NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A quartet of Vanderbilt football players were named weekly award winners by the Southeastern Conference on Monday following the Commodores’ 40-35 win over No. 1 Alabama.
Diego Pavia was named Offensive Player of the Week, Brock Taylor took home Special Teams Player of the Week, Miles Capers was tabbed Defensive Lineman of the Week and Gunnar Hansen earned Offensive Player of the Week.
It marks the first time in school history Vanderbilt has collected more than two weekly awards in the same week.
Pavia is SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after collecting the honor after Vandy’s Week 1 victory over Virginia Tech.
The last Commodore to win defensive lineman of the week was Dayo Obeyingbo on Nov. 17, 2018, while Bruno Reagan was the last Vandy offensive lineman to take home the weekly award. Taylor becomes the first special teams player of the week for Vandy since long snapper Wesley Schelling on Nov. 28, 2022.
Pavia was 16-for-20 passing for 252 yards and two touchdowns against the Crimson Tide. Both passing touchdowns extended Vandy’s lead to two scores in the second half, including one to Junior Sherrill on a 4th-and-1 late in the third quarter. He added 56 yards on 20 carries to finish with 308 yards of total offense. His 218.8 pass efficiency rating was his highest of the season. He’s thrown for at least two touchdowns in four of five games this season.
Taylor made both field goal attempts Saturday, including one from 51 yards in the second quarter. With that make, he became the first kicker in school history to notch three field goals of at least 50 yards in the same season. Taylor also handled kickoff duties for the first time in his career, sending five of his eight kickoffs for touchbacks. Taylor has made multiple field goals in four of five games this season.
Hansen had the team’s best overall and pass block grades per Pro Football Focus in the win over the Tide. He did not allow a sack or hit on the quarterback while helping pave the way for a 40-point performance from the offense, the best mark for Vandy in an SEC game since 2018. The 418 total yards of offense were the most the Dores have recorded this season.
Capers had one of the plays of the game in the win Saturday, sacking Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and causing a fumble that Vandy recovered midway through the fourth quarter. It set the Commodores up for a seven-play touchdown drive which provided a 40-28 lead and Vandy’s final score of the day. Capers is now tied for the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss this season.
The Commodores return to action Saturday at Kentucky. Kickoff in Lexington, Kentucky, is set for 6:45 p.m. CT. The contest can be seen on SEC Network and heard on 94.9 The Fan.
