Vanderbilt Offense Dominates in Revenge Game Over Georgia State

The Commodores made sure to take Georgia State very seriously after last season’s upset.

Sep 20, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Junior Sherrill (0) runs with the ball after a made catch against the Georgia State Panthers during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

NASHVILLE – The response could not have been more perfect. After Vanderbilt rolled into Atlanta in 2024 and got stunned by Georgia State 36-32, the Commodores had tonight's game circled on their calendar since the schedule was released.

Vanderbilt made sure not to get caught sleeping for the second consecutive year, beating Georgia State 70-21.

It made a statement quickly on the offensive end. Georgia State went up 3-0 after the first drive of the game, but that lead did not last long. Vanderbilt’s offense woke up immediately, scoring 21 points in just 4:19 and going up three scores in the blink of an eye.

The touchdown drives early were as fast as lightning. Between the three first quarter touchdown drives, Vanderbilt ran a combined 15 plays to score its first 21 points. 

A Georgia State turnover helped set up the ‘Dores with a short field on one of the three drives, but nonetheless, Vanderbilt maximized every opportunity it had on what felt like every single play.

But that was just the start of Saturday’s dominance on the offensive end. In the second quarter, Vanderbilt had not scored in the quarter until the 4:15 mark. It finished the quarter with 21 points 24 seconds before halftime. The second set of three touchdowns occurred in a shorter amount of time, 3:51. Between those three drives, Vanderbilt ran 23 plays and took a 42-9 lead into halftime.

“We were aware that this team is dangerous. And we need to be prepared, and so we then channel our energy towards ‘Hey, can we start fast? Can we play a clean game? Can we win the explosives?’ Well, we started fast, and we took command of the game in the first half. And the feelings that bring within me is I'm proud of our team,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said on burying Georgia State early.

The Commodores went a perfect 6-for-6 on its first half drives, resulting in six touchdowns. Each drive had a red zone, which made their red zone efficiency a perfect 6-for-6 in the half as well while outgaining Georgia State 356-148.

But it did not stop there. The Commodores piled it on in the second half, scoring four more touchdowns, two of which came from the red zone to finish a perfect 8-for-8 in the red zone with all eight being touchdowns.

To put the dominance in perspective, it was the first time since 1918 that Vanderbilt scored 70 or more in a game. That game in 1918 occurred during the same time during the Spanish Flu pandemic and World War I. It was so long ago that Georgia Tech won the conference that season with a 3-0 record in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) play. And yes, that was the conference Vanderbilt was in 107 years ago.

But of course, there were a couple things that Lea would have liked to have back and improve on going forward despite the big win.

“I think there were a couple penalties that were sloppy I felt like. And then the fourth down at the start of the second half that I want back,” Lea said. “There is a lot to like and I think a lot to build upon.”

Not only was it encouraging to see the offense dominate against a team in which Vanderbilt was heavily favored, but it was also encouraging to see the offense perform given the situation. Going into Saturday, it was another step in the process to see if Vanderbilt was truly a different type of team.

A season ago, Vanderbilt took its matchup against Georgia State for granted. This season, it treated the Panthers like they were another SEC team. The Commodores smelled blood in the water early and buried their opponent quickly.