Vandy looking for revenge against struggling Blue Raiders

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Posted 6:54AM on Friday, October 11, 2002

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - The Vanderbilt Commodores may be the last program that should ever criticize an opponent for losing. The Commodores are mired in 19 consecutive losing seasons and trying to avoid notching a 20th, further cementing their reputation as the Southeastern Conference's perennial cellar dweller. So when Vanderbilt (1-4) plays Middle Tennessee State (0-5) Saturday night, coach Bobby Johnson expects his Commodores to be properly respectful. ``They have played a very, very tough schedule, and we're not letting that fool us,'' Johnson said. The Blue Raiders are off to their worst start since losing their first eight games in 1980 because the Sun Belt Conference team stacked its schedule. They opened at Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. Vanderbilt will be their fourth SEC opponent in six games and their sixth game on the road. It's been a very frustrating start for a team that went 8-3 last season. ``We have got to learn to win,'' Middle Tennessee coach Andy McCollum said. ``We're a struggling football team right now that is not playing with a lot of confidence.'' McCollum isn't kidding about poor starts. The Blue Raiders have been outscored 66-7 in the first quarter this year, and their defense survived their first game without allowing a touchdown last week and still lost 13-7 to Arkansas State. ``It hurts to lose and we're all looking for answers,'' Middle defensive back Tony Sutton said. ``We're looking for one little thing we can do better to get that win.'' The Commodores may have more incentive than Middle Tennessee for a victory. Their only victory this season came over Division I-AA Furman, and they still have five more SEC games left this season. Then there's that little matter of last season's opener. Middle Tennessee stunned Vanderbilt in that game 37-28, its first and only victory over an SEC team in 21 attempts. The loss was the beginning of the end for former Vandy coach Woody Widenhofer who later resigned. McCollum sees a different attitude out of the Commodores this year. Johnson thinks this series could be good for both schools. ``They're going to bring a lot of people to our stadium. There' s a lot of interest especially after they beat us last year. We read about them. They read about us, and I think it's good,'' he said. Middle Tennessee may or may not have running back Dwone Hicks for a third straight game with an injured left knee. ReShard Lee leads the Sun Belt Conference averaging 5.8 yards per carry. The Commodores will be without their starting quarterback Jay Cutler, who is suspended for this game for violating team rules. He was caught by campus police and charged with four misdemeanors, including vandalizing an emergency phone. Junior Benji Walker will start for the first time in his career, but he did play in each of the first three games. He is 6-of-9 for 48 yards and has rushed five times for 28 yards. McCollum watched Walker in high school and is very familiar with him. ``Benji and Cutler were competing all the way to the first game, so that means there's not too much difference in the two players,'' he said. The Commodores are the SEC's fifth-best rushing team, 28th in the nation, averaging 201.8 yards per game. But they lost starting running back Norval McKenzie to a broken leg in practice earlier this week.