By the Numbers: Vanderbilt

1. Punts by Drew Kaser. This one went for 45 yards, but was very close to being downed on the 1 yard-line. Kaser has only 21 punts on the season with an average of almost 49, and nearly half of them (9) have gone for over 50 yards. Kaser is also the holder on field goals and PATs. Today his holder-to-punt ratio was 8:1, and that's pretty good.

2. As in double. As in we doubled our season total in sacks in one game in the eighth game of the season by racking up seven of them. And they came from everywhere: the steady Gavin Stansbury, the emerging star Claiborne, the veteran Jenkins, and even the freshman DB Ellis who saw his first extensive action picked up a half of one. The packages were well-implemented, but more importantly, the finally-intact secondary was able to give the blitzers a lot of time.

2.2. Yards per rush allowed. Against Auburn it was 6.3. Is that apples and oranges? Probably. But it's not apples and clawhammers. For example: SHSU was 5.7. So, yeah.

3. Picks. Again, the aggressive pass rush combined with finally having our original starting secondary (with Everett and Harris taking turns on Jordan Mathews) led to some good things.

4. FUMBLES OH GOD THE FUMBLES. The T-guys, who are normally so dependable, had a rough day. Trey, Tra, and Travis all had huge fumbles when we were struggling to finish off the 'Dores.

5. Yard. Punt. Patton Robinette's quick kick was sort of a mix of sad and comical. Most people knew it was going to happen, which made it more entertaining.

6. Pick. Howard Matthews opened the second half in dramatic fashion by snagging a difficult interception in the flat and racing untouched into the end zone to increase the team's cushion from 11 to 18, one that they ultimately would never need to worry about again. #31 also led the team with 14 tackles (one for a loss). Howard's taken his lumps over the last couple of games, so it was good to see him out there making plays.

7. Sacks. I mentioned it before, but I was excited. Still am.

8. Catches by Malcome Kennedy, to lead the team in grabs and yards. Of course, everyone will remember the easy 4th down pass he dropped, but I don't think enough can be said about the job he and Derel Walker (who had his first two TDs of the year today) have done in giving Manziel a great second option. Both upperclassmen are averaging over 50 yards per game.

9. Tackles by Gavin Stansbury. This is outstanding for a defensive lineman. He also added a couple of sacks and a QBH. He's been emerging as a stalwart on the DL, and this just solidifies that.

10. Players who had a catch. Johnny Manziel is a generous individual when it comes to football delivery.

21%. Third down conversion rate for Vandy. They had a freshman starting at QB for the first time, but still. This piece is all about manipulating numbers.

95. Rushing yards allowed. That's under a hundred if you're keeping track at home.

1101. Receiving yards on the year for Mike Evans. With 11 touchdowns. Still four games left to play.