Vanderbilt Commodores (4-7) @ Tennessee Volunteers (7-4) Saturday, November 28, 2015. Photo by Joe Howell"Anchor Down" has been used within the walls of Vanderbilt University's athletic department for more than a decade now, but it didn't become a popular catch phrase for Commodores fans until four or five years ago.
Or about the time Barrett Gouger, who could be the anchor for this year's football team, arrived on campus.
Gouger, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound fifth-year senior from Baylor School, is the favorite to start at center for the Commodores, who open their third season under coach Derek Mason next Thursday night against visiting South Carolina. Vanderbilt's opener will be televised by ESPN.
"Barrett Gouger has been anchoring our offensive line after having just a great summer," Mason said. "He has broken records in the weight room and has done a tremendous job of leading our younger guys around. He's a fifth-year senior who's been around for 50 games here, so he understands what our expectations are.
"He's the old man in the room, and I'm excited about what Barrett is going to do."
Gouger started 10 games last season at right guard and was the backup center to Spencer Pulley. The Soddy-Daisy resident has worked at guard and center since signing in 2012 and had his leadership abilities tested earlier this month with the loss of left tackle Andrew Jelks for a second straight season.
The Commodores return 1,152-yard rusher Ralph Webb and proven receivers C.J. Duncan, Trent Sherfield, Caleb Scott and Darrius Sims for promising sophomore quarterback Kyle Shurmur, but the offense will begin each play with Gouger.
"Everything starts up front, whether on offense or defense, and we preach all the time about having great ball security," Gouger said Monday by phone. "Without the exchange from the center to the quarterback, you won't be able to run any plays. Touching the ball every play is pretty cool, but it's also very important.
"We use a regular snap and a shotgun snap, so I have to be good at both of them. I have to be on target 100 percent of the time."
Gouger is one of two Chattanooga-area players hoping to lead the Commodores back to a bowl game following a two-year absence, with the other being former East Hamilton High cornerback Willie "Tre" Herndon III. The 6-1, 188-pound Herndon was a 12-game starter last season and finished fifth on the team with 45 tackles.
Vanderbilt returns its entire secondary and has eight starters back on each side of the ball.
"Willie played through some adversity last year with some injuries and went through a period where he had to fight to stay on the field," Mason said, "but with that, he became more strong-minded. He's extremely talented, and I think he is going to have a breakout year and become a premier cover guy.
"It's his third year, and in your third year you really start to take the reins and understand everything that's going on around you. He's sized up the competition, and I'm looking forward to seeing Willie play."
Herndon's best game last season occurred in November against Texas A&M, when he had eight tackles and two pass deflections in a 25-0 loss.
The Commodores went 4-8 in 2015, defeating Missouri and Kentucky in Southeastern Conference play, and would have been bowl-eligible were it not for two-point losses to Western Kentucky and Florida. Vanderbilt struggled to a 3-9 debut under Mason in 2014 that included an 0-8 league mark.
Gouger played on Baylor teams that reached the Division II-AA state championship game in each of his final two seasons, and the Commodores went 9-4 and won the Music City Bowl over North Carolina State when he redshirted in 2012. He played a reserve role in 2013, when Vanderbilt swept Florida, Georgia and Tennessee for the first time and went 9-4 again, capping James Franklin's third and final season as coach with a win over Houston in the Birmingham Bowl (known then as the BBVA Compass Bowl).
Gouger believes this year's Commodores will be more like the first two he was around than the last two.
"We've got a bunch of talent and a bunch of great guys on the team, and we definitely act like a team," Gouger said. "Everybody is ready to go, because we think we have a great team here."
With Gouger and Herndon being counted on more than ever.
"Those are two players I expect to have great years," Mason said.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.