Game 2: —/RV Vanderbilt (1-0) at Virginia Tech (0-1)
When: Saturday, Sept. 6 • 6:30 p.m. CT
Where: Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, Va.
Watch: ACC Network (Wes Durham, Steve Addazio and Dana Boyle)
Listen: 102.5 The Game (Andrew Allegretta, Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram)
OPENING NIGHT SUCCESS
• Vanderbilt kicked off its 136th season of football with a 45-3 win over Charleston Southern in front of a sold-out FirstBank Stadium.
• The victory marked the fourth season-opening victory in a row, marking the longest stretch of wins in season openers since capturing six in a row from 1970-75.
• Vanderbilt scored a touchdown on each of its first three possessions of the night, the first time the Dores opened a game with three touchdown drives since 2017.
• Quarterback Diego Pavia completed 20-of-25 passes for 275 yards and three scores to lead the victory. He added 44 rushing yards on eight carries.
NEW FACES FIND THE END ZONE
• Three of Vanderbilt’s newest additions all found the end zone in Week 1 with transfer running back Makhilyn Young, sophomore running back Jamezell Lassiter and freshman wide receiver Kayleb Barnett each reaching paydirt.
• Barnett’s first collegiate touchdown opened the scoring against Charleston Southern, as the speedster took a jet sweep pass in from 9 yards out.
• Young’s first TD as a Commodore came in the third quarter as the New Mexico State transfer capped a four-play, 21-yard drive with a 4-yard scamper up the middle. The touchdown was the fourth of Young’s collegiate career.
• Lassiter’s score completed the 45-point day for Vanderbilt as the sophomore housed his first collegiate carry on a 35-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
CONTROLLING THE SEAS
• The Commodores defense surrendered just 135 total yards to Charleston Southern in the season opener.
• The 135 yards are the eighth-lowest total allowed in the past 30 seasons by the Commodores. It’s also the second-lowest output by an opposing offense in the season opener.
• The Commodore defense racked up three sacks and totaled seven stops behind the line of scrimmage.
• Bryce Cowan led the Dores’ defense with five tackles, one shy of his career-best six set against Tennessee in 2023.
• Miles Capers led the black and gold with 2.5 tackles for loss, including a strip sack. The forced fumble was the fourth of Capers’ career, extending his team-leading total.
• The 2.5 tackles for loss total was a career best for Capers as well.
LAST SEASON WITH THE HOKIES
• Vanderbilt toppled the Hokies in a 34-27 overtime thriller at FirstBank Stadium to open the 2024 campaign in Nashville.
• Diego Pavia, in his first game at quarterback for the Commodores, was electric going 12-of-16 for 190 yards and two touchdowns through the air while adding 104 rushing yards and a TD on the ground.
• Sedrick Alexander added 69 yards as the Dores rolled up 181 rushing yards for a pair of scores.
• Defensive lineman Glenn Seabrooks III snagged an interception off a tipped pass in the win.
• Pavia led a late six-play, 70-yard drive, capped by a TD connection with Alexander to tie the game and force overtime.
• In overtime, Pavia finished a four-play scoring drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. The Commodore defense held on 4th-and-11 from the 12-yard line to earn the victory.
NEW SEASON, NEW HIGHT
• No need to blink, that is junior Martel Hight split out at wide receiver this season. The veteran corner will play both ways for the first time in his collegiate career.
• In his first venture as a two-way player, Hight made two catches for 17 yards and added four tackles on the defensive side of the ball.
• Hight finished the 2024 campaign tied for the team lead with two interceptions, tied for second with four pass breakups and added 33 tackles.
• Hight’s explosiveness with the ball in his hands was also on display as he averaged 14.7 yards on 18 punt returns and made a 57-yard house call against Alcorn State.
CAPTAINING THE SHIP
• Vanderbilt named eight veterans as team captains for the 2025 season. Commodore captains are voted on and selected by the team.
• Richie Hoskins, Langston Patterson, Diego Pavia and Marlen Sewell were all selected as captains for a second-straight season. Randon Fontenette, Yilanan Ouattara, Eli Stowers and Khordae Sydnor join the leadership group for their first season as captains.
RICHARDSON REELS ‘EM IN
• New Commodore Tre Richardson made an instant spark with a team-leading five receptions against the Bucs for 74 yards.
• Richardson joined the Dores after a prolific season at Washburn in the NCAA Division II ranks where he went for 981 yards on 52 catches with 11 touchdowns.
