NASHVILLE -A new era of Vanderbilt football is finally here.
Star quarterback Diego Pavia led the Commodores to a program-record 10-win season in 2025, but Pavia is no longer walking through that door. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea has been front and forward in regard to the idea that his program shouldn't be defined by one person's contributions. Lea believes that Vanderbilt can win without Pavia, and Saturday is the program's first chance to do it.
Vanderbilt is starting veteran quarterback Blaze Berlowitz , but five-star freshman Jared Curtis will also take snaps on Saturday--signaling that Vanderbilt's quarterback competition is still ongoing . Lea says not to expect either quarterback to be Pavia in 2026, but the question is whether Vanderbilt will have capable enough quarterback play to open its competitive window back up this season.
Lea's first in-game look at his quarterback situation and team as a whole will come Saturday as Vanderbilt opens against in-state foe Austin Peay , whose head coach Jeff Faris has been outspoken that he'd like to face the Commodores more often.
Vanderbilt is a 28.5-point favorite to beat Austin Peay, but linebacker Nick Rinaldi set the tone for the week by saying that Vanderbilt has to approach Saturday's game like the national championship game and that Austin Peay is capable of beating the Commodores if it comes with its best.
Lea wasn't happy with Vanderbilt's Tuesday practice, but has liked Vanderbilt's intensity towards the end of the week as it approaches its opener. Now, it's time for Vanderbilt to prove itself in a sold-out season opener.
Note: This story will be frequently updated throughout the day and game.
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Vanderbilt: 28, Austin Peay: 9
Josiah Broxton finds the end zone after Austin Peay muffs the snap and punts it right to him! That should be the dagger. What a wild play.
End of the third quarter: Vanderbilt: 21, Austin Peay: 9
Blaze Berlowitz just left the field to some boo's. This sure doesn't feel like a Vanderbilt win, despite the score.
Vanderbilt: 21, Austin Peay: 9
Big swing play there as Sedrick Alexander breaks a few tackles on fourth and one to run it in for an 18-yard touchdown. Vanderbilt went for two in an effort to go up 14, but Blaze Berlowitz held onto it too long and was sacked.
At the half: Vanderbilt: 15, Austin Peay: 9
Vanderbilt: 15, Austin Peay: 9
Austin Peay keeps itself in it...now will it be Jared Curtis?
Vanderbilt: 15, Austin Peay: 6
Berlowitz runs it in for a touchdown after another long, run-heavy drive. Berlowitz still hasn't gotten much of a chance to throw it down the field, but his downfield results have been spotty.
Vanderbilt: 8, Austin Peay: 6
Vanderbilt let Berlowitz go there a bit, and there were mixed result. Perhaps that drive could've resulted in seven without a Junior Sherrill drop.
End of 1st Quarter: Austin Peay: 6, Vanderbilt: 5
A dissappointing first quarter for Vanderbilt. Expected much more of its defense.
Austin Peay: 6, Vanderbilt: 5
That was a concerning series for Vanderbilt's defense, which has been heavily praised throughout the offseason. Poor play at the second level there and a penalty allowed Austin Peay to march down the field easily. Martel Hight took the extra point back for a touchdown, though.
Vanderbilt: 3, Austin Peay: 0
Vanderbilt goes 13 plays, 61 yards and eats over six minutes of clock with 10 rushes for 59 yards. Vanderbilt's two passes were a jet sweep to Kayleb Barnett and an incompetion on third and long. No test for Berlowitz yet, but Vanderbilt is overpowering Austin Peay up front.
If a player goes down during the game, we'll keep tabs on it and share any and all updates.
--Cole Spence is out for Saturday's game against Austin Peay, Vandy on SI learned pregame.
--Vanderbilt receivers Cole Adams and Ja'Cory Thomas have returned to practice after missing practices down the stretch of fall camp and are expected to play on Saturday.
--Vanderbilt safety CJ Heard had an injury "scare" this week in practice, but is expected to play on Saturday.
Who:Austin Peay (1-0) vs. Vanderbilt (0-0)
When:Saturday, Sept. 5, 6:00 p.m. CT
Where:Nashville, Tennessee
TV: SEC Network +
Series history: Vanderbilt leads 2-0
Last meeting: Vanderbilt and Austin Peay last met in 2015, when Vanderbilt picked up a 47-7 victory.
Last time out, Vanderbilt:The Commodores are coming off of a 10-3 season that ended in a ReliaQuest Bowl loss to Iowa .
Last Time Out, Stanford:Austin Peay opened the season with a 35-17 statement win over Gardner Webb.
Weather:Temperatures will still be in the mid-to-low 90s when Vanderbilt and Austin Peay kick off on Saturday night. Vanderbilt has allowed students to bring a water bottle into the student section because of the heat.
Vanderbilt defensive lineman Simeon Boulware could see the first game action of his career on Saturday, and he will have his late brother Caleb in mind as he does so. More on a touching story from Joey Dwyer.
It's Salute to Service night at FirstBank Stadium, where Gabe Fisher, Max Fisher and Elijah Rooney will take a break from their taxing ROTC duties to think about loved ones who have served and play the game they love.
Austin Peay isn't backing down from Vanderbilt despite Vanderbilt's stature as an SEC program. More from Graham Baakko on Jeff Faris' mindset .
Vanderbilt has lost to non-power five opponents multiple times in the Lea tenure. Lea reflected on his first loss as Vanderbilt's head coach, a stunning defeat to East Tennessee State University in an exclusive interview with Vandy on SI this summer.
2026 looks like a foundational year for Vanderbilt football, but Lea vehemently disagrees with that characterization. He believes Vanderbilt can compete for a College Football Playoff berth and more in 2026. But, is he being realistic?
OFFENSE
QB: Blaze Berlowitz, Jared Curtis
RB:Sedrick Alexander, MK Young
X Receiver:Junior Sherrill, Ja'Cory Thomas, Joseph McVay
Y Receiver:Brycen Coleman, Cole Adams, Claibourne Richards
Z Receiver:Tristen Brown, Kayleb Barnett
Tight End: Cole Spence, Maurice Veney or Gabe Fisher
Tight End:Jayvontay Conner, Walter Taylor
Quick Tackle:Clinton Azubuike, CJ Williams
Quick Guard:Kevo Wesley, Micah DeBose, Ted Gregoire
Center:Lyndon Cooper, Gunnar Givens or Keegan Wechsler
Strong Guard:Cade McConnell, Mitchell Smith
Strong Tackle:Orion Irving, Beau Johnson
DEFENSE
EDGE: Brian Allen, Edwin Kolenge, Hayden Bray
Defensive Tackle:Issa Ouattara, Bradley Mann, Mike Diatta or Talan Carter
Defensive Tackle:Glenn Seabrooks III, Jaylon Stone, Aaron Bryant
Razor:Miles Capers, Mason Carter , Jake Stanish
Linebacker:Nick Rinaldi, Bryce Cowan, Josiah Broxton
Linebacker:Bryan Longwell, Bryce Cowan, Austin Howard or Jamison Curtis
STAR:Carson Lawrence or Mason Lewis, Jailen Ruth
Cornerback:Martel Hight, Jaylin Lackey, Bishop Starling
Cornerback: Jordan Matthews , Cayden Daniels, Jaylin Davies
Safety:Ricardo Jones, Dontae Carter, Davin Chandler
Safety:CJ Heard, Jalen Gilbert, Vanzale Hinton
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/vanderbilt as Austin Peay at Vanderbilt: Game Central Rundown, Live Updates and Analysis .
