Saturday night’s game started, like so many have for Vanderbilt over the last couple of years, with a quick touchdown by the other team: Stanford opened the game up with a 4-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to go ahead 7-0 early in the first quarter.
The Commodores responded, though, with a 14-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game at 7. That wasn’t quite the thing of beauty that Vanderbilt’s 14-play, 98-yard drive in the second quarter was; the second touchdown drive tied the game at 14. Vanderbilt was able to hold Stanford to a field goal on the ensuing drive, and with the Commodores having 1:53 left in the half down just 17-14 and getting the ball to start the second half, the opportunity was there.