POSTGAME NOTES
Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens | Nashville, Tenn. | Sept. 12, 2026
RV/RV Vanderbilt 35, Delaware 26
TEAM NOTES
- Vanderbilt’s four captains – Issa Ouattara, Nick Rinaldi, Cole Spence and Makhilyn Young – represented the Dores for the coin toss
- Delaware won the toss and elected to receive
- With a sellout crowd of 35,000, Vandy has sold out six consecutive home games dating back to last season
- With the victory, Vanderbilt has won nine home games in a row for the first time since a nine-game stretch that spanned the 1954, 1955 and 1956 seasons
- Vanderbilt has now started a campaign at 2-0 for the fifth-straight season, marking the first time the Commodores have accomplished the feat since 1934-38
- The Commodores have won 10-straight games against nonconference teams at FirstBank Stadium. It is the school’s first 10-game winning streak at home against nonconference opponents since 2015-19
- Vanderbilt had its first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since Sept. 20, 2025, vs. Georgia State, as Austin Howard blocked a punt in the third quarter and landed on the loose ball in the end zone for a touchdown
- The Dores have scored off blocked kicks in back-to-back weeks for the first time since at least 2002, as during Week 1 Vanderbilt had a blocked PAT returned for a two-point conversion
- It is the first time since 2017 that the Commodores have had a block in two straight games
- Vandy has had a punt returned for a touchdown for the second consecutive week, marking the first time since 2012 that the Dores have had multiple punt returns for touchdowns in the same season
- It is just the seventh time in school history that Vanderbilt has returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, and the first time it has occurred in back-to-back seasons
- Vanderbilt is the first SEC team since Alabama in 2019 to score off a block in consecutive games, and the first FBS team to accomplish the feat since Florida Atlantic in 2025
- The Dores had a season-high 11 tackles for loss, marking the first time since Oct. 22, 2022, vs. Missouri (11), that Vanderbilt has registered 10 or more tackles for loss
- Vandy had multiple interceptions in a game for the first time since Martel Hight’s two-interception performance on Nov. 22, 2025, vs. Kentucky
PLAYER NOTES
- Jayvontay Conner hauled in a career-best six receptions for 87 yards, which are also the most receiving yards he has collected at Vanderbilt
- Jared Curtis is the first Vanderbilt freshman to be responsible for three touchdowns in a home game since Johnathon McCrary’s five-touchdown performance vs. Old Dominion on Nov. 1, 2014
- Curtis is the first Vanderbilt true freshman quarterback to have multiple rushing touchdowns in a game since at least 2008, while he is the first Commodore true freshman to have multiple rushing touchdowns since Sedrick Alexander’s two-score effort vs. Alabama A&M on Sept. 2, 2023
- Sedrick Alexander’s 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was his second of the season and was the 23rd of his career, putting him one score away from tying Marcus Wilson for third on Vanderbilt’s all-time rushing touchdown list
- Junior Sherrill recorded a season-high 94 yards on a season-best five receptions
- Walter Taylor hauled in a 19-yard reception for his first career touchdown
- Miles Capers collected a career-high 4.0 tackles for loss, as he was one shy of tying the school record of five set by Jaylen Mahoney (2022; at Missouri) and Stephen Weatherly (2014; vs. Tennessee)
- Capers also established a new career-high mark in sacks with 2.0 vs. Delaware
- CJ Heard had a career-high eight tackles and had his first career multi-sack game with 2.0
- Austin Howard scored his first career touchdown by recovering his own blocked punt, making him the first Dore to block a punt and recover it for a score since Jamison Curtis vs. Georgia State on Sept. 20, 2025
- Martel Hight collected his first interception of the season and the eighth of his career, which is the most among active Commodores
- Cayden Daniels had his first career interception