Game 8: No. 5/6 Texas (6-1, 2-1 SEC) vs. No. 25/25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1 SEC)
When: Saturday, Oct. 26 • 3:15 p.m. CT
Where: FirstBank Stadium • Nashville, Tenn.
Watch: SEC Network (Tom Hart, Cole Cubelic and Alyssa Lang)
Listen: 94.9 The Fan (Andrew Allegretta, Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram)
NEXT UP
• The Commodores host a top-five opponent at FirstBank Stadium for the second time this season when No. 5/6 Texas comes to town Saturday. The Texas game marks Vandy’s fifth contest this season against a team either ranked or receiving votes. Vanderbilt is 4-1 in those games with the only loss coming in double overtime at No. 7/8 Missouri.
• Coming in at No. 25 in both the AP and Coaches polls, Vanderbilt is ranked for the first time since the conclusion of the 2013 season.
• Vanderbilt has not played a game as a ranked team since the 2012 Music City Bowl when the No. 24 Dores defeated NC State, 38-24.
• Saturday’s game will be the first time Vanderbilt has played a regular season game as an AP-ranked team since Oct. 18, 2008. Vanderbilt was ranked for three weeks under Bobby Johnson that season, with the last game as a ranked team when 22nd-ranked Vanderbilt fell at No. 10 Georgia, 24-14. That is also the last time Vandy played a game in which both teams were ranked.
• The Commodores and Longhorns will be meeting for the first time since 1928. Vandy leads the all-time series 8-3-1.
LAST TIME OUT
• The Commodores pulled away in the second half Saturday to defeat Ball State 24-14.
• Vanderbilt improved to 5-2 on the season, 4-0 at home. It is the first time since the 1987-88 campaigns that the Commodores have won four straight home games.
• The last time the Dores started a season 4-0 at home was in 1982 when Vandy won all six home contests.
• For the fourth time this season, Vandy’s defense held its opponents to less than 100 rushing yards. That is the most times Vanderbilt has accomplished the feat since holding five opponents below 100 rushing yards in 2015.
• Vandy’s offense totaled a season-high 420 yards.
• Eli Stowers had eight catches for 130 yards, his third 100-yard receiving game this fall for the tight end and the most by a Commodore in a season since Jordan Matthews posted 100-plus receiving yards on eight occasions in 2013.
• Nick Rinaldi led Vandy’s defense with seven tackles and a sack, marking his third straight game taking down the opponent’s quarterback. Rinaldi’s sack in the second quarter was for a loss of 12, the longest TFL by a Commodore this season.
• Brock Taylor finished a perfect 3-of-3 on field-goal attempts to bring his season total to 14, tied for the sixth most field goals in a season in program history. Taylor is 7-for-7 in the last three games.
DOMINANT DIEGO
• Diego Pavia has been one of the most electric signal callers in college football this season. He ranks 12th among FBS quarterbacks in passing efficiency (164.4) and 19th in yards per completion (13.6).
• Pavia ranks seventh in the SEC with 470 rushing yards, most among quarterbacks.
• His performance in the win over top-ranked Alabama on Oct. 5 landed him SEC Offensive Player of the Week. He was also named the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week and the Maxwell Award Player of the Week.
• In the opening win vs. Virginia Tech, Pavia completed 75 percent of his passes with a passing efficiency of 216.0.
• He was credited with eight missed tackles forced by PFF in Week 1, tied for the lead in FBS among non-running backs with Taylen Green (Arkansas) and Matthew Sluka (UNLV).
• Pavia’s 104 net rushing yards against the Hokies were the second most among non-running backs during Week 1, trailing only new New Mexico’s Devon Dampier who ran for 130 yards at Arizona.
• Diego Pavia piloted a deadly efficient offense in 2023 while leading New Mexico State to 10 wins. Pavia ranked among the top-35 in FBS in passing touchdowns, points, passing yards per attempt and passing efficiency last season. In addition, Pavia ranked fifth among FBS quarterbacks in Pro Football Focus’ Elusive Rating.
WHERE THE DORES RANK
• Vandy ranks eighth in FBS and leads the SEC in third down conversion percentage (52.1).
• The Dores are tied for first among Power 4 programs with one interception thrown this season. Vandy leads the SEC in both turnovers lost (2) and turnover margin (0.86).
• Vanderbilt boasts the SEC’s best red zone offense (96.6 percent), sixth best in FBS.
• With an average time of possession of 33:00, the Dores lead the SEC and are 11th in FBS.
