Since 1960, the Vanderbilt Commodores have had four winning seasons, attended two bowl games (winning neither) and gone winless 16 times in the Southeastern Conference. The Misssissippi State Bulldogs (1-3) are a 13-point underdog to Vanderbilt (0-3) in Saturday’s game.
Vanderbilt and Mississippi State will meet for just the 19th time with MSU holding the series lead, 10-6-2. The last time the Commodores knocked off the Bulldogs was in Nashville in 1988 when they edged Rocky Felker’s Bulldogs 24-20.
Junior Kyle York will step in at quarterback for Omarr Conner, who sprained his MCL early in the third quarter of State’s 51-0 loss to No. 13 LSU.
York will be making his third career start. As a red shirt freshman in 2002 York replaced Kevin Fant in the Bulldogs opening game versus Oregon. York completed 18-of-37 passes for 192 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, against the Ducks.
In York’s second career start he completed a career-high, 19-of-29 (65.5 percent) passes for 149 yards and one interception in the Bulldogs 29-17 win over Memphis.
“I respect him and I think our staff respects him for the individual he is,” said head coach Sylvester Croom. “I’m sure he will give us great leadership. Even as backup quarterback he’s been a good leader for us.”
True freshman Mike Henig will also see playing time in this weekend’s game.
Croom said the coaches have been grooming Henig from the start.
“I told him to prepare every week just like he was going to play and I told him that he was going to travel to every game,” Croom said. “I told him on the sidelines during the LSU game, ‘You will play next week,’ so he’s been getting ready for this.”
Henig, who grew up in Montgomery, Ala., looks forward to making plays for the Bulldogs.
“I was always an Auburn fan, but that has no significance anymore,” Henig said with a laugh.
Henig was rated the top quarterback at the 2003 summer Bowden Quarterback Camp. He won the camp’s long throw competition with a 64.5-yard toss.
He was also selected to the EA Sports Elite 11 quarterback camp that summer, just one of 100 quarterbacks nationwide to be extended an invitation.
Vandy O versus MSU D
The Commodore offense is built around the option and the play of junior quarterback Jay Cutler.
Earlier this year Vanderbilt faced Mississippi (1-3) in Oxford. The Rebels could not stop the option, but edged the Commodores in overtime 26-23. Cutler rushed for 60 yards on 22 carries and passed for another 131 yards that day.
“We’re working hard on it this week,” Croom said about defending the option. “The guys really have to be disciplined. It’s something that everybody likes to dabble in to make defenses have to spend a lot of time on doing it.”
Cutler had his best passing game of the season in Vandy’s opening 31-6 loss to South Carolina. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback completed 24 of 38 passes for 270 yards and two interceptions. A USC defender took the second interceptions 98 yards for a score. The Gamecocks held Vanderbilt to 36 rushing yards for the game, which means they shut down the option.
“It’s almost an offense unto itself,” Croom said. “Good drop back pass teams that run the option always compound it.”
Norval McKenzie will be the pitch man on the option for the Commodores. McKenzie was silenced by South Carolina, losing four yards on seven carries, but the senior tailback came back the next week and rushed for 99 yards on 15 carries against Mississippi.
The Bulldog defense ranks 10th in the SEC in rushing defense.
Vandy D versus MSU O
The Vanderbilt defense has not been able to stop the run. South Carolina pounded out 269 rushing yards on 57 carries against Vandy. The Gamecocks’ time of possession was almost 38 minutes and they finished with 453 total yards of offense.
Mississippi ran the ball on the Commodores for 170 yards on 39 carries. Last week in Vandy’s 29-26 loss to Navy (4-0) the Commodores gave up 190 yards on the ground and Navy was a perfect four for four on fourth down conversions.
“Scheme-wise defensively they are not as complex as LSU, but they are very efficient in what they do and they have confidence in what they do,” Croom said.
Navy running back Aaron Polanco ripped through the Vandy defense for a 22-yard touchdown run that sealed the win for the Midshipmen.
The Commodore defense isn’t much better in defending the pass. Opposing quarterbacks have completed 64 percent of their passes and not throw an interception.
The MSU offense ranks last in the SEC in passing and rushing offense.
Injury report
Conner will be out for three weeks with his sprained MCL.
True freshman Keon Humphries has been suffering from a bone infection in his foot. He’s been plagued by the injury since the Tulane game, but was just diagnosed with the bone infection this week. He should be cleared to play within a month but will most likely apply for a medical red shirt.
Senior receiver Ray Ray Bivines might have a chance to play in his first football game in almost a year.
“We’re going to try to put him on the field and see what we get,” Croom said after practice Wednesday. “There’s no way I’m going to count on a great performance from a guy who hasn’t played in a year. I think it’s highly unrealistic to expect a great deal from him.”
Coming into the 2004 season Bivines had played in 32 games and missed only three. The Gautier native missed the last two games of his junior year due to a hamstring injury. He had surgery after the season but suffered a nerve injury and has been out ever since. He began full speed practice with the Bulldogs this week.
“If he were well there’s no question he’d be our best receiver,” Croom said. “Even with the injury you can see that he is a skilled football player.”
Senior McKinley Scott has been practicing with the team full speed. Scott has been out for MSU’s last two games with a hamstring injury he suffered during the Auburn game.
“We sure hope he is going to be able to stay healthy. That would be a huge plus for us. We’d have our two best receivers out there,” Croom said about Scott.
Freshman defensive back Corey Spells has been out with a stress fracture in his foot since August. The Atlanta native has been at practice doing rehabilitation, but Croom said after Wednesday’s practice that Spells will be red-shirted.