Rapid reaction from Vanderbilt’s 28-9 season-opening victory Sept. 5 over Austin Peay at FirstBank Stadium:
Talking points
- Austin Peay played better than a 28.5-point underdog, but ultimately, it didn’t have enough to take down a Vanderbilt team that appeared wobbly and vulnerable for much of this game. Some of that was the Govs. More of it was that these Commodores are clearly trying to rediscover their identity post-Diego Pavia. They survived this initial test largely because of advantages in physicality and depth you’d expect an FBS program to have over an FCS opponent on a sweltering evening. Yet the Govs — a ranked FCS team with playoff aspirations — kept the game competitive until Vanderbilt returned a short punt for a touchdown 10 seconds into the fourth quarter.
- This game, technically, lasted for fewer than 58 minutes of football. It was called following a coaches' discussion after it was delayed for nearby lightning with 2:16 left in the fourth quarter.
- Starting quarterback Blaze Berlowitz played most of the game for Vanderbilt, though hyped freshman Jared Curtis debuted before halftime and then returned early in the fourth quarter after the Commodores had seized a 28-9 lead. Home fans cheered Curtis’ entrance loudly in each instance. They cheered even louder when Curtis promptly fired a 17-yard completion to Ja’Cory Thomas near the sideline on his play. And even louder still when Curtis trucked an APSU tackler in the fourth quarter.
- Without Pavia, Vanderbilt’s offense started this season looking a lot like the plodding, run-heavy, ball-control offense that Pavia first quarterbacked here in 2024. Running back Sedrick Alexander carried the football on the game’s first four plays and would’ve had the game’s first TD had it not been called back for a holding penalty. As it was, Vanderbilt’s first three offensive possessions went for 13, 13 and nine plays each, and after that third drive went for a TD, the Commodores had a time of possession edge of 18:52 to 4:47 on the Govs.
- This game featured a couple of odd special teams occurrences. Vanderbilt blocked an extra point early and ran it back for two points. Then, early in the fourth quarter, Austin Peay punter Logan Leftrick bobbled a snap and ended up punting a line drive that linebacker Josiah Broxton caught near the line of scrimmage and returned 27 yards for a touchdown.
- This was the second game of the season for coach Jeff Faris’ Austin Peay squad, which opened by beating Gardner-Webb. And the Govs started fast offensively at Vandy. Quarterback Chris Parson capped the Govs’ opening seven-play, 75-yard drive with a 24-yard toss to Denver Harper, beating the Commodores’ blitz and giving APSU the early lead.
Where the game turned
Trailing 15-9, Austin Peay opened the third quarter with a 10-play drive that reached Vanderbilt’s
36-yard line, where Faris opted to go for a fourth-and-6. He then called timeout before the play. It didn’t help. The Commodores overwhelmed the Govs up front and Nick Rinaldi and Edwin Kolenge combined for a pivotal sack. Vandy turned that into a TD drive to make it 21-9. On APSU's next four drives, the Govs gained a total of 5 yards.
Key number
Minus-19 — Rushing yards for Parson, Austin Peay's quarterback. The elusive former Ravenwood star led the Govs in rushing last season, but he was sacked five times by Vandy, which also didn’t allow him to escape the pocket for big gains on the ground.
What I liked
This was an encouraging start for the Commodores’ defense against a capable quarterback in Parson and a capable offensive coach in Faris, a disciple of David Cutcliffe. The Govs finished with only 178 offensive yards and didn’t return to the end zone after their opening possession.
As for Austin Peay, credit Faris and his staff for the team ready to play. The Govs had a legit shot. Had Parson been able to connect with a wide-open Jackson Head on an incompletion in Vandy territory early in the third quarter, APSU might’ve jumped ahead 16-15, putting all the pressure on Vanderbilt down the stretch. Perhaps the Govs can make it back to Vandy’s stadium for the FCS title game later this season.
What I didn’t like
Vanderbilt is very much a work in progress offensively. Little came easy in this opener, and the offense made it more difficult with its own first-game miscues, removing an early touchdown with a holding penalty and failing to convert a fourth down late. APSU didn’t quite have enough to take advantage. Other opponents will.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Rapid reax as Vanderbilt starts a little wobbly, but finally takes down Austin Peay
