Western Kentucky Knocks Off Vanderbilt 14-12
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @HogManInLA
The 2015 college football season has officially started off on the wrong foot for second-year Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason. On Thursday night the Commodores dropped their season opener at home 14-12 to Western Kentucky.
Before the game had started if someone had told Coach Mason WKU quarterback Brandon Doughty would only throw for 209 yards with one score, Vanderbilt would have taken that and assumed a win. Reality is Vanderbilt turned the ball over three times repeatedly upending drives leading to the loss despite outgaining WKU 381 to 255.
Sophomore Johnny McCrary got the start for Vanderbilt completing 18 of 34 pass attempts for 217 yards with one touchdown against two picks. The Commodores rushing attack fared well averaging 4.0 yards a carry collecting 164 yards on the ground but the need to throw the ball upended Vandy’s night.
Vandy got on the board first with 1:48 left before halftime on a Tommy Openshaw 49-yard field goal attempt. The Hilltoppers were held scoreless until late in the third quarter when Leon Allen went up the middle on a 4-yard run.
The Commodores answered quickly with another Openshaw field goal, this time from 26-yards out moving the score to 7-6. Western Kentucky took the lead on a Doughty to Tyler Higbee 9-yard pass mid-way through the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt scrambled in the fourth quarter with McCrary finding Trent Sherfield on a 2-yard gain. Hoping to send the game to overtime, Vanderbilt went for the two-point conversion but McCrary could not connect with tight end Nathan Marcus.
Part of Coach Mason’s frustration has to be with an Openshaw missed PAT. The missed PAT forced the two-point conversion and the missed opportunity in overtime.
Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb led all rushers with 70 yards on 18 carries. Leon Allen was the leading rusher for WKU with 62 yards on 16 totes.
Tyler Higbee finished with a big night hauling in four passes for 102 yards with a score. Trent Sherfield also had four receptions and a score tallying 63 yards.
Photo credit: jacksonsun.com; Derek Mason