As a smog of cigar smoke emanated from the visiting locker room at Neyland Stadium, there was reason for celebration. In a season defined by rewritten standards and shattered marks, Vanderbilt Football finally claimed the one record that has always eluded it: a 10-win season.
It feels odd writing that sentence. The program’s best finish ever. Who would’ve thought that a team that went 2-10 two seasons ago would now be contending among the best in the SEC? But Vanderbilt has earned its praise in every possible way this year, instilling a new hope in a fanbase that even its in-state rival, which has owned the series against the Commodores for the last seven years, can be beaten.
No. 14 Vanderbilt earned its 10th victory of the season on Saturday, as it took down No. 19 Tennessee, 45-24, in Knoxville to get to 10-2 on the season. And Vanderbilt didn’t just beat another opponent, it took down its ranked archrival. In their stadium. With 100,000 screaming Volunteers fans breathing down its neck. And yet, the Commodores were fearless, unfazed by being underdogs once again to tame one of the most raucous environments in college football.
Like many times this season, Vanderbilt played a tight first half, as both teams went score-for-score. The game was tied 21-apiece at the half as the Commodores’ defense was left searching for answers. The second half was all Vanderbilt, though, as it gave up just three points while it scored 24. Defensive coordinator Steve Gregory called a masterful final 30 minutes, as he contained the No. 11 offense in the entire country with ease.
It seems unlikely that Vanderbilt will be heading to the College Football Playoff, but this 2025 season proved one thing: there’s a new standard for Vanderbilt. One where facing your ranked in-state rival is not a challenge, but a welcomed opportunity.
Now, let’s dive into this week’s brunch.
The brunch rush
Last week against Kentucky, Vanderbilt won through the air. Against Tennessee this Saturday, it won on the ground.
The Commodores absolutely punished the Volunteers with their rushing attack, as quarterback Diego Pavia and running back Sedrick Alexander combined for 280 yards on the ground. Vanderbilt’s offense exposed Tennessee’s weak defensive line and won this game by controlling possession time and churning out consistent run yardage.
Let’s begin with Pavia — as I seem to be doing in most of my Commodore Brunches these days — as he was nothing short of exceptional once again. Yes, he had another solid passing day with 268 yards and a touchdown, albeit with the two first half interceptions, but Pavia proved his Heisman worth in a different way this Saturday: he used his legs to earn a signature win on the road.
The graduate quarterback accumulated a career-high 165 rushing yards on 20 carries to average an astounding 8.3 yards per carry. He was stellar when passing plays broke down, finding yardage on the edge to turn seemingly dead plays into positive ones. He also took off at the right time in offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s designed quarterback runs, finding significant room as Vanderbilt blocked well for him. This was very evident as Pavia pranced into the end zone to take a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, gaining 24 yards as he hit the orange and white checkerboard untouched.
By the second half, Tennessee’s defense was completely lost as Pavia’s true dual-threat ability left them guessing on nearly every play. He gashed them consistently with his strength through contact and shiftiness. I’ll credit Beck for much of Pavia’s success on the ground, too, as he masterfully used trickery, deception and the option to fool star Tennessee defenders like Jeremiah Telander and Edwin Spillman.
Next, we must discuss his frequent counterpart in the backfield: running back Sedrick Alexander. Like Pavia, Alexander found some massive holes on the line of scrimmage to earn chunk yardage. The junior racked up 115 rushing yards on just 10 carries for a whopping 3 touchdowns.
His speed and agility were on full display against the Volunteers, as he broke away for nine or more yards on five different occasions. Alexander punched in Vanderbilt’s first touchdown — a 28-yard run on the right side — setting a strong tone for the Commodores in the first quarter.
It was Alexander’s best game in a Vanderbilt uniform, hands down.
“He plays the game the right way,” Lea said postgame. “The game honors toughness. He does anything that’s asked of him. He’s always been one of the most physical blockers we have, and so it’s no surprise he’s a really talented running back.”
Of course, this strong run game allowed Vanderbilt to win the time of possession battle — a hallmark of Lea’s past signature victories. Tennessee possessed the ball for just 25:01 compared to Vanderbilt’s 34:59, allowing the Commodores to limit opposing possessions and control the clock.
Vanderbilt won on the ground on Saturday, a distinct difference from its victory over Kentucky last week. It showed the versatility of Vanderbilt’s offense, as it can find multiple ways to win while exposing defensive weaknesses.
No second helpings
Vanderbilt’s defense stepped up in a big way, particularly in the second half, holding the Volunteers to just 24 total points — a season low for them. Defensive coordinator Steve Gregory once again called an excellent game, relying on heavy blitz packages to consistently put pressure on Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar. From the first snap of the game, it was evident that Aguilar was uncomfortable in the pocket. Gregory consistently rolled the dice by loading the box to overwhelm Tennessee’s offensive line. The Commodores racked up 10 tackles for loss, four of which were sacks, as Vanderbilt’s linebacker core and defensive line lived in Tennessee’s backfield.
As has been a theme all season, Vanderbilt’s second half defense gave it the boost to win the game. The Commodores gave up just the lone field goal in the second half, as Aguilar and running back DeSean Bishop were kept at bay. The Volunteers rushed for –6 yards in the final 30 minutes as Vanderbilt’s defensive line of Zaylin Wood, Joshua Singh and Linus Zunk blocked all running lanes. Keep in mind, Bishop has also been one of the most efficient backs in the SEC this year (ranking No. 6 in the SEC), making Vanderbilt’s stops even more impressive.
“I think we made really good adjustments schematically in the second half to make those runs harder,” Lea said postgame. “And we have a disruptive team, you know? They were in the backfield. We got negative yardage plays, and we got them by the chains, and we were able to build the stops. It was a really well-designed and called game. I think [Gregory] kept pressure on them, kept pressure both in presentation, but also in post-snap actually blitzing.”
Tennessee went three-and-out on its first drive of the second half, and it was only downhill for the Volunteers from there. They did not score on three of their four drives in the second half, and they stalled out within the 10-yard line on the one drive they scored a field goal.
Gregory forced Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle into a corner as Aguilar found little momentum in the second half. The graduate quarterback was simply overwhelmed by Vanderbilt’s blitz attacks and physical defensive line, limiting Tennessee’s ability to establish rhythm.
Postseason spread
Vanderbilt made its case for the College Football Playoff (CFP) on Saturday night, but it seems like it won’t be enough to punch its ticket to the most prestigious postseason bracket.
While it would’ve seemed outlandish back in August that a 10-2 SEC team would not be a lock for the CFP, there are simply too many quality conference teams ahead of the Commodores.
Five SEC foes — Texas A&M (11-1), Ole Miss (11-1), Alabama (10-2), Georgia (11-1) and Oklahoma (10-2) — are all ranked higher in the CFP rankings, and the latter four all won in rivalry week. It’s unlikely that the committee will put more than five SEC teams in the playoffs, and even if they did, Vanderbilt is still behind Miami, Utah and BYU, according to last week’s CFP ranking. Its win over Tennessee certainly allows it to jump some fellow top-15 teams, but it feels like a long shot that Vanderbilt will find its way into the CFP.
The Commodores will most likely be headed to the Citrus or Reliaquest Bowls on New Year’s Eve to finish their 2025 campaign. Still, that shouldn’t take away from Vanderbilt’s historic 2025 season. The Commodores reached their first 10-win season in program history and earned a record six conference wins along the way. Vanderbilt fans shouldn’t take this historic season for granted.
“This is one for the record books,” Lea said postgame. “First 10-win season in program history. It’s really special to win a game here in Knoxville on the road.”
They still have a Heisman contending quarterback on their team, too. I fully expect Pavia to be in New York next month for the Heisman Trophy ceremony — what would be a symbolic ending to an incredible ride at Vanderbilt.
For now, Commodore fans can bask in the fact that their team had its best regular season in program history. They took down their in-state rival Tennessee for the first time since 2018 and rolled over five more conferences foes. Not to mention, Lea’s contract has been extended, and he will be on West End for the foreseeable future.
It’s been a season to remember for Commodore Nation, no matter what the CFP committee has to say.
