POSTGAME NOTES
Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Charleston Southern Buccaneers | Nashville, Tenn. | Aug. 30, 2025
Vanderbilt 45, Charleston Southern 3
TEAM NOTES
- Charleston Southern won the toss and elected to defer. All five captains represented the Commodores at midfield: Randon Fontenette, Richie Hoskins, Marlen Sewell and Eli Stowers
- Vanderbilt shut out an opponent in the first half for the first time since blanking Alcorn State over the course of the first two quarters back on Sept. 7, 2024
- The win marks Vanderbilt’s fourth-straight season-opening victory
- Vanderbilt scored a touchdown on its first three drives of the game for the first time since Nov. 25, 2017, vs. Tennessee
- The last time Vandy opened a season scoring a touchdown on three-straight drives was on Sept. 2, 2017, vs. Middle Tennessee
- Last time they did so in a season opener was earlier that same season on 9/2/2017 (against Middle Tennessee).
- It is the first time Vandy has won four-consecutive openers since winning six-straight from 1970-1975
- Vanderbilt scored four touchdowns in the first half for the first time since Sept. 3, 2022, vs. Elon
- The Commodores registered 40-plus points in a contest for the first time since the 40-35 victory over No. 1-ranked Alabama on Oct. 5, 2024
- The 42-point win marks Vandy’s largest margin of victory since defeating Alcorn State, 55-0, on Sept. 7, 2024
- Vandy put up 481 total yards on offense, marking the team’s highest offensive output since amassing 601 total yards of offense at Hawai’i on Aug. 27, 2022
PLAYER NOTES
- Diego Pavia’s three passing touchdowns vs. Charleston Southern match his Vanderbilt career high
- All three of Pavia’s scores through the air came in the first half, marking just the second time at Vanderbilt that the quarterback has scored multiple touchdowns in the first half, with the last coming on Oct. 12, 2024, at Kentucky
- Pavia has now thrown for three touchdowns in each of his last two starts for the first time at Vanderbilt, while his 275 passing yards match his Vanderbilt high set back on Oct. 19, 2024, vs. Ball State
- Pavia’s 319 total yards vs. Charleston Southern is the second-highest total offensive output in a single game at Vanderbilt
- Junior Sedrick Alexander rushed for 83 yards to eclipse 1,000 career rushing yards at Vanderbilt
- Alexander added 26 receiving yards and a touchdown reception to his stat line, giving him 109 total yards of offense
- It is the first time Alexander has posted 100-plus yards of total offense at the collegiate level
- Alexander caught his second career receiving touchdown, his first since the 2024 season-Junior win vs. Virginia Tech
- Junior Makhilyn Young, sophomore Jamezell Lassiter and freshman Kayleb Barnett each scored their first touchdown as Commodores
- Junior AJ Newberry collected his first rushing touchdown since Sept. 24, 2024, at Missouri
- Senior Bryce Cowan matched his career-best performance in tackles with five
- Graduate Miles Capers forced his fourth career fumble, collected a sack and matched his career-best with two tackles for loss
- Sophomore CJ Heard collected his first interception in his first career game at Vanderbilt
- Cornerback/wide receiver Martel Hight collected four tackles and caught two passes for 17 yards
