NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Derek Mason has flipped through a few college football previews and saw his Vanderbilt Commodores slotted around 118th in the country. Its not a number he likes, and theres only one way to change it: Win more games.Its very disrespectful to me, the coach said. This football teams got a huge chip on our shoulder.He says its taken the past two years to figure out who we are.We know who we are now. Were not worried about that, he said. Theres some things weve got to iron out with us and college football to help people understand what you get here on West End is going to be good football.After three straight bowl seasons, the Commodores have struggled in Masons first two years. The coach believes his team is ready to turn things around after a 4-8 season. Vandy has 42 juniors on the roster, along with eight starters back on offense and every starter back on defense.The Commodores lost two games by a total of four points, including a 9-7 loss to Florida.I know were better, Mason said.Here are some things to know about Vanderbilt:PASSING AND CATCHING: Mason isnt playing games at quarterback, making it clear Kyle Shurmur is his starter and Wade Freebeck the backup. Shurmur started the final five games last season as a freshman. His first two starts were wins over Missouri and Kentucky. He threw for 503 yards, with three of his five touchdowns coming in the season finale at Tennessee. C.J. Duncan is back from injury to help at receiver, but Trent Sherfield is expected to be the top pass-catcher.The receivers also spent about six weeks working with Eagles receiver Jordan Matthews. Mix that with a handful of tight ends, and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig is hoping an offense that ranked 116th last year will be much improved.ANCHOR DOWN: Every starter is back on defense, where the Commodores improved last season with Mason acting as coordinator. Vandy ranked 28th nationally giving up 350.5 yards per game and 22nd in scoring defense allowing 21 points per game. Linebacker Zach Cunningham was All-SEC after racking up four sacks, four forced fumbles and 16 + tackles for loss. Nigel Bowden is back after an injury wiped out most of last season.SEASON OPENER: The first game has set the tone for the Commodores the past two seasons with last year featuring a 14-12 loss to Western Kentucky. Now Vanderbilt opens against SEC foe South Carolina on Sept. 1.KEY GAMES: Vanderbilt has a chance to avenge its loss to Western Kentucky on Sept. 24, a road game that follows a visit to Georgia Tech on Sept. 17. The SEC slate features road games at Kentucky (Oct. 8) and Georgia (Oct. 15). Home games include visits from Florida (Oct. 1), Mississippi (Nov. 19) and Tennessee (Nov. 26).PREDICTION: Vanderbilt should end a two-year bowl drought and could win seven games, which would match its total of the past two years combined.---Online:AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalkerCharles Mann Redskins Jersey . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Wes Martin Jersey . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. http://www.redskinsfansproshop.com/Redskins+Doug+Williams+Rush+Jersey.html?cat=1292 . Third-seeded Murray had the easiest path to victory on New Years Eve, barely breaking a sweat during his 6-0, 6-0 win over 2,129th-ranked Qatari wildcard recipient Mousa Shanan Zayed. Darrell Green Redskins Jersey . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Montez Sweat Redskins Jersey . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday.CHASKA, Minn. -- Team USA got off to a strong start Friday at the 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, sweeping Team Europe in the morning foursomes 4-0.But before the session even began, the fans helped set the tone at the first tee, as more than 51,000 fans were crammed onto the course for the first day of matches.With a Ryder Cup golf bag of the late Arnold Palmer standing alone on the ground below (it was from when he captained the U.S. team in 1975), supporters from both sides saluted their hero: AR-NOLD PAL-MER! AR-NOLD PAL-MER! It was enough to give your goose bumps the chills:The American fans, borrowing a chant from their soccer brethren, later chanted: I believe that we will win!To which one of the blue and gold-clad European fans invariably responded: I believe that we will win.And its only Day 1, people. Here are a few other tidbits you might have missed from Friday morning:The sure thing and the surpriseTwo years ago, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed went undefeated as partners, leaving Gleneagles with a 2-0-1 record together. It made sense that U.S. captain Davis Love III not only would pair them again here but also would send the fire-and-ice duo out in the first match against the formidable team of Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson. It was a match the Americans would never trail, as Spieth rolled in birdie putts on the second and third holes. They stayed at least 2-up for the entirety of this one, winning 3 and 2 and keeping that undefeated record intact. Theyll team up again in afternoon four-balls. If they keep winning, dont be surprised to see Spieth and Reed play all four team matches together.Ryder Cup 2016: Complete schedule, rosters and formatThe second match of the morning foursomes session had more twists and turns than a roller coaster. The turning point -- strange as it might sound in the aftermath -- might have been the Americans making a mess of the sixth hole. Phil Mickelson drove one shot out of bounds, followed by Rickie Fowler hitting one against a fence, followed by Lefty trying, unsuccessfully, to hit a right-handed shot. They would lose that hole, but it spurred them on to win each of the next three with birdies. The roller coaster didnt end there, though. The European team of Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan would battle back from 1-down after 10 holes to take a 2-up lead through 14. Directly after that, for the second time in the match, Mickelson and Fowler would win three in a row, culminating with Fowlers brilliant tee shot on the par-3 17th hole that eventually led to a victory. IIt was perhaps the best outcome for two U.ddddddddddddS. players who had the biggest bulls-eyes on their backs heading into the event. -- Jason SobelWheres Tiger?Love, the U.S. captain, said he has a strategy for how he will deploy vice captain Tiger Woods through the weekend. He says he believes people will be watching Tiger watch golf and that he expects that the superstar could buoy certain pairings at crucial moments.So far so good.Woods followed Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar in their foursome match against Lee Westwood and Thomas Pieters. The American pair stormed out to a 5-up lead after eight holes, with Johnsons putting leading the way, before winning the match outright. -- ESPN.com news servicesA fan fashion timeoutFans on both sides did not disappoint Friday. Here are a few memorable looks from Team USA supporters:(P.S. Rocky has looked better.)Sports celeb sightingMichael Jordan ... in the house:Dont count em out yetThat was the message from Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia after the U.S. swept the morning foursomes to go up 4-0 in the Ryder Cup.Its a different game we play in the afternoon, and I think we are all ready, Kaymer said. We are fired up. We want to keep that trophy and bring it home to Europe.Kaymer and Garcia were on the losing end of their match to Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson, who closed them out, 4 and 2, on the 16th hole. The matches were played before massive crowds that were vocal in their support of the American team.Obviously they are very excited, Garcia said. They should be. But you know, its our job to hopefully quiet them down a little bit and see if we can do that this afternoon. -- The Associated PressTip of the hatAs the morning fog cleared during the morning session Friday, some of the Team Europe players, including Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy, were playing without their official baseball caps. Strange? According to team captain Darren Clarke, not really.We dont all wear hats. Some guys wear them. Some guys dont, he said. You know, its not -- the hats are there. I think theres maybe 10 different choices of hats in the locker room and they had the choice if they want to, whichever one they want or if they dont want to wear any at all. Sometimes the guys just, they dont want to wear [them] -- theres no particular reason for it. --Kevin MaguireA fan fashion timeout, Part IITeam Europe fans didnt disappoint, either. Here are a few looks: ' ' '