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Vanderbilt Commodores

Breaking Down The Five Plays That Defined Vanderbilt Football's Win Against Austin Peay

In a game filled with ups and downs, and question marks at quarterback still remaining, these five moments played a big part in Saturday’s result.
Michael Andersen|
Bryan Longwell takes the field as 2026 Vanderbilt football gets underway.
Bryan Longwell takes the field as 2026 Vanderbilt football gets underway. | Vanderbilt football

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Vanderbilt Commodores

NASHVILLE---Vanderbilt football moved to 1-0 on Saturday with a 28-9 win over Austin Peay, which was defined by five key plays.

Here's a breakdown of those plays and the significance of them.

Jared Curtis’ first throw of the game.

Drops back, evades pressure to the right, and motions his receiver Ja’cory Thomas toward him. What happens next is a moment Vanderbilt fans have been waiting all season for. An absolute dart, a “seed” for all Cam Ward NFL fans out there, complete for a significant gain up the right sideline. The play shows off his mobility, his poise with pressure in his face, and most importantly his arm strength, a main reason he was the number one quarterback recruit in the country. It may be a sign of what’s to come, and the Vanderbilt fans cannot be more pleased with Curtis’ first career pass in the gold and black.

Perhaps one of the biggest defensive highlights of the game was Nick Rinaldi’s third quarter sack on fourth and six, stalling Austin Peay as they attempted to claw back into the game. The play was set up perfectly, with Vanderbilt bringing pressure from both linebackers, having Bryan Longwell wrap around the fieldside edge while Rinaldi pressured internally. Chris Parson, feeling the Longwell pressure from his left, stepped up right into the oncoming bullrush of Rinaldi. The linebacker was able to beat the opposing guard, taking out the right tackle in the process, before closing on Parson and ending Austin Peay’s drive. A quality play for an explosive backer that normally makes his impact in the run game.

Up 21-9, Vanderbilt’s victory looked likely with one quarter left to play. It was solidified by one of the craziest special teams plays of the year. A high snap on a Austin Peay punt led to a bobbled catch by punter Logan Leftrick, and although he was able to get the ball away, he kicked a line drive about 20 yards straight to linebacker Josiah Broxton. Broxton was dropping back as a blocker, but kept his eyes on the punter and sprang forward towards the lopsided kick. You would have thought he was the return man, the way he caught it and immediately took off toward the end zone, fainting inside before taking the ball up the left sideline for a touchdown. One of the most unlikely special team plays in recent memory turned into a highlight reel for Broxton and a nail in Austin Peay’s coffin.

While it may not be the most impactful on the stat sheet, Commodore quarterback Blaze Berlowitz’s first downfield pass as a starter, after 10 rush attempts on their first drive, fell incomplete in the endzone and led to a fieldgoal. It might not be a play that is seen as that important in the grand scheme of the game, but it shows the gameplan the Vanderbilt coaching staff has in respect to its quarterbacks. Compared to Jared Curtis’ first drive, a two minute drill to end the half which was pass heavy, Berlowitz came onto the field and didn’t get a single attempt in the first drive until a third down redzone play. And the fact it fell incomplete just gives the critics more fuel as they await Curtis’ first start.

Jared Curtis
Curtis is set to take the torch from Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, eventually. | Vanderbilt football

Speaking of Berlowitz, his mobility is nothing to scoff at. Berlowitz showed this off on Vanderbilt's first touchdown drive of the day, in which he evaded pressure multiple times using his legs to run for first down, and side-strapped pressure on a nice drag route completion that put Vanderbilt within scoring range. He capped the drive off with a scramble to the left side, showing off his speed and beating the near defender to the endzone. And it wasn’t just typical quarterback runs in which he used his legs. At one point in the drive, Berlowitz was forced to deal with a high snap, but was able to corral the ball, sidestep an incoming defender in the backfield, and gain five yards. It was a drive in which his passing skills were not the focal point of the offense, but his ability to evade pressure and scramble was made clear. 

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Michael Andersen
MICHAEL ANDERSEN

Mikey attends Vanderbilt University, where he’s covered football and men's basketball games for the VandyRadio and Hustler newspaper. He discovered his love for athletics growing up in Montana, and runs a fantasy football podcast when he’s not busy skiing or cliff jumping.

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