2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team The 2011 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2011 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 team ' s head coach was James Franklin , who was in his first year at Vanderbilt . Hired at Vanderbilt on December 17 , 2010 , he was previously the offensive coordinator and " head coach in waiting " at the University of Maryland . Vanderbilt has been a member of the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) since the league ' s inception in 1932 , and has participated in the conference ' s Eastern Division since its formation for the 1992 season . Vanderbilt completed the 2011 regular season with an overall record of 6 – 6 and a mark of 2 – 6 in conference play , finishing in a tie with Kentucky for fourth place in the SEC East . They were invited to the Liberty Bowl where they were defeated by Cincinnati 24 – 31 to finish the season 6 – 7 . 2011 . The seniors on the 2011 Vanderbilt football team became the first class in program history to qualify for a bowl game twice . Vanderbilt had been to bowls in 1955 VS Aunurn , 1974 VS Texas Tech , 1982 VS Air Force , and 2008 VS Boston College . Coaching changes . At the end of the 2010 season , head coach Robbie Caldwell resigned from Vanderbilt . After a long nationwide coaching search , in which Gus Malzahn , Auburn ' s offensive coordinator , nearly accepted the job , James Franklin was hired as the 27th head football coach at Vanderbilt University . Franklin proceeded to hire John Donovan as the new offensive coordinator and Bob Shoop as the new defensive coordinator . Franklin also retained Herb Hand as offensive line coach from the previous Vanderbilt staff , and hired Chris Beatty from West Virginia , who had been Percy Harvin ' s high school coach , as the new wide receivers coach . Recruiting . On February 2 , 2011 , Franklin announced a football recruiting class of 21 athletes . The class has been hailed as one of the best in Vanderbilt football history , especially because Vanderbilt was able to persuade several prospects from larger and nationally known schools , such as Lafonte Thourogood from Virginia Tech , Dillon Van der Wal from Arizona State , and Barron Dixon from Mississippi State . Lafonte Thourogood and Dillon van der Wal were both rated as four star recruits by Scout . com . Game notes . Elon . This game marked the first meeting between these schools . Connecticut . This was the third meeting between these schools . Vandy holds a one - game lead in the series at 2 wins to 1 loss . Mississippi . One of college football ' s oldest rivalries , Vanderbilt and Old Miss have played 85 times since 1894 . Vandy won the first 19 of those games , and Ole Miss did not score in the first ten games . Vandy trails at 37 – 47 – 2 Vandy won last game 30 – 7 . South Carolina . Vandy first played USC in 1961 , but they did not play each other again until 1992 . They have played each year since , with Vandy losing the first seven games . Vandy trails the overall series 4 – 16 , and USC has won the last two games . The score of the most recent game was 3 – 21 in favor of South Carolina . Alabama . Vandy has played Alabama 78 times since 1903 . Vandy won the first five games , but have only won ten more times since . Vandy trails the all - time series 15 – 59 – 4 . Alabama has won the last 20 games ( the 1993 games was forfeited ) . They last played in 2007 , with the result a 10 – 24 Alabama win . Georgia . Vandy has been playing Georgia almost every year since 1893 . Vandy trails 18 – 51 – 2 all - time . Georgia has won the last three games , and the last game was 10 – 34 Georgia . Army . Army and Vandy have played eight games since 1968 . The series is tied at 4 games each . In 2009 , Army won their last meeting in overtime , 13 – 16 . Arkansas . Vandy has played Arkansas eight times since 1949 . Vandy trails the series 2 – 6 , and Arkansas has won the last two last games . The last game was an Arkansas win , 14 – 49 . Florida . Vandy and Florida have been playing since 1945 . Vandy trails 9 – 33 – 2 , and Vandy has lost the last 20 games . In their last meeting , Florida won 14 – 55 . Kentucky . Vandy and Kentucky have played 83 times since 1896 . Vandy won the first nine games , and Kentucky did not score on Vandy for the first eleven games . Vandy trails 38 – 41 – 4 , and Kentucky has won the last two games . The last game was a 20 – 38 Kentucky victory . Tennessee . Vandy and Tennessee have played 105 times . Vandy did not lose for the first 12 games , but since 1928 UT has dominated the series . Overall , Vandy trails 27 – 72 – 5 . Tennessee has won the last five games in the series , and the last game was a 10 – 24 Tennessee win . Wake Forest . Vandy and Wake Forest have played 13 times since 1964 , and this is the only series in which Vandy plays during the 2011 football season that Vandy holds the all - time lead in , at 7 – 6 – 0 . Wake , however , has won the last three . The last game was a 13 – 34 Wake Forest win . Cincinnati . Vanderbilt and Cincinnati have meet 6 times dating back to 1898 Cincinnati holds the lead with 4 wins .