Vanderbilt Football (6-3, 3-2) has officially qualified for a bowl game thanks to a 17-7 road victory over Auburn.
Vanderbilt will return to the postseason for the first time since 2018, when head coach Derek Mason was at the helm of the program. That year, Week 12 and 13 victories over Ole Miss and Tennessee propelled the ‘Dores to the postseason before their season ended in a 45-38 loss to Baylor in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl.
After a six-year drought, the Commodores will now return to the postseason.
The Black and Gold’s quest to six wins was fueled by a 2-0 start thanks to wins over Virginia Tech and Alcorn State. Head coach Clark Lea and Co.’s plans were briefly halted after losses to Georgia State and Missouri, but a bye week proved to be all they needed. The Commodores returned with a vengeance in October, defeating Alabama, Kentucky and Ball State to put themselves one win away from eligibility.
A Week Nine loss to Texas slowed Vanderbilt down, but it wasted little time getting back on track. On Nov. 2, it earned its sixth win, this one against the Auburn Tigers, to reach bowl eligibility.
Commodore Nation will wait until Dec. 8 — the day after the college football regular season ends — to learn where and when they’ll play their bowl game, along with who they’ll take on.
