Game 7: Ball State (2-4, 1-2 MAC) vs. RV/RV Vanderbilt (4-2, 2-1 SEC)
When: Saturday, Oct. 19 • 6 p.m. CT
Where: FirstBank Stadium • Nashville, Tenn.
Watch: ESPN+/SECN+ (Richard Cross, Charles Arbuckle and Erin Summers)
Listen: 102.5 The Game (Andrew Allegretta, Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram) | Pregame on 94.9 The Fan until 5:30 p.m.
NEXT UP
• Vanderbilt returns home to host Ball State on Saturday after winning back-to-back SEC games against No. 1 Alabama and Kentucky.
• The Commodores are receiving votes in both the AP and Coaches polls for the second consecutive week.
• Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between Vanderbilt and Ball State. The Commodores are 11-1 all-time versus MAC opponents with the most recent match-up coming in 2022 at Northern Illinois when Vandy won 38-28.
LAST TIME OUT
• Vanderbilt won its second consecutive SEC battle with a 20-13 thriller on the road at Kentucky. Vandy’s 20 points were the second-most scored against the Kentucky defense this season. The Wildcats had previously held Georgia to 13 points and Ole Miss to 17.
• Vandy’s 4-2 start is the best start since the 2008 season when Vanderbilt went 5-1 through its first six games.
• Vanderbilt has won back-to-back games at Kentucky for the first time since 1992 and 1994.
• De’Rickey Wright grabbed his sixth career interception in the win. Vandy has a pick in 10 of the last 12 games dating to last season.
• Diego Pavia finished 15-of-18 with two touchdowns, marking his fourth consecutive game with multiple touchdowns through the air.
• Brock Taylor went 2-for-2 on field goal attempts including posting a 50-yarder to improve to 4-of-5 this year from 50-plus yards.
• Taylor was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second consecutive week. He is the second Vanderbilt player since the SEC instituted weekly awards in 1985 to win the same award in consecutive weeks. Quarterback Eric Jones was named Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 31 and Nov. 7, 1987.
BACK-TO-BACK
• Vanderbilt did not trail in either of its back-to-back victories over No. 1 Alabama and at Kentucky. It is the first time since at least 1960 that the Commodores led for the entirety of consecutive SEC contests.
• Vandy’s offense did not have a single three-and-out drive in either win, marking the only time since at least 2002 that Vanderbilt has gone two consecutive SEC contests without a three-and-out.
• According to ESPN Research, Diego Pavia became the first SEC quarterback to record an 80 percent completion rate, at least two touchdown passes and 50 yards rushing in back-to-back wins.
ROLL DORES ROLL
• Vandy’s historic 40-35 win over top-ranked Alabama on Oct. 5 was the program’s first victory over a No. 1-ranked team and the first top-five win in program history.
• The Commodores were 0-60 against AP top-five opponents entering the contest with No. 1/2-ranked Alabama and it was Vandy’s first win over the Crimson Tide since the 1984 season.
• Vanderbilt held Alabama to 35 points, the fewest points scored by the Crimson Tide this season entering the contest.
• The Commodores converted 12-of-18 third-down opportunities leading to 42:08 of possession.
• Vandy’s offense registered 26 first downs in the win, the most in a game this season.
• Vandy took the opening drive down the field for a touchdown, the first touchdown allowed by the Alabama defense in the first quarter this season.
• The Commodore defense picked up its second pick six of the season when Randon Fontenette grabbed a pass tipped by De’Rickey Wright and took it to the end zone. Alabama had not allowed a pick six since 2022.
• Diego Pavia finished the game 16-for-20 with 252 passing yards and two touchdowns. His 80 percent completion rate was the highest mark by an opposing quarterback against the Crimson Tide since 2010, when Stephen Garcia finished with an 85 percent mark for South Carolina, per ESPN Research.
• Pavia found Junior Sherrill for a 36-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-1 play that increased Vandy’s lead back to two scores in the third quarter.
• Pavia became the 10th quarterback since 2010 to defeat both Auburn and Alabama in his career, joining Jayden Daniels, Stetson Bennett, Zach Calzada, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Trevor Knight, Chad Kelly, Bo Wallace and Johnny Manziel. Pavia, Bennett, Watson and Matthew Stafford are the only quarterbacks since 2004 to defeat both without playing in the SEC West.
WHERE THE DORES RANK
• Vandy ranks 10th in FBS and second in the SEC in third-down conversion percentage (51.3).
• The Dores are tied for first among Power 4 programs with one interception thrown this season.
• Vanderbilt is tied with Missouri for the best red zone offense (96 percent) in the SEC and ninth best among FBS programs.
• With an average time of possession of 32:44, the Dores rank third in the SEC and 14th in FBS.
HOW TO WATCH
• Saturday’s game is available on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.
• ESPN+ is a stand-alone subscription package. More information on how to subscribe to ESPN+ is available on its website.
• SEC Network+ is available to cable/satellite/streaming subscribers of SEC Network through ESPN’s digital platforms. Users must authenticate their SEC Network access through their subscription service.
