Game 8: 10/12 Vanderbilt (6-1, 2-1 SEC) vs. 15/14 Missouri (6-1, 2-1 SEC)
When: Saturday, Oct. 25 • 2:30 p.m.
Where: FirstBank Stadium • Nashville, Tenn.
Watch: ESPN (Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick, Kris Budden)
Listen: 102.5 The Game/94.9 The Fan (Andrew Allegretta, Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram)
COMING TO THE MUSIC CITY
• For the first time since 2008 and just the second time ever, College GameDay will originate from Nashville when the Commodores host Missouri Saturday afternoon.
• The game is Vanderbilt’s second-consecutive sellout and fourth of the season as 35,000 fans will pack FirstBank Stadium for the top-15 showdown.
• Vanderbilt won in GameDay’s previous visit to West End, taking down Auburn 14-13 on Oct. 4, 2008.
• Vandy won each of its first five games by 20-plus points for the first time since 1915.
• Quarterback Diego Pavia is the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Week following his three touchdown day against LSU.
FULL STEAM AHEAD
• Vanderbilt’s offense has produced at an historic level to open the season, sitting eighth nationally in scoring offense at 41.4 points per game through seven contests.
• In program history, the Commodores have only finished three seasons with a scoring average better than 40 points: 1904, 1905 and 1915.
• Vanderbilt’s offense ranks in the top 25 nationally in nine major categories. The Dores lead the SEC in third down conversion percentage and fewest sacks allowed, and rank second in scoring offense and passing efficiency.
• With 70 and 55 points in back-to-back contests vs. Georgia State and Utah State, Vanderbilt produced consecutive games with 50-plus points for the first time since 1915.
POLL PLACEMENT
• Vanderbilt leapt to No. 10 in the AP Poll and No. 12 in the AFCA Coaches Poll following its victory over LSU.
• The Commodores are a top 10 team in the AP Poll for the first time since 1947 and just the fifth time in program history.
• It’s the second consecutive season the Dores have appeared in the polls, marking the first occurrence since 2012 and 2013. It is just the second time Vanderbilt has reached the top 25 in consecutive seasons since 1956 and only the sixth occurrence in the AP poll’s 90-year history.
• Week 9 marks the sixth consecutive appearance in the AP poll this season. It is the first time in program history the Dores have been ranked for more than four weeks in a single season.
SCORING MARGINS
• Through seven games, Vanderbilt is outscoring its opponents 290-140, a margin of +150. The 290 points is most scored by the program before November.
• The Commodores won each of their first five games of the season by 20-plus points, marking the first time Vandy has opened the year with five-straight blowout wins since 1915.
• The Commodores outscored opponents 256-182 entering November last season, good for a margin of +74 points.
• It was the largest scoring margin by a Vanderbilt team entering November since 1955 when the Dores held a +86 edge at the end of October.
• The 256 points scored entering November were the second-most in that time frame, trailing only the 2013 team which had 257 through October.
IMPROVEMENT VS. RANKED TEAMS
• Vanderbilt earned its third win over an AP Top 25 team under Clark Lea with its 31-24 victory over No. 10 LSU in Week 8. It was the program’s second win over a top-10 team in the last two seasons (No. 1 Alabama – 10.5.24).
• In 2024 games against opponents in the AP Top 25 at the time of the game, Vanderbilt showed marked statistical improvement, in addition to securing its first-ever win against the No. 1 team in the nation.
• Last season, Vanderbilt averaged 28.5 points per game against ranked teams after scoring 18.0 in 2023 and 5.7 in Lea’s debut 2021 campaign.
• In total scoring, Vanderbilt was outscored by just 14 points in four games against ranked teams. The 2022 Dores saw a deficit of 207 points over five games.
• Last year’s Commodores allowed 32.0 points per game to ranked teams compared to 39.0 in 2023 and 52.6 in 2022.
MIDSEASON RECOGNITION
• With Vandy climbing into the AP top 10, the Commodores are garnering attention on the midseason awards watch lists.
• Head coach Clark Lea is on the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award Watch List with the Commodores off to a 6-1 start for the first time 1950.
• Eli Stowers is a semifinalist for both the William V. Campbell Trophy and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year. He was also named a midseason second-team All-American by SI.
DOMINANT DIEGO
• Diego Pavia enters Week 9 sitting 18th in the country and third in the SEC with 15 passing touchdowns. He ranks 15th nationally in passing efficiency (165.2), 12th in completion percentage (70.5), 13th in points responsible for with 114, 22nd in total offense with 286.7 yards of production per game, and 25th in yards per pass attempt at 8.57.
• With 246 yards of total offense in the win over LSU, Pavia surpassed 5,000 yards in his Vanderbilt career. Pavia also moved into seventh in the career record book, passing Chris Nickson.
• With 2,007 yards of total offense this year, Pavia’s 2025 campaign moved into 19th all-time at Vanderbilt on the season record list.
• Entering Week 9, Pavia has 8,285 career passing yards to his credit. He ranks ninth in career passing at Vanderbilt with 3,862 yards as a Commodore.
SPENCE SPARKS CAREER DAY
• Tight end Cole Spence had a career day in the victory over LSU with five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
• The five receptions and 56 yards were both career highs for Spence while the TD was his first of the season and third of his career.
• Spence led the Commodores in receptions and yardage against the Bayou Bengals. 27 of his 56 yards came after the catch.
WHITE ANCHORING THE LINE
• Graduate center Jordan White has provided an instant impact for the Commodores in his first season in the black and gold. The veteran recorded Vandy’s top overall and run block grades in each of the first three weeks and leads the line on the season in overall, run and pass block grades.
• He earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors after helping lead Vanderbilt past No. 10 LSU on Oct. 18.
• White was named a team captain on the Friday night preceding the Utah State game in Week 5.
• White was named the SEC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the win at No. 11/10 South Carolina, helping the Commodores roll up 22 first downs while averaging better than five yards per play and controlling the ball for 35:43. White did not allow a pressure on 30 pass snaps in the victory.
YOUNG RUNNING WILD & FREE
• Makhilyn Young is one of three Commodores over 200 yards rushing this season. With 296 yards on 27 carries, Young is averaging 11.0 yards per carry, most on the team with double-figure carries. His four touchdown runs are second on the team behind Alexander.
• “MK” ran for 85 yards on just six carries in the win over LSU. He added a 10-yard reception on 4th-and-1 to keep a third-quarter drive alive that led to touchdown in final minute of the period. His final carry of the day went for 43 yards, putting the Dores in the red zone and helping run out the final 3:12 of the win.
• Young burst onto the scene in his first two games with the Dores, running for 114 yards on just 11 carries. In 14 games prior to Vandy, Young had just 201 yards on the ground.
• Young recorded Vandy’s longest rushing touchdown of the season with a 60-yard score against Georgia State.
• Young has yet to be stopped for a loss this season.
BROCKET LAUNCHER
• Brock Taylor knocked home a field goal against LSU to run his streak to 17 consecutive made kicks. The streak is tied for the fifth-longest active run in the nation.
• Taylor was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance vs. Utah State going 2-for-2 on field goals and 6-for-6 on extra points.
• Taylor nailed a 51-yard kick at South Carolina, giving him six makes of 50 or more yards. He is the first player in school history with at least five 50-yard-plus field goals.
• Taylor made his last 11 field goal attempts of the 2024 season over the final eight games (he did not attempt a field goal in the Birmingham Bowl).
• He connected on a program-record 57-yard field goal at Missouri in 2024.
