Best and worst: Vanderbilt QB's joke, premature fireworks, chocolate chip cookies

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Not all season openers go off as planned.

Vanderbilt’s went well. MTSU’s did not. The Commodores won 28-6 in Saturday’s game. Players, coaches, fans and even reporters encountered ups and down on opening night.

Here are the best and worst of Saturday’s game:

► More:Vanderbilt shows, immediately, that it can be special in 2017

BEST OF THE NIGHT

Ralph Webb’s catch and Kyle Shurmur’s joke

Webb became the first Vanderbilt running back to post 100 receiving yards in a game since Rodney Williams in 2001. Webb had three catches for 104 yards, including a career-long 73-yard reception.

Vanderbilt coaches hinted before preseason camp that Webb would be used more as a receiver, and his expanded role was a widely-covered topic for the past month. After the win, quarterback Kyle Shurmur joked to reporters, “All you guys ever talked about is how Ralph is a receiver now.”

► More:Vanderbilt football gets big game from Kyle Shurmur, routs MTSU, ends openers losing streak

Strong, though late-arriving, crowd

The game drew an attendance of 26,717, the sixth-largest crowd in Floyd Stadium history. Fans came late, many of them around the end of the first quarter. And that’s a shame for MTSU fans, as they arrived with their team already trailing 14-0.

However, the crowd filled out well before halftime, and it included a good mix of both MTSU blue and Vanderbilt black and gold. MTSU players noticed it.

“We could’ve put on a better show, but we really appreciate them for coming out and supporting us the way they did,” MTSU wide receiver Richie James said. “If you follow me on Twitter, you’d see all week that I was nagging the fans. They came out and showed support.”

Press box chocolate chip cookies

Each press box has its own routine for pregame meals and in-game snacks. MTSU’s long-standing tradition remained intact with a big box of chocolate chip cookies at halftime. Want to put sportswriters at ease on deadline on opening night? Bury them in chocolate sweets. Bravo, Blue Raiders — at least for the press box treat, that is.

More:How Vanderbilt beat MTSU 28-6 in season opener

WORST OF THE NIGHT

Premature fireworks

MTSU didn’t have many highlights, so it was eager to celebrate anything it could. It was a little too eager, in fact. A Brent Stockstill pass initially looked to be caught by Ty Lee for a 19-yard touchdown with 49 seconds remaining, but it was juggled and dropped out of the side of the end zone. However, fireworks were immediately fired over Floyd Stadium — about 20 bursts over 30 seconds — until MTSU finally took a timeout as the premature celebration awkwardly faded.

Oh, that losing feeling

Give MTSU quarterback Brent Stockstill credit for saying exactly how he felt. But his words during the post-game press conference painted the worst feeling of the night.
“We played terrible. For lack of a better term, just embarrassing,” Stockstill said. “The most embarrassing thing I’ve ever been a part of. It’s just unacceptable. We can’t take anything from it.”

Wear earplugs and avoid loud noises

The Tennessean’s Joe Rexrode, Erik Bacharach and Adam Sparks aired a Facebook live video on the turf before the game. The setting seemed picturesque. Players warming up in the background. Cheerleaders tumbling to the left. Fans filing into the stands. But there was only one problem. A booming speaker, located about 20 feet to the right, was set to blast a heavy bassline into the stadium about five minutes into the video. Next time, we will scout the area better, or bring earplugs.

Reach Adam Sparks at asparks@tennessean.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.