tom Bossung | Head Athletic Trainer | 15th |
| Kevin Colon | Associate Director of student athletics | 3rd |
| Dwight Galt | Football Strength and Conditioning Director | 3rd |
| Chuck Losey | Football Assistant Strength Coach | 3rd |
| Kevin Threlkel | Offensive Administrative Assistant | 3rd |
| Luke Wyatt | Head equipment manager | 31st |

### Recruiting

College recruiting information (2013) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Zach Cunningham LB | Pinson, AL | Pinson Valley High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Feb 6, 2013 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| Jordan Cunningham WR | Fort Lauderdale, FL | University School of Nova Southeastern University | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Feb 6, 2013 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Brandon Vandenburg TE | Indio, CA | College of the Desert | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | Jan 20, 2013 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Chad Kanoff QB | Pacific Palisades, CA | Harvard-Westlake School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | May 28, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Jay Woods DT | Jackson, GA | Jackson High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Aug 16, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Gerald Perry WR | Memphis, TN | Whitehaven High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | May 14, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Darrius Sims DB | Memphis, TN | Whitehaven High School | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jun 17, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Mitchell Parsons TE | Parker, OH | College of the Desert | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | Jan 21, 2013 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Taurean Ferguson DB | Jonesboro, GA | Jonesboro High School | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Mar 31, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 74 |||||||
| DeAndre Woods WR | Clay, AL | Clay-Chalkville High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 208 lb (94 kg) | Oct 21, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Delando Crooks OL | Atlanta, GA | The New Schools at Carver | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | Dec 15, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Nathan Marcus TE | Glen Ellyn, IL | Glenbard West High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Apr 11, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Jonathan Wynn DE | Stone Mountain, GA | Stephenson High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Mar 27, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Mack Weaver DE | Collierville, FL | Harding Academy | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 248 lb (112 kg) | Aug 22, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Ralph Webb RB | Gainesville, FL | Gainesville High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Feb 2, 2013 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Latevius Rayford WR | Memphis, TN | Central High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | May 4, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Jalen Banks DB | Markham, IL | Thornton Township High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | Oct 14, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Tre Bell DB | Union, NJ | St. Peter's Preparatory School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Aug 10, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Nigel Bowden LB | Macon, GA | Central High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | Jun 17, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Landon Stokes DE | Orlando, FL | Lake Highland Preparatory School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jun 26, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Oren Burks LB | Fairfax Station, VA | South County Secondary School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Aug 11, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Ryan White DB | Louisville, KY | Trinity High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | Jul 31, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Carlos Burse WR | Alpharetta, GA | Alpharetta High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Jun 14, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Tommy Openshaw K/P | Jacksonville, FL | Creekside High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Oct 31, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Sean Dowling OL | Fallbrook, CA | Fallbrook Union High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Dec 22, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Johnny McCrary QB | Decatur, GA | Cedar Grove High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Feb 16, 2012 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 19 Rivals: 19 247Sports: 19 ESPN: 22 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2013 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 6, 2013. |||||||

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 29 | 8:15 p.m. | Ole Miss | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN (rivalry) | ESPN | L 35–39 | 40,350 |
| September 7 | 6:30 p.m. | Austin Peay* | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | CSS | W 38–3 | 33,162 |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 13 South Carolina | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC | ESPN | L 25–35 | 81,371 |
| September 21 | 11:00 a.m. | at Massachusetts* | Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MA | ESPNews | W 24–7 | 16,419 |
| September 28 | 6:30 p.m. | UAB* | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN3 | W 52–24 | 32,467 |
| October 5 | 6:30 p.m. | Missouri | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | CSS | L 28–51 | 36,892 |
| October 19 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 15 Georgia | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN (rivalry) | CBS | W 31–27 | 40,350 |
| October 26 | 11:21 a.m. | at No. 14 Texas A&M | Kyle FieldCollege Station, TX | SECTV | L 24–56 | 86,584 |
| November 9 | 11:00 a.m. | at Florida | Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville, FL | SECRN | W 34–17 | 88,004 |
| November 16 | 11:21 a.m. | Kentucky | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN (rivalry) | SECTV | W 22–6 | 33,488 |
| November 23 | 6:00 p.m. | at Tennessee | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN (rivalry) | ESPN2 | W 14–10 | 97,223 |
| November 30 | 11:21 a.m. | Wake Forest* | Vanderbilt StadiumNashville, TN | SECTV | W 23–21 | 33,019 |
| January 4, 2014 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Houston* | Legion FieldBirmingham, AL (BBVA Compass Bowl) | ESPN | W 41–24 | 42,717 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time |||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
| AP | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | 24 |
| Coaches | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | 23 |
| Harris | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |
| BCS | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |