CHICO'S OWN JORDAN RODGERS THROWS FOR TWO TOUCHDOWNS AND RUNS FOR ANOTHER AS VANDY GETS BIG WIN OVER THE WOLFPACK IN THE MUSIC CITY BOWL
COURTESY: The Baxter Bulletin
The Southeastern Conference is so strong that now even Vanderbilt, yes Vandy, is winning like the Commodores haven’t in nearly a century.
Pleasant Valley High and Butte College product Jordan Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Vanderbilt Commodores capped their best season since 1915 Monday by beating North Carolina State 38-24 in the Music City Bowl.
Rodgers was nearly flawless in leading Vandy to the win, as the Commodores used a punishing running
attack to control the game from the outset.
The Commodores finished 9-4 for their best record since going 9-1 in 1915, and it’s only the third time the smallest and only private university in the Southeastern Conference has won as many as nine games in a season. They also finished with seven straight wins, their longest streak since winning eight in 1948.
Vanderbilt forced a season-high five turnovers, including four in the first half, and turned those into 17 points.
N.C. State (7-6) wrapped up the season under interim coach Dana Bible snapping a two-game bowl winning streak. The Wolfpack had their fifth game this season with at least four turnovers, and that helped wipe out a 424-225 advantage in total offense.
This was the 27th bowl all-time for N.C. State, and the Wolfpack had every coach working this game except Tom O’Brien, who was fired at the end of the regular season. But a team that ranked second in the Atlantic Coast Conference in turnovers couldn’t overcome its own mistakes, which also included a bad shotgun snap that cost the Wolfpack 21 yards on the opening drive.
Vandy coach James Franklin got a contract extension a month ago for guiding the Dores to a second straight bowl game for the first time in school history. Franklin didn’t change anything that got his Commodores here as he went for it on fourth down, used the wildcat repeatedly and even had senior running back Zac Stacy attempt a halfback pass to Rodgers.
The Commodores took control from the opening drive, moving 65 yards for a touchdown that put them ahead to stay. Officials initially called Chris Boyd out of bounds, but review showed the sophomore got the toes of his right foot down for a 5-yard TD pass from Rodgers.
