2008 Music City Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2008 Gaylord Hotels
Music City Bowl
was the eleventh edition of the college football
bowl game
played at LP Field
in Nashville
, Tennessee
. The game started at 2:30 pm US CST (2030 UTC
) on Wednesday, December 31, 2008
. The game, telecast on ESPN
, pitted the Vanderbilt Commodores
against the Boston College Eagles
. The Commodores, playing near their Nashville campus
, won 16–14, earned their first bowl win in exactly 53 years, and completed their first winning season since 1982.
berth with a 30-12 loss to Virginia Tech
in the ACC
Championship Game
. The Eagles still had a major milestone to play for, as a win would have given them a third consecutive 10-win season for the first time in school history.
Vanderbilt's recent football history was practically a reverse image of BC's. The Commodores, long hampered by being the only private school in the Southeastern Conference
, had gone without a winning season since 1982, and entered the 2008 campaign with only three winning seasons in the last 50 years. While BC was on a streak of 10 consecutive bowl appearances, this was Vandy's first bowl game since a trip to the Hall of Fame Bowl
in 1982, and only the fourth in their history.
Despite the Eagles' loss in the ACC title game, they clearly entered the game as the hotter team, winning their last four regular-season games, while Vandy had won only one of their last seven games. The Commodores started out 5-0 for the first time since 1943, rising as high as #13 in the AP Poll
. However, their only win for the rest of the regular season was on November 15, when they visited
Kentucky
and left with a 31-24 win that secured their bowl eligibility
.
Neither team was noted for its offensive prowess during the regular season. BC's offense gained an average of 318.5 yards per game, ranking 94th out of 119 FBS teams. Vandy's offense was statistically even weaker, ranking next-to-last in FBS at 260.9 yards per game. The main strength of both teams was defense. The Eagles entered the game ranked sixth in Division I FBS in total defense, giving up 273.4 yards per game. They also led Division I FBS in interceptions (26), turnovers (36), and shutouts (3), and boasted the ACC's defensive player of the year in linebacker Mark Herzlich
, who returned two of his six interceptions for touchdowns. Vandy was a less impressive but still respectable 29th in total defense at 318.7 yards allowed per game, and also finished second in the SEC in interceptions with 18.
freshman Larry Smith his first career start at quarterback
, proceeded to draw first blood with 11:02 left on a 42-yard field goal by Bryant Hahnfeldt.
After the Commodores forced another Eagles three-and-out on their next series, they got the ball back on their own 35. On their next play from scrimmage, Smith connected with Sean Walker on a 51-yard pass play, giving Vandy a first down at the BC 14. (That play would account for one-fourth of the Commodores' offensive yardage on the day, as they would only gain 200 total yards.) They were unable to put the ball in the end zone, but extended their lead to 6–0 on Hahnfeldt's second field goal of the day, a 26-yarder. The quarter ended with the same score.
Matt Tennant with an injured elbow, and later lost primary punt returner Rich Gunnell to injury. The next play saw the first turnover of the game, as Vanderbilt's All-SEC cornerback
D. J. Moore
helped break up a Davis pass that Ryan Hamilton intercepted at the Vandy 15. However, Moore injured his ankle on that play; while he would return in the second half, he could not finish the game.
BC's next possession saw their only sustained drive of the half. Starting with 8:18 left, the Eagles went on a 17-play drive, including a key fourth-down conversion, that culminated in a 4-yard TD pass from Davis to Montel Harris with 1:27 left. The extra point from Steve Aponavicius gave the Eagles a 7–6 lead, and the Commodores chose to end the half by running out the clock.
Brett Upson punted on fourth down from the BC 41. The punt bounced off the left knee of BC's Paul Anderson and went into the end zone, where Vandy's Sean Richardson
recovered with 10:35 left. The officials huddled briefly and signaled a Vanderbilt touchdown, which was upheld on review
. The ensuing extra point gave the Commodores a 13–7 lead. The remainder of the quarter saw no major action; after two possessions by each team in which the teams moved the ball for only 30 yards combined, the quarter ended with BC driving the ball from their own 3 to their own 41.
Vandy returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 24. On the next play from scrimmage, Eagles defensive end
Jim Ramella was called for a face mask penalty, putting the Commodores on their own 44. After an incompletion and 8-yard run from Smith, another former starting quarterback, Mackenzi Adams, went in for what would be his only play of the game. This proved to be a key play for the Commodores when Herzlich was called for roughing the passer, giving them a first down on the BC 34. Nickson was sacked on the next play from scrimmage, but Smith returned to hit George Smith on a 15-yard pass to the BC 25. After a 3-yard loss on third-and-1, the field goal unit came on, and Hahnfeldt kicked a 45-yarder to give the Commodores a 16–14 lead with 3:26 left.
BC went three-and-out on their next possession, and the Commodores got the ball with 2:24 left. Although they were unable to make a first down in that series, the possession was not unproductive, as BC chose to use all three of their timeouts, apparently to give their offense as much time as possible to drive for a potential winning score. The Eagles would get the ball back after an Upson punt at their own 20 with 2:01 left and no timeouts. After an incompletion and a 16-yard pass play, Davis was intercepted for the second time in the game, this time by Myron Lewis, with 1:36 left. Lewis had been beaten by Larmond on BC's previous touchdown play. With the Eagles out of timeouts, the Commodores ran out the clock for the win.
in the Gator Bowl
on December 31, 1955. This was also their first win ever over an FBS team with at least nine wins at the time of the game.
The Commodores won despite being held to only 200 yards total offense and converting only one of their 15 third-down attempts. BC gained 331 total yards, and had 17 first downs to Vandy's 8. The major differences in the game proved to be the Eagles' three turnovers, one of which turned into the Commodores' only TD; and the 30 yards of penalties that the Eagles picked up on Vandy's final scoring drive.
Befitting a largely defensive game, the MVP was Vandy punter Upson, who averaged 42.6 yards on his nine punts.
Gaylord Hotels
Gaylord Hotels is the hospitality arm of Gaylord Entertainment Company. It oversees four large hotels and convention centers which the company refers to as "resorts":*Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee*Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Florida...
Music City Bowl
Music City Bowl
The Music City Bowl is a post-season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1998.-Site:The first Music City Bowl was played at Vanderbilt Stadium in 1998...
was the eleventh edition of the college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played at LP Field
LP Field
LP Field is a football stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. The game started at 2:30 pm US CST (2030 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
) on Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
. The game, telecast on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, pitted the Vanderbilt Commodores
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...
against the Boston College Eagles
2008 Boston College Eagles football team
The 2008 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Boston College's fourth season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The Eagles were led by...
. The Commodores, playing near their Nashville campus
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, won 16–14, earned their first bowl win in exactly 53 years, and completed their first winning season since 1982.
Preview
For the Eagles, this game was the culmination of their tenth consecutive season in a bowl game, a school record. They also entered the game on a streak of eight consecutive bowl wins, the best in Division I FBS. They ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak, but missed out on a chance to gain a BCSBowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
berth with a 30-12 loss to Virginia Tech
2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2008 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represents Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach is Frank Beamer. Prior to the season, the Hokies were expected to be in a rebuilding mode, recovering after the...
in the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Championship Game
2008 ACC Championship Game
The 2008 ACC Championship Game was a college football game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Boston College Eagles. The game, sponsored by Dr. Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2008 college football season for the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. The Eagles still had a major milestone to play for, as a win would have given them a third consecutive 10-win season for the first time in school history.
Vanderbilt's recent football history was practically a reverse image of BC's. The Commodores, long hampered by being the only private school in the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, had gone without a winning season since 1982, and entered the 2008 campaign with only three winning seasons in the last 50 years. While BC was on a streak of 10 consecutive bowl appearances, this was Vandy's first bowl game since a trip to the Hall of Fame Bowl
All-American Bowl
The All-American Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama from 1977 to 1990. The game was known as the Hall of Fame Classic from 1977 to 1985....
in 1982, and only the fourth in their history.
Despite the Eagles' loss in the ACC title game, they clearly entered the game as the hotter team, winning their last four regular-season games, while Vandy had won only one of their last seven games. The Commodores started out 5-0 for the first time since 1943, rising as high as #13 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. However, their only win for the rest of the regular season was on November 15, when they visited
Commonwealth Stadium (Kentucky)
Commonwealth Stadium is the name of a stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. This stadium, named for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is located on the campus of the University of Kentucky and is the home field for the school's football team, replacing the smaller Stoll Field/McLean Stadium. The field...
Kentucky
2008 Kentucky Wildcats football team
The 2008 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the college football season of 2008-2009. The team's head coach was Rich Brooks, who served his sixth year in the position...
and left with a 31-24 win that secured their bowl eligibility
Bowl eligible
Bowl eligibility in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision College Football is the standard through which teams become available for selection to participate in postseason bowl games. When a team achieves this state, it is described as "bowl-eligible"...
.
Neither team was noted for its offensive prowess during the regular season. BC's offense gained an average of 318.5 yards per game, ranking 94th out of 119 FBS teams. Vandy's offense was statistically even weaker, ranking next-to-last in FBS at 260.9 yards per game. The main strength of both teams was defense. The Eagles entered the game ranked sixth in Division I FBS in total defense, giving up 273.4 yards per game. They also led Division I FBS in interceptions (26), turnovers (36), and shutouts (3), and boasted the ACC's defensive player of the year in linebacker Mark Herzlich
Mark Herzlich
Sandon Mark Herzlich, Jr. is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2011...
, who returned two of his six interceptions for touchdowns. Vandy was a less impressive but still respectable 29th in total defense at 318.7 yards allowed per game, and also finished second in the SEC in interceptions with 18.
First quarter
Vanderbilt kicked off the game, with the kickoff resulting in a touchback. Starting at their own 20-yard line, BC was only able to gain two yards on their first possession, and punted the ball away to the Commodores, who took possession on their own 41-yard line. The home team, who gave redshirtRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
freshman Larry Smith his first career start at quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, proceeded to draw first blood with 11:02 left on a 42-yard field goal by Bryant Hahnfeldt.
After the Commodores forced another Eagles three-and-out on their next series, they got the ball back on their own 35. On their next play from scrimmage, Smith connected with Sean Walker on a 51-yard pass play, giving Vandy a first down at the BC 14. (That play would account for one-fourth of the Commodores' offensive yardage on the day, as they would only gain 200 total yards.) They were unable to put the ball in the end zone, but extended their lead to 6–0 on Hahnfeldt's second field goal of the day, a 26-yarder. The quarter ended with the same score.
Second quarter
The second quarter saw three key injuries, the game's first turnover, and BC's first sustained drive. Early in the quarter, BC lost centerCenter (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
Matt Tennant with an injured elbow, and later lost primary punt returner Rich Gunnell to injury. The next play saw the first turnover of the game, as Vanderbilt's All-SEC cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
D. J. Moore
D. J. Moore
David James "D.J." Moore is an American football cornerback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.-College career:...
helped break up a Davis pass that Ryan Hamilton intercepted at the Vandy 15. However, Moore injured his ankle on that play; while he would return in the second half, he could not finish the game.
BC's next possession saw their only sustained drive of the half. Starting with 8:18 left, the Eagles went on a 17-play drive, including a key fourth-down conversion, that culminated in a 4-yard TD pass from Davis to Montel Harris with 1:27 left. The extra point from Steve Aponavicius gave the Eagles a 7–6 lead, and the Commodores chose to end the half by running out the clock.
Third quarter
BC kicked off, with Vandy returning the ball to their own 27. On the fifth play of the drive, former starting quarterback Chris Nickson entered the game and immediately ran the ball 30 yards to the BC 31, giving the Commodores good position to push for a score. However, the BC defense stiffened, driving Vandy back 11 yards on their next two plays. A third-down incompletion from Smith, who had returned to the game, set the stage for one of the game's key plays.Brett Upson punted on fourth down from the BC 41. The punt bounced off the left knee of BC's Paul Anderson and went into the end zone, where Vandy's Sean Richardson
Seandre Richardson
Seandre "Sean" Richardson is a true junior strong safety for the Vanderbilt Commodores. During the 2008 Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN, Richardson scored the only Vanderbilt touchdown of the game, helping the Commodores defeat the Boston College Eagles 16 to 14....
recovered with 10:35 left. The officials huddled briefly and signaled a Vanderbilt touchdown, which was upheld on review
Instant replay
Instant replay is the replaying of video footage of an event or incident very soon after it has occurred. In television broadcasting of sports events, instant replay is often used during live broadcast, to show a passage of play which was important or remarkable, or which was unclear on first...
. The ensuing extra point gave the Commodores a 13–7 lead. The remainder of the quarter saw no major action; after two possessions by each team in which the teams moved the ball for only 30 yards combined, the quarter ended with BC driving the ball from their own 3 to their own 41.
Fourth quarter
The BC drive stalled on the Vandy 42. The next three possessions, two by Vandy and one by BC, ended in three-and-outs; Upson punted for 51 and 58 yards respectively after each Vandy possession, with the second punt being downed at the BC 11 with 7:46 left. The Eagles offense soon came to life, with Davis connecting with Justin Jarvis for 30 yards on third down from their own 15. After an incompletion on the next play, the Eagles scored, with Davis throwing to Colin Larmond, Jr. for a 45-yard touchdown. The ensuing extra point gave BC a 14–13 lead.Vandy returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 24. On the next play from scrimmage, Eagles defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Jim Ramella was called for a face mask penalty, putting the Commodores on their own 44. After an incompletion and 8-yard run from Smith, another former starting quarterback, Mackenzi Adams, went in for what would be his only play of the game. This proved to be a key play for the Commodores when Herzlich was called for roughing the passer, giving them a first down on the BC 34. Nickson was sacked on the next play from scrimmage, but Smith returned to hit George Smith on a 15-yard pass to the BC 25. After a 3-yard loss on third-and-1, the field goal unit came on, and Hahnfeldt kicked a 45-yarder to give the Commodores a 16–14 lead with 3:26 left.
BC went three-and-out on their next possession, and the Commodores got the ball with 2:24 left. Although they were unable to make a first down in that series, the possession was not unproductive, as BC chose to use all three of their timeouts, apparently to give their offense as much time as possible to drive for a potential winning score. The Eagles would get the ball back after an Upson punt at their own 20 with 2:01 left and no timeouts. After an incompletion and a 16-yard pass play, Davis was intercepted for the second time in the game, this time by Myron Lewis, with 1:36 left. Lewis had been beaten by Larmond on BC's previous touchdown play. With the Eagles out of timeouts, the Commodores ran out the clock for the win.
Recap
Vanderbilt won a bowl game for the first time in exactly 53 years, with their last bowl win being a 25-13 win over AuburnAuburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
on December 31, 1955. This was also their first win ever over an FBS team with at least nine wins at the time of the game.
The Commodores won despite being held to only 200 yards total offense and converting only one of their 15 third-down attempts. BC gained 331 total yards, and had 17 first downs to Vandy's 8. The major differences in the game proved to be the Eagles' three turnovers, one of which turned into the Commodores' only TD; and the 30 yards of penalties that the Eagles picked up on Vandy's final scoring drive.
Befitting a largely defensive game, the MVP was Vandy punter Upson, who averaged 42.6 yards on his nine punts.
Scoring summary
| Quarter | |Time | |Drive | |Team | |Scoring Information | |Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | Time | Boston College | Vanderbilt |
| 7 plays, 35 yards | 3:05 | > align=left|Bryant Hahnfeldt 42–yard field goal | |
| 5 plays, 57 yards | 2:46 | > align=left|Bryant Hahnfeldt 26–yard field goal | |
| 17 plays, 63 yards | 6:51 | > align=left|Montel Harris | |
| — | > align=left|Sean Richardson | ||
| 5 plays, 89 yards | 1:08 | > align=left|Colin Larmond, Jr. 55–yard catch from Dominique Davis, Steve Aponavicius kick good | |
| 7 plays, 48 yards | 3:12 | > align=left|Bryant Hahnfeldt 45–yard field goal | |