Vanderbilt tries to overcome inconsistency, mistakes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - So much for Vanderbilt taking advantage of any momentum.<br> <br> The Commodores (3-5) failed to capitalize on their upset victory at Georgia by following up with a 31-13 home loss to South Carolina last weekend. The defense forced four turnovers and allowed 327 yards, but the offense failed to move the ball.<br> <br> They converted only one of 12 third-down conversions with Chris Nickson going 4-of-15 for 77 yards passing and Cassen Jackson-Garrison averaging 2.7 yards on 18 rushes. Vandy had three turnovers and averaged 28.7 yards on three punts, giving the Gamecocks a very short field.<br> <br> Coach Bobby Johnson said Monday his Commodores played ``hard,&#39;&#39; but cited lapses in concentration and execution for the loss.<br> <br> ``It was a case of inconsistent plays and too many errors that didn&#39;t give us a chance to win the game. We&#39;re going to concentrate on being more prepared and execute better this week,&#39;&#39; Johnson said.<br> <br> Vanderbilt now travels to Duke (0-7, 0-5) on Saturday for its last break from the Southeastern Conference down the stretch. These teams last met in 2001, but Johnson said the programs often recruit the same athletes because both are among America&#39;s elite private universities.<br> <br> One such player is Commodores center Hamilton Holliday, who was recruited by Duke coach Ted Roof while a Blue Devils assistant.<br> <br> ``Obviously, they&#39;re both great schools. They&#39;re both in great conferences. Both programs are trying to rebuild and re-establish themselves. It came down to where I felt more comfortable. Ted Roof was one of my favorite guys during the recruiting process,&#39;&#39; Holliday said.<br> <br> Like the Commodores, Duke has had a few close losses this season, including last weekend&#39;s 20-15 defeat against Miami. The Devils have lost 15 consecutive games.<br> <br> ``Like us, they&#39;ve lost a bunch of close games,&#39;&#39; said Holliday. ``At any time, (if) they make plays and we don&#39;t, we know they&#39;re going to come out on top.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Playing an unfamiliar out-of-conference opponent late in the season also presents special challenges, according to Johnson. He said there&#39;s so much film now coaches have to pick and choose what to concentrate on in study.<br> <br> ``Especially in Halloween season, we call it &#39;defending ghosts.&#39; You try to defend every play, and get a defense ready for every play they make, or try to pick up every blitz perfectly, and you just get constipated and don&#39;t do anything,&#39;&#39; Johnson said.