Vanderbilt Football Takes Down Austin Peay for First Win in New Era

It was close for a little bit, but the Commodores pulled away to start 2026 on the right note.

Sep 5, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores running back Sedrick Alexander (28) runs with the ball against the Austin Peay Governors during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt football got its first win in the post-Diego Pavia era Saturday night, taking down Austin Peay by a score of 28-9.

It was a little bit of a slow start for Vanderbilt. The Commodores began the game with a 13-play drive that resulted in a Brock Taylor field goal to grab an early 3-0 lead over the Governors. In the drive, Vanderbilt ran the ball 10 times and threw the ball twice.

Then, the game felt like a baseball game for a few minutes. Austin Peay went right down the field on its opening drive on offense as Austin Peay quarterback Chris Parson threw a 24-yard touchdown to wide receiver Denver Harper. However, Vanderbilt blocked the extra point and cornerback Martel Hight picked up the loose ball and ran it back for two points to cut the deficit to 6-5.

After another Vanderbilt drive that stalled out in the shallow parts of the red zone, the Commodores took the lead back with another field goal from Taylor.

Then, Vanderbilt’s offense started to finish drives. With a little over six minutes left in the second quarter, Vanderbilt quarterback Blaze Berlowitz led the Commodores on a nine-play, 88-yard touchdown drive that ended in a seven-yard rushing touchdown from Berlowitz.

An Austin Peay field goal, though, cut the Vanderbilt lead to 15-9 going into halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Vanderbilt started to get the separation it was looking for. On fourth down and inches, Sedrick Alexander took a handoff from Berlowitz, bounced off a tackler and ran 18 yards to the end zone. A failed two-point attempt kept the score at 21-9.

Vanderbilt’s special teams then got in on the scoring. To begin the fourth quarter, Austin Peay muffed a snap on a punt, picked it up, then kicked it to the chest of Vanderbilt linebacker Josiah Broxton who ran it back for a touchdown to make it 28-9.

One big storyline from the game was the debut of five-star freshman quarterback Jared Curtis. Curtis took the field for two drives. He finished 7-for-9 passing with 60 yards.

Vanderbilt's defense locked in after halftime. The Commodores stifled Austin Peay's offense, posting a shutout for the final two quarters.

Vanderbilt will look to get another home win a week from now as it hosts Delaware. The Commodores will take on the Blue Hens at 3:15 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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