3 hours ago
Vanderbilt football defeated Austin Peay 28-9 in a weather-shortened game after it was called with 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter of the season opener Sept. 5 at FirstBank Stadium.
As promised, the Commodores (1-0) played two quarterbacks, with both five-star freshman Jared Curtis and senior Blaze Berlowitz seeing action.
Vanderbilt's defense clamped down after halftime, allowing the Commodores to increase their lead from 15-9 to 28-9.
Here were five things we noticed:
Berlowitz and Curtis each displayed strengths and weaknesses.
#berlowitz #austin
As promised, the Commodores (1-0) played two quarterbacks, with both five-star freshman Jared Curtis and senior Blaze Berlowitz seeing action.
Vanderbilt's defense clamped down after halftime, allowing the Commodores to increase their lead from 15-9 to 28-9.
Here were five things we noticed:
Berlowitz and Curtis each displayed strengths and weaknesses.
#berlowitz #austin
3 hours ago
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Blaze Berlowitz threw for 149 yards and ran for 45 yards and a touchdown as Vanderbilt beat Austin Peay 28-9 in the Commodores' season opener Saturday night that ended with 2:16 left after lightning near the stadium stopped play.
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and Austin Peay coach Jeff Faris huddled with the referees and officials on the field. Then the public announcer said the game was over with the stands mostly emptied before fireworks went off.
Berlowitz made the first start of his career with some of the biggest cheers were reserved for freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who flipped his commitment from Georgia last December. Curtis made his debut just before halftime and finished up in the fourth quarter after Vanderbilt went up 28-9.
Brock Taylor kicked two field goals, his second from 37 yards putting Vanderbilt ahead to stay at 8-6 in the second quarter. Martel Hight returned a blocked extra point for a 2-point conversion, and Sedrick Alexander ran for 60 yards and an 18-yard TD.
Josiah Broxton returned a rushed punt after a high snap 27 yards for a TD to pad Vanderbilt's lead to start the fourth quarter.
#austin #peay #field #went
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and Austin Peay coach Jeff Faris huddled with the referees and officials on the field. Then the public announcer said the game was over with the stands mostly emptied before fireworks went off.
Berlowitz made the first start of his career with some of the biggest cheers were reserved for freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who flipped his commitment from Georgia last December. Curtis made his debut just before halftime and finished up in the fourth quarter after Vanderbilt went up 28-9.
Brock Taylor kicked two field goals, his second from 37 yards putting Vanderbilt ahead to stay at 8-6 in the second quarter. Martel Hight returned a blocked extra point for a 2-point conversion, and Sedrick Alexander ran for 60 yards and an 18-yard TD.
Josiah Broxton returned a rushed punt after a high snap 27 yards for a TD to pad Vanderbilt's lead to start the fourth quarter.
#austin #peay #field #went
6 hours ago
Jared Curtis has entered Vanderbilt football's season opener against Austin Peay on Sept. 5 at FirstBank Stadium.
He entered with 1:32 to go before halftime with the Commodores leading, 15-9, as a loud cheer went up.
Curtis was a 5-star recruit who was the No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2026 who flipped to Vanderbilt from Georgia. He is an in-state product from Nashville Christian School. He battled with returner Blaze Berlowitz for the starting job throughout the preseason, but Berlowitz was tagged to start the opener.
That doesn't mean the competition is over, though. Coach Clark Lea didn't commit to Berlowitz starting any games beyond Austin Peay, saying instead he would decide the starting quarterback on a week-to-week basis as both quarterbacks would play in the opener.
Berlowitz was 8-for-11 passing for 127 yards. He also rushed seven times for 31 yards and a touchdown.
#vanderbilt #austin #entered #quarterback
He entered with 1:32 to go before halftime with the Commodores leading, 15-9, as a loud cheer went up.
Curtis was a 5-star recruit who was the No. 2 quarterback in the class of 2026 who flipped to Vanderbilt from Georgia. He is an in-state product from Nashville Christian School. He battled with returner Blaze Berlowitz for the starting job throughout the preseason, but Berlowitz was tagged to start the opener.
That doesn't mean the competition is over, though. Coach Clark Lea didn't commit to Berlowitz starting any games beyond Austin Peay, saying instead he would decide the starting quarterback on a week-to-week basis as both quarterbacks would play in the opener.
Berlowitz was 8-for-11 passing for 127 yards. He also rushed seven times for 31 yards and a touchdown.
#vanderbilt #austin #entered #quarterback
2 days ago
Vanderbilt football will kick off Clark Lea's sixth season at FirstBank Stadium against Austin Peay.
The Commodores will face the Governors on Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) in a home matchup.
There is plenty of intrigue surrounding Vanderbilt, as Blaze Berlowitz will take the first snaps at quarterback but 5-star freshman Jared Curtis will also play.
Austin Peay (1-0) has already played its first game, defeating Gardner-Webb, 35-17.
Here is our prediction for the matchup:
#vanderbilt #matchup #clark #commodores
The Commodores will face the Governors on Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) in a home matchup.
There is plenty of intrigue surrounding Vanderbilt, as Blaze Berlowitz will take the first snaps at quarterback but 5-star freshman Jared Curtis will also play.
Austin Peay (1-0) has already played its first game, defeating Gardner-Webb, 35-17.
Here is our prediction for the matchup:
#vanderbilt #matchup #clark #commodores
13 days ago
Vanderbilt football is just two weeks out from real games and the depth chart is starting to take shape.
The Commodores will start their season on Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) against Austin Peay at FirstBank Stadium.
Vanderbilt held two preseason scrimmages open to media on Aug. 15 and 22. Those scrimmages gave an early look at what the Commodores could look like this season.
The quarterback battle between Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz is still ongoing, but there are more questions that still remain.
After viewing the scrimmages, here are three unanswered questions:
#questions #sept
The Commodores will start their season on Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) against Austin Peay at FirstBank Stadium.
Vanderbilt held two preseason scrimmages open to media on Aug. 15 and 22. Those scrimmages gave an early look at what the Commodores could look like this season.
The quarterback battle between Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz is still ongoing, but there are more questions that still remain.
After viewing the scrimmages, here are three unanswered questions:
#questions #sept
14 days ago
Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea still has not named a starting quarterback after the Commodores' second scrimmage at FirstBank Stadium on Aug. 22.
Lea said the staff will sit down over the next few days and evaluate where the situation stands. The team will take a day off Aug. 23 before evaluating film the next day. The Commodores are hoping to have a starting quarterback named internally by early next week.
Jared Curtis, the No. 2 quarterback recruit in the 2026 class and the first 5-star to ever commit to the Commodores, is battling with returner Blaze Berlowitz, who was Diego Pavia's backup over the past three years at New Mexico State and then at Vanderbilt.
"I see growth in Jared, I think Blaze continues to do things that he does well," Lea said. "We're going to have to look at the film and we're going to have a lot of conversations. I think in a situation where you're evaluating a freshman, you need to give it time, for his development, for the game to slow down."
Vanderbilt opens its season against Austin Peay on Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) at FirstBank Stadium.
#quarterback #stadium #named
Lea said the staff will sit down over the next few days and evaluate where the situation stands. The team will take a day off Aug. 23 before evaluating film the next day. The Commodores are hoping to have a starting quarterback named internally by early next week.
Jared Curtis, the No. 2 quarterback recruit in the 2026 class and the first 5-star to ever commit to the Commodores, is battling with returner Blaze Berlowitz, who was Diego Pavia's backup over the past three years at New Mexico State and then at Vanderbilt.
"I see growth in Jared, I think Blaze continues to do things that he does well," Lea said. "We're going to have to look at the film and we're going to have a lot of conversations. I think in a situation where you're evaluating a freshman, you need to give it time, for his development, for the game to slow down."
Vanderbilt opens its season against Austin Peay on Sept. 5 (6 p.m. CT, SEC Network+) at FirstBank Stadium.
#quarterback #stadium #named
1 month ago
Vanderbilt is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, going 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the SEC while being in the playoff conversation the whole year. Head coach Clark Lea has built up the Vandy program into something extremely respectful, if not borderline borderline playoff contending – will need a couple more years of sustained success to go that far.
Offense
In 2025, the Commodores finished 8th in the nation in points per game at 38.5 thanks in large part to quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia was the engine of the Vandy offense and finished as the Heisman runner-up. 2026, though, will see a new signal caller under center. Most believe that true freshman and former UGA commit Jared Curtis will be the starter in Week 1. A former five-star recruit and Nashville native, Curtis flipped to Vanderbilt just prior to putting pen to paper for his signing. Curtis is by far the biggest recruit in the history of Vanderbilt football, who had never had even a top 50 commit prior to Curtis signing. Having already drawn comparisons from his head coach Lea, it seems that Curtis will indeed be the starter. Other quarterbacks pushing Curtis for the starting spot are third year quarterback Blaze Berlowitz and and Whit Muschamp, son of Will Muschamp.
Though the quarterback will be new, the main player they will hand the ball off to is not. Sedrick Alexander returns for another year as the starting running back after averaging 5.4 yard per carry and accumulating 15 total touchdowns last season. Alexander will likely be tasked with carrying a bigger workload in 2026 to ease the pressure off the true-freshman Curtis.
The Commodores did lose All-American tight end Eli Stowers who will now be catching passes from Jalen Hurts for the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the loss of their leading pass catcher in terms of receptions, Vanderbilt does return their top wide receiver in Junior Sherrill who led the team with 800 yards through the air.
#vandy #head
Offense
In 2025, the Commodores finished 8th in the nation in points per game at 38.5 thanks in large part to quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia was the engine of the Vandy offense and finished as the Heisman runner-up. 2026, though, will see a new signal caller under center. Most believe that true freshman and former UGA commit Jared Curtis will be the starter in Week 1. A former five-star recruit and Nashville native, Curtis flipped to Vanderbilt just prior to putting pen to paper for his signing. Curtis is by far the biggest recruit in the history of Vanderbilt football, who had never had even a top 50 commit prior to Curtis signing. Having already drawn comparisons from his head coach Lea, it seems that Curtis will indeed be the starter. Other quarterbacks pushing Curtis for the starting spot are third year quarterback Blaze Berlowitz and and Whit Muschamp, son of Will Muschamp.
Though the quarterback will be new, the main player they will hand the ball off to is not. Sedrick Alexander returns for another year as the starting running back after averaging 5.4 yard per carry and accumulating 15 total touchdowns last season. Alexander will likely be tasked with carrying a bigger workload in 2026 to ease the pressure off the true-freshman Curtis.
The Commodores did lose All-American tight end Eli Stowers who will now be catching passes from Jalen Hurts for the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the loss of their leading pass catcher in terms of receptions, Vanderbilt does return their top wide receiver in Junior Sherrill who led the team with 800 yards through the air.
#vandy #head
