Vanderbilt Football (5–0) took on Utah State (3–2) on Saturday afternoon in FirstBank Stadium. The Commodores and Aggies traded scores for most of the first half, with Vanderbilt taking the lead — one it would not lose for the remainder of the game — with just 1:20 remaining in the half. Diego Pavia was once again impressive for the Commodores, finishing with a final stat line of 26-for-34 with 321 yards and 6 total touchdowns. Junior Sherrill was the ‘Dores most prolific scorer on the afternoon with three touchdowns. The Commodores defense struggled in the first half, picking up 40 yards of penalties but was able to rebound in the second half allowing just two scores. When all was said and done, Vanderbilt picked up a 55-35 win to improve to 5-0 on the season.
“The story of this one, to me, is battling through a tough and competitive first half [and] making the plays we needed to make to separate,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said. “[My team] has shown up week in and week out and done the work in the process. They’ve stayed focused on the climb and they’ve come out on top five times.”
First half
Vanderbilt won the toss and opted to defer, giving Utah State the ball first. Neither offense found momentum until each of its respective second drives. For Utah State, Vanderbilt’s defense picked up its second penalty of the game — for roughing the passer — and the Aggies marched down to Vanderbilt’s 35-yard line. Quarterback Bryson Barnes found Miles Davis in the left corner of the endzone three plays later for a touchdown, and the Aggies took a 7-0 lead with 13:36 left in the quarter.
Vanderbilt responded to the Utah State touchdown with a 41-yard kickoff return from Tre Richardson. The Black and Gold’s offense promptly marched all the way down the field, culminating in a Junior Sherrill 21-yard receiving touchdown. Taylor made the extra point, and the game was tied at seven apiece. Vanderbilt appeared to add two more points to its total on the next Utah State drive when a whiffed kick turned into a safety, but a holding penalty gave the ball back to Utah State with a fresh set of downs. The Commodores were once again hindered by defensive penalties later in the drive: a Utah State punt turned into an Aggie first down when Marlen Sewell picked up a roughing the kicker penalty. Utah State capitalized on the opportunity and scored another touchdown to go up 14-7 with 11:22 left in the half.
Vanderbilt’s offense made up for its defensive woes, however, on its next drive. Richardson was rolling, picking up a 45-yard pass from Pavia, which he followed up with another reception and an 11-yard carry. Two plays later, Pavia found paydirt on the quarterback keeper — equalizing the score once again.
In the last 4:32 of the half, Vanderbilt would have three more chances on offense. The ‘Dores started on their own 40 on the first, marching the 60 yards needed to add another touchdown, with Sherrill picking up his second touchdown of the afternoon. The second drive — aided by a roughing the passer penalty against Utah State — took just three plays for Pavia to, once again, find Sherrill in the endzone. The Aggies responded with a five-play scoring drive to make the score 28-21 with just twenty seconds remaining in the half.
The Black and Gold’s next drive started with just 15 seconds remaining before halftime. Pavia gained 33 yards on the keeper, and Taylor made a field goal attempt with time running out. Headed into the locker room, Vanderbilt held a 31-21 lead with an edge over the Aggies in both passing yards (170-161) and rushing yards (109-29).
Second half
Vanderbilt picked right up where it left off in the first half to start the second. Eli Stowers picked up three receptions on the opening drive and grabbed his first touchdown of the night on a 10-yard completion from Pavia. Utah State faked a punt on 4th-and-seven but a fumble marked it short of the line of gain, resulting in a Commodore first down on Utah State’s 34.
The ‘Dores converted on their first third down of the drive with a 9-yard pickup from none other than Sherrill, but an incompletion and sack put Vanderbilt at fourth-and-long. Taylor came on the field, making a 31-yard field goal to extend the Commodores lead to 20 and making seven straight drives resulting in a score.
The Black and Gold defense continued to impress in the second half, forcing Utah State into its second-straight three-and-out. On the other side of the ball, Vanderbilt’s offense continued its efficiency. Pavia found graduate captain Richie Hoskins on a deep 53-yard pass for a touchdown, making the score 48-21. The Aggies next drive was interrupted by Bryce Cowan, who picked up a fumble recovery on third down to give the Commodores possession once again. Pavia, however, threw an interception on the first play and the ball was back in Utah State’s hands at their own 20 – the first time since its opening drive that Vanderbilt did not score.
Utah State put up its first points of the half when Jacob Conover, who came in for Barnes on the redzone play, found Brady Boyd in the endzone to make the score 48-28. The Aggies’ drive was just two plays, with Javen Jacobs picking up a huge 58-yard punt return to put his team immediately in the red zone. The Commodores followed with a solid kick return of their own, where Zachary Robbins picked up 48 yards to start the ‘Dores drive at the 25. Junior quarterback Blaze Berlowitz entered the game for Vanderbilt on the drive, relieving Pavia of his duties. Six plays later, the Black and Gold found the endzone for the seventh time on a 15-yard rush from Makhilyn Young, putting Vanderbilt up 55-28.
The Aggies were not done yet, though, picking up their second straight touchdown on a 12-play drive that went for 75 yards, eventually resulting in a Jacobs receiving touchdown. The game would end on a Vanderbilt drive where Berlowitz kneeled the ball and let the clock run out.
The Commodores are 5-0 for the first time since 2008. They will now hit the road for the third time this season when they travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to play the Crimson Tide on Oct. 4 at 2:30 p.m. CDT.
