VandyMania Anchor Awards- Game 4

Vanderbilt pounded Rice, 36-17, on Saturday night. Each week VandyMania.com recognizes top offensive and defensive players. Look inside to see what players VandyMania.com honors this week.

Vanderbilt 36

Rice 17

Commodores thrash Owls in second half.

OFFENSIVE STAR OF THE GAME

WR No. 83 John Cole

To say that the Vanderbilt offense had underachieved in their last three games would be a bit like saying the Hindenburg was slightly flammable. However, despite the design problems, the blimp idea was never abandoned. Modifications were made and now you can see them soaring over NFL and college stadiums all over the country on game days. Just like the idea of a flying airbus the idea that Vanderbilt can have a successful passing attack was never abandoned. Vanderbilt came into the contest against the Rice Owls needing some life in the passing game which had previously struggled in the last two contests. Vanderbilt needed a young receiver to step up and be that part which gets the passing game off the ground and on Saturday they found that guy. Redshirt Freshman John Cole caught seven balls for sixty seven yards and also added a 31-yard run on a reverse for Vanderbilt’s first touchdown. Cole was a major factor in the awakening of a VU passing attack and helped quarterback Larry Smith pass for a career high two hundred and sixty eight yards on the night.

DEFENSIVE STARS OF THE GAME

DE No. 91 Theron Kadri

DT No. 74 T.J. Greenstone

Getting pressure on an offense that can put up the kind of numbers Rice had put up in its previous contest with Oklahoma State is essential. In order to do that it is necessary for the front four to get pressure consistently. Lucky for the Commodores they had not one but two defensive players who just decided to camp out in the Rice backfield all night. Number 91 Theron Kadri and fellow defensive line mate T.J. Greenstone put on a show Saturday night and helped keep the dangerous Rice passing attack off balance. In a large part due to the play of these two, Rice managed a meager 122 passing yards on the night with neither of the two Owl signal callers able to find much of a rhythm all night. Kadri racked up five tackles with two sacks for twelve yards in lost yardage. T.J Greenstone only had three tackles but his constantly being in the backfield left his teammates with a lot of opportunities for big plays and disrupted the Rice offense.