VandyMania Anchor Awards- Game 3

Each week VandyMania.com recognizes top offensive and defensive players. Look inside to see what players VandyMania.com honors this week.

Vanderbilt 3

Mississippi State 15

Vanderbilt picked up their second loss of the season thanks to a no-show offensive attack. Despite the poor offensive showing there were fine performances by defensive and special teams players.

SPECIAL TEAMS STAR OF THE GAME

P No. 39 Brett Upson
Photo by Stan Jones

Saturday Night Vanderbilt had many problems. On offense the Commodores just could not get anything right. Normally any kind of three and out spells doom for the team doing all the three and out work. Luckily for the Commodores they have one of the finest punters in all of college football…at least he was Saturday night and his performance backs that statement up without any doubts. Against the Bulldogs from Starkville Brett Upson put on an absolute punting clinic. Brett Upson punted an astounding eleven times in the offensive stinker of the year. Even more impressive is the fact that five of those punts managed to get downed inside the twenty-yard line. Brett also boomed a monster sixty-two yard punt on the night. Brett’s effort may not have resulted in victory but it definitely contributed to Vanderbilt being within reach of a win late in a game that they had produced little to zero offensive success. Hats off to Brett Upson for refusing to give up and giving his best effort in a game that VU desperately needed to win.

DEFENSIVE STAR OF THE GAME

CB No. 25 Jamie Graham
Photo by Stan Jones

Jamie’s status going into this weekends contest was uncertain but the Nashville native did show up with pads on and that usually is great news for Vanderbilt regardless of what side of the ball Jamie plays on. The former offensive jack-of-all-trades has successfully made the transition over to the defensive side of the ball and on Saturday he also showed his super athletic skills could be an asset on kick coverage as well. Jamie played a great game along with every other member of the fine defensive unit Vanderbilt is now putting on fields across the Southeastern Conference. On Saturday Jamie might not have finished as the overall leader in tackles, that honor went to Chris Marve with fifteen. Jamie did however make several key tackles and was every bit as active as any Commodore on the field. #25 contributed seven tackles, a pass breakup and downed a couple of kicks deep in Mississippi State territory that kept the Bulldogs far away from that Commodore end zone.

Up Next Rice looks to avoid what should be “the great awakening” game for Vanderbilt