Tag: Vanderbilt Football

Vanderbilt fans celebrated the upset over Alabama by carrying a stadium goalpost down Broadway

Maybe it’s helpful for Vanderbilt football construction at FirstBank Stadium?

Editor’s note: This story was updated as the goalpost saga continued.

In a shocking Week 6 twist, unranked Vanderbilt took down No. 1 Alabama on Saturday with a 40-35 victory, and college football fans in person and online celebrated the Commodores’ upset victory over the team that only just became ranked at the top.

Alabama was down 23-7 at one point, but Vanderbilt earned its first win against the Crimson Tide in 40 years.

While fans online torched Kalen DeBoer and Alabama for dropping what seemed like an easy win, Vanderbilt fans at FirstBank Stadium stormed the field in celebration as Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia delivered an iconic NSFW moment on live TV.

As the masses gathered on the field, it was only a matter of time before fans turned their attention to the goalposts and successfully tore at least one down. It didn’t go down as easily as other goalpost celebrations, but Vanderbilt fans got the job done.

Maybe fans were just trying to help with construction at FirstBank Stadium? Construction isn’t set to be finished until 2025 — though it’s obviously not preventing Vanderbilt from playing home games there — so maybe fans were just lending a hand.

UPDATE: It left the building and made it to the Cumberland River.

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Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia delivers iconic NSFW celebration on live TV after upsetting Alabama

After doing what he did against Alabama, Diego Pavia deserved the opportunity to drop an F-bomb on live TV.

Vanderbilt beat Alabama on Saturday.

That’s real. That happened. We’re not living in an alternate universe.

The Commodores topped the No. 1 Crimson Tide 40-35 in Nashville, and Diego Pavia was a big reason why. The transfer quarterback from New Mexico State completed 16-of-20 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Pavia also rushed 20 times for 56 yards, a total that included scampering for the game-sealing first down. It’s the type of performance that could potentially put Pavia in the Heisman conversation.

And so, when the SEC Network came over to interview Pavia after the game as Vanderbilt fans rushed the field, he was amped up – rightfully so – and dropped a hilarious F-bomb in what will likely go down as an iconic postgame clip.

Pavia starts out by thanking God and mentioning a dream he had when he was a kid. And then, he starts shooting from the hip a bit while basking in the joy of an upset.

 

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Vanderbilt knocked off No. 1 Alabama, and college football fans had so many jokes

Down goes the No. 1 team!

Maybe Alabama celebrated its win over Georgia last week a little too long because the Crimson Tide did not look prepared for a road game against Vanderbilt on Saturday.

They fell into a deep and surprising hole against the Commodores and were down 23-7 at one point, and even though they mounted an impressive comeback attempt, Vanderbilt knocked off the No. 1 team with a stunning 40-35 win.

After Week 5’s games, Alabama replaced Texas as the No. 1 team, but it looked like anything but against Vanderbilt. Its defense was filled with holes, and the offense struggled to get much going, especially after Heisman Trophy favorite Jalen Milroe throwing a pick-six on the Crimson Tide’s first possession.

It was Alabama’s fourth overall loss to an unranked opponent as the AP Poll’s No. 1 team and first loss of its kind since 2021 against Texas A&M. On the other side, this was Vanderbilt’s first win over an AP Poll top-5 opponent after previously being 0-60, per the SEC Network broadcast. The Commodores also snapped a 23-game losing streak against Alabama.

Nick Saban isn’t with Alabama anymore, but that had little impact on college football fans relishing this historic loss.

How College football Twitter reacted as Vanderbilt knocked off No. 1 Alabama

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Three SEC head coaches enter 2024 season on the hot seat

Some SEC coaches are already on thin ice …

Numerous head coaches start the season at the helm of their respective programs every season but are relieved of their duties because of poor performance, it’s inevitable. In 2024, it will surely happen, but the question is: who is on the hot seat?

Recently, Scooby Axson of USA TODAY Sports named 10 head coaches who will enter the 2024 college football season on the hot seat. On the list are three current SEC head coaches.

First on the list is Vanderbilt Commodores head coach, Clark Lea.

It’s tough to win at Vanderbilt. Maybe they are in the wrong conference, but when coaches take this job, they are fully aware their time on the sideline, at least at this school, could be short. The Commodores lost their last 10 games in 2023, giving up at least 31 points in each game. Not only could they not stop anyone, but they also couldn’t move the ball, making that the exact recipe to get you fired sooner rather than later with another coach enjoying the upgraded stadium and facilities.

Next is Florida Gators head coach, Billy Napier, who has not impressed fans in his time in Gainesville.

With the financial resources, the tradition, and the rich recruiting soil of the Sunshine State, this should be one of the nation’s premier programs. Instead, Napier, with an 11-14 record in his first two campaigns, has quickly turned Gator Nation into an afterthought. And with the schedule backloaded with national title-contending teams (Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State), the powers that be at Florida might be cranking up the buyout machine in no time to thus begin another cycle in desperately trying to get back to the top of the sport.

Finally, Sam Pittman of the Arkansas Razorbacks is named as a head coach who will enter the season on the hot seat.

Hiring former motorcycle-riding head coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator seems to be a step in the right direction, if anything, to breathe some life and attention into the program. Still, Arkansas has the unfortunate task of being in the SEC, and navigating that schedule is almost impossible. Quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim Sanders headed to the transfer portal, leaving ex-Boise State quarterback Taylen Green to take the reins. It’s bowl game or bust for the Razorbacks, and even that might not be enough to save Pittman’s job.

This list of hot-seat head coaches will change greatly as the 2024 season progresses, as some will exceed expectations and others will fall flat.

Tennessee and Vanderbilt players had to be separated after a bench-clearing scuffle

A huge fight almost broke out during Vanderbilt-Tennessee on Saturday.

Tennessee and Vanderbilt have one of the most classic rivalries in all of college football, and tempers flared at Neyland Stadium on Saturday more than once.

In a frenzied sequence that saw multiple players and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea get unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, a chippy drive led to a partial bench-clearing scuffle between the Volunteers and Commodores after Vandy quarterback A.J. Swann took one too many unflagged hits on dead ball fouls, per the Associated Press‘ Teresa Walker.

The Athletic‘s Joe Rexrode also noted that uncalled free shots on Swan likely aggravated the Commodores to the point of fighting.

You can see in these two videos how thing started to get tense before devolving into a brawl in the second clip, per Vandy Sports’ Joey Dwyer.

You can get another view of the scuffling below, per CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani.

 

Things got so heated between these two teams during this sequence that Lea had to be held back while he was yelling at a referee.

He got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his clear display of frustration, per Rexrode.

After the scuffling concluded, three players — Tennessee defensive end Tyler Baron and Tennessee defensive lineman Dominic Bailey, along with Vanderbilt offensive lineman Delfin Xavier Castillo — drew unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, per Knox News’ Mike Wilson.

This is the second big brawl of the college football week after a fight during Missouri-Arkansas led to three players being ejected from the game.

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Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs. Vanderbilt

The heavily favored Auburn Tigers travel to Nashville this week to take on Vanderbilt this week. Will this game be closer than expected?

The 4-4 Auburn Tigers will put on their dancing shoes on Saturday when they travel to Broadway to take on the 2-7 Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville.

Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and the Auburn offensive line look to keep the good times rolling in Music City after coming off arguably their best game of the season.

Vanderbilt on the other hand could really use somebody to step up, as the Commodores have lost 7 straight games after starting 2-0.

The different directions of these two teams explain why Auburn is favored by a 12.5-points on the road in this one, according to BetMGM.

ESPN FPI also believes in the Tigers’ chances to take a wrecking ball to the Commodores. The Index is giving Auburn an 84.1% chance to win.

That is by far the highest Auburn has been favored in FPI since their game against Samford all the way back in September.

Will the tale of the tape show us Auburn will set the world on fire and take care of business, or does a closer look show us this game might be closer than expected?

As always, we’ll start with the quarterbacks.

Starting quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne [/autotag] played his best as an Auburn Tiger last week in the win over Mississippi State.

The transfer has struggled most of the season, but threw for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns in last week’s victory, putting his season totals at 1,075 yards and 8 touchdowns in 8 games.

Auburn’s “QB1” has also been a threat with the legs, rushing for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns this season.

Vanderbilt’s quarterback situation on the other hand has been more disgusting than the floors at Tootsie’s.

The Commodores started the season with sophomore [autotag]AJ Swann[/autotag]. Swann went on to start Vanderbilt’s first 5 games of the season, throwing for 1,290 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions before going down with a shoulder injury.

Senior [autotag]Ken Seals [/autotag] took over as the de-facto starter and threw for 740 yards and 5 touchdowns in his first 3 starts before getting benched in favor of redshirt freshman [autotag]Walter Taylor[/autotag] last week against Ole Miss.

I’m giving the edge to Thorne and Auburn in this category due to the simple fact Vanderbilt’s quarterback situation is a mess.

The skill position battle is a little bit murkier. Vanderbilt has the best receiver in this game, [autotag]Will Sheppard[/autotag], but it’s hard to judge how much of his output is attributed to the Commodores always playing from behind.

I will say Auburn running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] is the most talented player for either team on the offensive side of the ball. That fact alone gives the Tigers the edge in the skill position battle, although it’s close.

Auburn also gets the edge up front. [autotag]Gunner Britton[/autotag] is not only the best lineman in this game, but he has also become one of the premier blockers in the SEC.

The Tigers has the edge across the offensive side of the ball.

On the defensive side of things, it’s not even close. Auburn boasts one of the best defenses in the SEC (22.5 opponents PPG), while Vanderbilt has arguably the worst (36 opponents PPG).

The talent gap on the defensive side of the ball is bigger than Dolly Parton’s Brentwood mansion.

After taking a closer look at this game, it’s clear why Auburn is favored by 12.5 points. The Tigers have an incredible chance to come out of Nashville one win away from being bowl-eligible.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Vanderbilt coach names starting quarterback for UGA game

Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea names the Commodores’ starting quarterback for the Georgia football game

The Vanderbilt Commodores plan to start quarterback Ken Seals against Georgia. Seals has started two straight games for the Commodores.

The Commodores turned to Seals after AJ Swann, who started Vanderbilt’s first five games of the year, was unable to avoid turnovers. Swann threw 11 touchdown passes and seven interceptions in his five starts.

Ken Seals has only thrown one interception to go with six touchdown passes in his two starts. Seals played against Georgia in Vanderbilt’s ugly 62-0 loss to Georgia in 2021. Seals completed two of nine passes for eight yards and threw one interception.

Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea announced the Commodores’ plans to start Lea on Thursday, Oct. 12. The 2-5 Commodores have not scored a point against Georgia in their last two games against the Bulldogs.

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Georgia enters the game having started the season 6-0. The Bulldogs are coming off their best performance of the season against Kentucky.

UNLV vs. Vanderbilt: Keys to Victory, How to Watch, Odds, Prediction

The UNLV Rebels come into the game 1-1; last week, they suffered a 35-7 loss at Michigan. The Rebels beat Bryant 44-14 at home in the opening game.

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WHEN: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 4:00 PM PT

WHERE: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada

TV: CBS Sports Network

STREAM: FuboTV with a free trial

RADIO:  ESPN 1100 AM & 100.9 FM

WEBSITES: UNLV | Vanderbilt

ODDS: Vanderbilt -4.5

The UNLV Rebels come into the game 1-1; last week, they suffered a 35-7 loss at Michigan. The Rebels beat Bryant 44-14 at home in the opening game.

The Vanderbilt Commodores come into the game 2-1, winning home games against Hawaii and Alabama A&M; they suffered their only loss to Wake Forest 36-20.

Quarterback Doung Brumfield leads UNLV; he has 186 passing yards this season with no touchdown passes and one interception. Last week against Michigan, he struggled and only threw for 86 yards in the blowout win against Bryant.

Will Sheppard led Vanderbilt in receptions last year with 60; he has 20 catches so far this season. Commodores quarterback AJ Swann is completing 61.85 of his passes.

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Keys to the game

Brumfield needs to show up

The Rebels need to get Brumfield going; I know they are running a new offense, but it’s their third game, and it’s time to get the passing game going. Ricky White had 51 catches last year; this season, he only has four catches for 36 yards. UNLV must have a better game from Brumfield to win this game.

Run the ball

Vanderbilt comes into the game averaging 34.7 points per game; when you go against an offense that scores a lot, you should run the ball to keep them off the field. Vincent Davis Jr. led the Rebels in rushing with 96 yards on nine carries, but 69 came on one carry. Jai’Den Thomas has 61 yards and two touchdowns. If the Rebels offensive line can play physically and open up some running lanes for their running backs, it would bold well for UNLV. Running the ball well opens up the play-action passing game.

Defense

Although they bet Bryant, the Rebels gave up 409 yards in that game. UNLV will need to put pressure on Swann; if he has too much time to pass, he will crave up the UNLV defense. Along with Sheppard, Vanderbilt has some other targets to throw, too. They can run the ball as well but want to throw it around. UNLV will have only one sack on the season; they must step it up on Saturday. Linebacker Jackson Woodard and Cameron Oliver must lead this defense and have them ready to play.

Prediction

I got Vanderbilt winning this game; UNLV will have difficulty stopping the Vanderbilt offense. The Rebels do not pressure the quarterback enough to slow down the Vanderbilt. If they can pull out a win, they will need Brumfield to step up as well as the defense.

Vanderbilt 38, UNLV 21

 

College Football Week 0 Winners and Losers: Pair of ranked teams kick off 2023 season

The Sam Hartman era at Notre Dame got off to a hot start while USC’s defense looked a bit concerning in a blowout win.

It’s finally here. We made it.

After a depressing offseason — unless you’re a television executive — filled with existential crises for many programs around the country, we finally kicked off a ball on Saturday to begin the last season of college football as we’ve known it.

Week 0 was, admittedly, a bit thin on substance. However, we did see a pair of ranked teams in action for the first time as No. 13 Notre Dame easily took care of Navy in Dublin, Ireland, while No. 6 USC and defending Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams won its season opener against San Jose State in a game that featured 84 combined points.

To cap off the night, Hawaii gave Vanderbilt quite a scare on its home field/active construction zone.

Talking season is finally over, and we have some real, honest-to-God college football to break down. With that being said, here are the winners and losers from the first weekend of the college football season.

One potential surprising loss for all 14 SEC football teams in 2023

See which game on your favorite SEC team’s schedule could result in a shocking loss during the 2023 season.

The SEC is known as one of the toughest conferences in all of collegiate athletics. In football, it has become an absolute juggernaut, winning championship after championship. In 2023, that trend will likely continue.

Georgia is seeking a third-consecutive national title, Alabama looks to return to the College Football Playoffs after missing it for the second time ever and multiple teams look to make another quality bowl game appearance.

Before looking ahead to the postseason, it’s important to focus on the regular season. Though Week Zero is still over a month away, it’s time to examine every SEC team’s schedule and find one game that could result in an upset or a major loss.