2005 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

American college football season February 2026 August 2023 2005 Vanderbilt Commodores football Southeastern Conference Eastern Division SEC 5–6 3–5 Bobby Johnson 4th Ted Cain 4th Multiple Bruce Fowler 4th 4–3 Jay Cutler Moses Osemwegie Vanderbilt Stadium The 2005 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led fourth-year head coach Bobby Johnson, Commodores compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the SEC's Eastern Division. The team played home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt won the first four games of the season, and looked to improve to 5–0 for the first time since the 1940s with a win over Middle Tennessee on October 1. The game came down to the last play of the game, but a failed Vanderbilt field goal attempt allowed Middle Tennessee to come away with the win. The Commodores proceeded to drop its next five games and fall out of bowl eligibility. The season ended on a high note as Vanderbilt recorded its first win over the rival Tennessee Volunteers since 1982 and the program's first win at Tennessee's Neyland Stadium since 1975 by defeating the Volunteers, 28–24, on November 19. Vanderbilt's historic victory eliminated Tennessee from bowl eligibility. The Commodores offense scored 299 points while the defense allowed 321 points on the season. This was quarterback Jay Cutler's senior year. The leading receiver for the Commodores was Earl Bennett. Other members of the team included Jonathan Goff, Thomas Welch, and Chris Williams. Cutler was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He was selected 11th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2006 NFL draft the following spring, becoming the first Vanderbilt player to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft since Will Wolford in 1986. Schedule 2005 AP Central September 1 6:00 p.m. w y y Wake Forest Groves Stadium Winston-Salem, NC ESPNU 24–20 25,384 September 10 6:00 p.m. w y Arkansas Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR 28–24 68,215 September 17 11:30 a.m. w Ole Miss Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN rivalry JPS 31–23 34,837 September 24 6:00 p.m. w y Richmond Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN 37–13 38,446 October 1 6:00 p.m. l y y Middle Tennessee State Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN ESPNGP 15–17 37,257 October 8 6:00 p.m. l LSU 11 Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN ESPN2 6–34 37,309 October 15 6:15 p.m. l Georgia 5 Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN rivalry ESPN2 17–34 38,822 October 22 2:30 p.m. l y South Carolina Williams–Brice Stadium Columbia, SC ESPNGP 28–35 76,427 November 5 6:15 p.m. l y Florida 13 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Gainesville, FL ESPN2 42–49 2OT 90,140 November 12 1:00 p.m. l Kentucky Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN rivalry 43–48 29,506 November 19 11:30 a.m. w y Tennessee Neyland Stadium Knoxville, TN rivalry JPS 28–24 107,487 Team players drafted into the NFL Player Position Round Pick NFL club Jay Cutler Quarterback1 11 Denver Broncos https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/2006.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20071222092410/http://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/2006.htm 2007-12-22 2006 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com Pro-Football-Reference.com References Vanderbilt Category:Vanderbilt Commodores football seasons Vanderbilt Commodores football Vanderbilt Commodores football