Vanderbilt Commodores Football Led FBS in Crucial Category
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The Vanderbilt Commodores football team saw plenty of ups-and-downs, but remained consistent in one important aspect throughout the season.
VandyNotes, the official Commodores notes and information account, shared a stat on Thursday that the team led the FBS this past season with the fewest turnovers in college football.
They had just seven, the first time in school history they finished in single digits. It was also the fewest for any team since the Oregon State Beavers had six in 2019 (when taking out the shortened 2020 campaign).
Right behind Vanderbilt was the Memphis Tigers that finished with eight lost on the year.
The Commodores' overall turnover margin was still impressive, but lowered since they didn't force that many themselves. They ranked tied for 17th with a margin of nine. It was actually still the second in the SEC behind the Ole Miss Rebels.
Of course, one of the main players they have to thank for a lowered turnover rate was breakout quarterback Diego Pavia.
He is someone who has been safe with the football in the past, but that went to a different level in 2024. He completed 59.4% of his passes for 2,293 yards with 20 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
While he didn't have a high completion rate, he was able to avoid forcing the ball into small windows or making rushed throws which turned into picks thanks to his legs. He was able to extend many plays this season with his mobility.
It was a big improvement over last year when he throw nine interceptions for the New Mexico State Aggies.
As a runner, he did account for two more turnovers as he lost the ball up a couple of times. That was down from three a season ago.
Running back Sedrick Alexander had one lost fumble as well, a first for his career.
Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders