Game 7: 17/18 Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1 SEC) vs. 10/10 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC)
When: Saturday, Oct. 18 • 11 a.m.
Where: FirstBank Stadium • Nashville, Tenn.
Watch: ABC (Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer, Katie George)
Listen: 102.5 The Game (Andrew Allegretta, Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram)
RETURN TO FIRSTBANK
• Vanderbilt returns to FirstBank Stadium to host LSU in what will be the fourth meeting all-time when both sides are ranked, the first since 1947.
• Saturday’s contest marks LSU’s first trip to Nashville since 2020. Six of Vandy’s seven wins in the series have come at home.
• The Commodores suffered their first defeat of the season at Alabama on Oct. 4 after starting the fall 5-0 for the first time since 2008 and just the second time in 80 years.
• Vandy won each of its first five games by 20-plus points for the first time since 1915.
• The Commodores are one of seven teams nationally and six in the Power 4 ranked in the top 25 nationally in rushing offense and defense (BYU, Indiana, James Madison, Memphis, Michigan, Missouri).
THE BECKONING
• Vanderbilt’s offense has been transformed under second-year offensive coordinator Tim Beck’s watch.
• According to ESPN FPI, the Dores lead the nation in offensive efficiency (93.8) and sit fifth in overall efficiency (89.2).
• Among FBS programs, Vandy ranks seventh in scoring, second in third-down conversion percentage, 15th in passing efficiency and 19th in total offense.
• The Commodores opened the 2025 campaign with back-to-back games amassing over 475 yards of offense, marking the first time Vanderbilt has accomplished that feat since 2016 against Ole Miss and Tennessee.
HEARD HIM
• Safety CJ Heard leads the Commodores with 31 tackles through his first six games in the black and gold while adding a sack, three quarterback hurries and an interception.
• That included sharing team-high honors in Vandy’s last contest at Alabama after he was credited with eight stops.
• Heard was especially impactful against Virginia Tech and South Carolina, racking up a season-high 12 tackles and adding a QB hurry to lead the Dores in the win over the Gamecocks. The 12 stops were one off his career high of 13. At Virginia Tech, Heard announced his presence with five tackles, a sack and two QB pressures.
• The FAU transfer snagged his first career interception in the season opener against Charleston Southern.
NEW SEASON, NEW HIGHT
• No need to blink, that is junior Martel Hight split out at wide receiver this season. The veteran corner is playing both ways for the first time in his collegiate career.
• The Rome, Georgia, native was named the Paul Hornung Award national Player of the Week after finding multiple ways to contribute in the Dores’ 31-7 victory at nationally-ranked South Carolina in Week 3.
• Against the Gamecocks, he finished with a career-high four catches for 33 yards. Hight threw the key block springing Jamezell Lassiter free for a 44-yard touchdown run that gave the Dores a double-digit lead for good in the third quarter,
• On the defensive side, Hight helped limit South Carolina to just 86 yards rushing.
• He grabbed his first interception of the season in Week 6 at Alabama.
SEDRICK THE ENTERTAINER
• Running back Sedrick Alexander picked up right where he left off in 2024, scoring in each of the first four games of the season.
• The back leads the team with five rushing, and nine total touchdowns. Alexander leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the nation in total touchdowns.
• Alexander’s 20 career touchdowns are just four shy of reaching the top five all-time at Vanderbilt. His nine TDs in 2025 are three away from entering the record book for a single season.
• At Alabama, Alexander accounted for 98 all-purpose yards, including a career-long 65-yard touchdown scamper.
• With a 3-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter vs. Georgia State, Alexander extended his four-game scoring streak, which was the longest of his career. He also hauled in a 10-yard touchdown catch to post a rushing and receiving touchdown in back-to-back games.
BACKFIELD CAPERS
• Graduate edge Miles Capers is wreaking havoc in opposing backfields, ranking third in the SEC and ranking 13th in the country with 1.42 tackles for loss per game this season.
• Capers’ 8.5 TFL this season already mark a career best, surpassing his eight from the 2024 season. He had 11.5 career TFL entering the season.
• His 4.5 sacks through six games have also eclipsed his previous season high of three from 2024. He ranks 23rd nationally in sacks per game.
• Capers has recorded multiple tackles in every game this season and 13-straight contests dating back to October 2024.
• He has made 2.5 tackles for loss in three games this season, including twice in the past three contests.
SYDNOR GETS STOPS
• Graduate defensive lineman Khordae Sydnor has continued to make his presence felt in opposing backfields during his second season at Vanderbilt, already amassing 6.0 tackles for loss through six games this season.
• The six stops behind the line of scrimmage are second on the team. His 36 yards of created loss are second most behind only Capers with 58.
• His six TFL are just 0.5 shy of his previous career high, set last season at Vandy and in 2022 at Purdue.
• Sydnor owns 12.5 TFL at Vanderbilt and 21.5 over his five-year career.
• With 2.5 sacks this season, Sydnor sits second on the Dores. He leads the squad in quarterback hurries, registering four in the first six games of the year.
SHERRILL STRIKES
• Junior Sherrill leads the Dores with five touchdown receptions on the season and his six total scores are second on the team behind Sedrick Alexander. His five TD grabs rank 16th nationally and second in the SEC.
• The wideout needs just 22 yards to reach 1,000 career receiving yards, sitting at 978 entering Week 8.
• He registered the first rushing score of his career with an 8-yard touchdown run in the win over Georgia State.
• Sherrill is second on the team with 23 catches while averaging 11.9 yards per reception in 2025.
