Vanderbilt Quarterback – Duck, Duck, Goose
The Vanderbilt Quarterback position has become a children’s game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Whoever Coach Derek Mason tags on the head has to run out on the field and perform at that moment.
As soon as they get back to the sideline, the quarterback’s sit back down in their chairs, listen to the offensive coordinator in the headset, and then wait for Coach Mason to tap them on the head to see who goes in for the next series.
Coach Mason is not making things easier on himself this season. I realize that the unfortunate head injury to Patton Robinette has put the Commodores in a precarious situation. Robinette is a very serviceable quarterback, and quite the capable leader of this team.
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South Bound & Down
Unfortunately Robinette was turned upside down on his head early in the South Carolina game. He threw a nice touchdown one play later to put Vandy up 14-0 on the Gamecocks. Robinette was clearly shaken after the blow to the head. He suffered yet another concussion, and goose #2 came in to play at that point. That #2 goose being Freshman Wade Freebeck.
Freshman Wade Freebeck started the Georgia game and was ineffective early. He missed a couple of throws early that really did not give his inexperienced receiving corp a chance at catching down the field. They were overthrown and out of bounds. This did not play well with Coach Mason. Georgia poured it on early and it was 21-0 before Vanderbilt’s last players came off of the team bus.
Freebeck was replaced with San Diego Chargers Quarterback Phillip Rivers little brother, Senior Stephen Rivers. Rivers is #3 goose I think. Rivers guided the Commodores to two scoring drives and looked good in doing so. The only problem for Rivers came in the third quarter with the Dores’ driving and down only 27-10.
A play came in from the sideline that made no sense to the quarterback or the receivers on a crucial 4th down. The play is a delayed screen that Vandy usually runs to the left side of the field. The play called however was called to run to the right side (wide side in this case as ball was on left hash). Rivers did not check out of the play and threw the screen back across the field to the wide side of the field.
Defensive Back Devin Bowan stepped in front of the pass and ran to Atlanta for a touchdown to put the game away for the Dawgs. Coach Mason put Freebeck back in to finish up the game.
Freebeck’s passing stats ended at 9/18 for 100 yards and Rivers was 7/13 for 88 yards and a pick 6 on the ill fated screen pass. It is hard to win in Athens without a great quarterback performance. It is hard to win anywhere in the SEC without a great quarterback performance (unless you are Florida).
Tight End Steven Scheu showed some toughness on the field with 5 catches for 74 yards. This season has been tough on a guy that has seen back to back 9 win seasons. Scheu said in postgame interview when asked about the quarterback rotation that “It would be nice to have some continuity and have them put one guy in there and have them stick with them, but whoever it is we have the utmost confidence in”.
Coach Mason eluded to Joe Fisher in a post game interview that he thought that Freebeck needed to “sit on the bench and watch…” after making the throws that gave his receivers no chance at making a play. He thought the young quarterback could learn from these mistakes.
After the pick 6 Mason put Freebeck back in at quarterback to close things out. When asked by Joe Fisher after the game who would start against Charleston Southern this week he mentioned that Patton Robinette was his quarterback. He then mentioned to Fisher there was no quarterback controversy in that Wade Freebeck was the quarterback.
I don’t know who it is, and I feel for Coach Mason trying to figure it out. Rest assured that Vandy fans are restless. With all of the Doctors and Attorney’s that are produced at this University there may be a quarterback coaching malpractice suit in the near future if Coach Mason doesn’t figure it out. Until then…duck, duck, goose.