Previewing the 2001 Commodore Offense

Wednesday, August 15, 2001

The Commodores return seven starters, including veterans at several key positions, on the offensive unit. A preview of Coach Woody Widenhofer's offense follows:

Quarterbacks
Coach Woody Widenhofer says the current group of quarterbacks is the best he's seen at Vanderbilt in his six years at the school. Senior Greg Zolman has started 24 straight games dating back to his freshman season and needs just 838 yards to become the school's career passing leader. He had an outstanding junior year, finishing second in the SEC in passing with 221.9 yards per game. Six times, he threw for more than 250 yards.

The backups, sophomore Benji Walker and senior Tim Olmstead, were both impressive during the spring. Neither has much game experience, however. Walker is the most athletic of the Commodore quarterbacks and possesses excellent mobility. He dominated the spring game. Olmstead, a 1999 transfer from Florida, has a strong arm and is a prototype pocket passer.

Waiting in the wings are a pair of true freshmen with excellent credentials, David Koral and Jay Cutler. Koral holds every major California high school passing record and passed for 4,003 yards and 44 TDs his senior year. Cutler is an all-around athlete, and comes from Indiana where he was voted Offensive Player Of The Year and led his team to the state championship.

Running Backs
The Commodores haven't had a game breaker at running back since Jermaine Johnson rushed for 1,000 yards in 1995. Sophomore Ray Perkins flashed moments of brilliance as a true freshman in 2000, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in reserve duty. Perkins is also a dangerous return man who led the SEC and finished 15th in the nation in kickoff return average. Senior Rodney Williams was in danger of fading out of the picture at running back until his outstanding spring season put him back in the mix. Williams led the team in rushing as a freshman in 1998, but his numbers declined the next two years. He enters the 2001 season 10 pounds lighter and in the best shape of his career.

Lew Thomas has bounced back and forth between running back and wide receiver, but will settle into the backfield his senior year. A talented rusher when healthy, he is a valuable reserve. Also figuring in the mix is redshirt freshman Norval McKenzie. He had an excellent spring and is a big back with speed. He should see competition from true freshman Matthew Tant, one of the prize recruits of the 2001 class and a local talent as well.

Tight Ends
The Commodores frequently used a two-tight end formation in 2000, but figure to utilize more three-receiver sets with just one tight end this season. Junior Tom Simone was one of the starting tight ends last year and was a consistent performer, recording at least one catch in seven games. Sophomore Nick Getter is an improving player who saw limited action as a reserve in 2000. He caught four passes and also has experience at fullback. Two more underclassmen, sophomore Zeke Brandon and redshirt freshman Curtis Brancheau provide ample depth.

Receivers
Finding another productive wideout to complement standout Dan Stricker is a top priority in 2001. Stricker emerged as one of the top receivers in the SEC during his sophomore season. He caught 61 passes, the most by a Commodore wideout since 1989, and had five 100-yard games. It was an especially impressive accomplishment because Stricker frequently faced double coverage.

Junior Anthony Jones showed glimpses of his game-breaking ability last year, but was troubled by injuries and inconsistency. Still, his blazing speed and knack for catching the deep ball are a precious commodity. Junior M.J. Garrett has all of the raw ability to produce at wide receiver and finished the season strong with a pair of touchdown catches against Tennessee. The slot receiver position features a pair of dynamic underclassmen, sophomores Chris Young and Ronald Hatcher. Young was an All-American high school quarterback and has tremendous speed and elusiveness. Much of his freshman year was spent adjusting to a new position, but he was productive and finished third on the team in catches. Hatcher is a smallish wideout with superb quickness and speed. A dangerous open-field runner, he ranked sixth in the league in punt returns last year. A trio of upperclassmen, seniors Everett Robinson, Nezih Hasanoglu and junior Ryan Cuffee will compete for playing time in the receiver mix.

Line
The coaching staff is excited about the potential that four of five Commodore starters on the offensive line are upperclassmen with a combined 84 games of playing experience. Anchoring the unit is junior center Jamie Byrum. In his first year as a starter, he was a consistent performer in 2000. He's backed up by sophomore Jason Tant, an improving player in his own right.

At left guard, junior Jim May returns. He has 18 career starts under his belt and is a veteran of SEC battles. Senior Duncan Cave alternated with May at guard last season, but will step in as the starter at right guard in 2001. He is the team's strongest player and holds many of the school's powerlifting records. Junior Brent Peacher provides depth at the guard position.

Senior right tackle Pat Green has the responsibility of protecting Zolman's blindside again this year. The team's biggest player at 6-foot-7, 335 pounds, Green played a key role in a unit that allowed only 15 sacks in 2000. The biggest hole to fill on the line is at left tackle, where a pair of untested, underclassmen are battling for the spot. Sophomore Jordan Pettit gained the upperhand in the battle for the starting job last spring, but redshirt freshman Justin Geisinger shows promise. Adding depth to the tackle position are junior Jordan Hill, redshirt freshman Kenan Arkan and true freshman Nigel Seaman.receivers in the incoming 2001 class.