Game 13: 13/12 Vanderbilt (10-2) vs. RV/RV Iowa (8-4)
When: Wednesday, Dec. 31 • 11 a.m. CT
Where: Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, Fla.
Watch: ESPN (Roy Philpott, Sam Acho and Taylor Davis)
Listen: 94.9 The Fan (Andrew Allegretta, Norman Jordan and Kevin Ingram)
BOWL SEASON
• Vanderbilt will be playing in a postseason bowl game in consecutive seasons for only the second time in program history after accepting an invitation to the ReliaQuest Bowl.
• The Commodores will meet Iowa in Tampa, the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
• Vanderbilt last met a current member of the Big Ten in 2019 when the Commodores visited Purdue.
• Vandy is 5-4-1 in bowl games, most recently defeating Georgia Tech, 35-27, last season in the Birmingham Bowl.
MAKING HISTORY
• Vanderbilt won 10 games this season for the first time in program history. Vandy’s six SEC wins are also the most in school history.
• The Dores’ only two losses this season came at Alabama, ranked No. 9 in the CFP Rankings, and at No. 13 Texas.
• Vanderbilt finished the regular season with the 11th-best strength of record and the 25th best strength of schedule according to ESPN.
• Vandy beat Tennessee for the first time since 2018, South Carolina for the first time since 2008, Auburn in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1949-50, and LSU for the first time since 1990, and went undefeated at home for the first time since 1982.
FULL STEAM AHEAD
• The Commodores are second in the SEC and eighth in the country in scoring average, posting 39.4 points per game. They have done so while facing five teams in the top 25 in scoring defense among Power 4 teams (Alabama, Missouri, Texas, LSU and Auburn).
• In program history, the Commodores have only finished three seasons with a scoring average better than 40 points: 1904, 1905 and 1915.
• Vandy has set new program season records for passing touchdowns (28) and first downs (291).
• Vanderbilt’s offense ranks in the top 25 nationally in eight major categories. The Dores lead the SEC in third down conversions , completion percentage and team passing efficiency, rank second in scoring offense and third in TFLs allowed.
POLL PLACEMENT
• Vanderbilt rose to No. 9 in the AP Poll and No. 11 in the AFCA Coaches Poll following its victory over Missouri in Week 9.
• The Commodores broke the top 10 in the AP Poll for the first time since 1947 and just the fifth time in program history. No. 9 was Vandy’s highest ranking since reaching No. 7 in 1937.
• Vandy has three wins over three top-15 teams for the first time in program history. The four wins over ranked opponents matches the program’s total from the previous 16 seasons combined.
• 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 16 marks the 13th 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.
ROCKY TOPPED
• Vanderbilt took down rival Tennessee 45-24 at Neyland Stadium to wrap up the regular season, giving the Commodores their first win over the Volunteers since 2018 and first win in Knoxville since 2017.
• The Dores amassed a season-high 314 rushing yards, the most by Vandy against an SEC school since 1996.
• Vanderbilt’s 45 points were the most allowed by Tennessee’s defense all season.
• Diego Pavia set a school record for most passing yards in a season (3,192) after throwing for 268 at Tennessee.
• Sedrick Alexander rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns. He moved into a tie for third in the school record book with his 21st career rushing score.
• The Dores recorded a rushing touchdown for the 16th straight game, their longest streak in 13 years.
• Vanderbilt was selected as the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week.
AWARD RECOGNITION
• With Vandy climbing into the AP top 10 this season, the Commodores are garnering attention on the awards watch lists.
• Head coach Clark Lea was named the FWAA Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Georgie Munger, AFCA, Walter Camp and Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Awards after leading the Commodores to 10 wins for the first time in program history.
• Eli Stowers won the William V. Campbell Trophy and John Mackey Award and was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. He was also a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and was named a midseason second-team All-American by SI.
• The offensive line is one of 10 units to be named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award.
• Diego Pavia won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, the first Commodore to do so. Pavia finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy and was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year and Manning Awards.
• Nick Haberer was one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award.
• Full list of awards and honors on Page 6.
GO DIEGO GO
• Diego Pavia entered the postseason second nationally in total offense (334.8) and points responsible for (18.2). He ranks fourth in in passing efficiency (171.5), ninth in passing touchdowns (27) and 14th in passing yards (3,192).
• Pavia broke the school season records for passing yards, touchdowns and total offense. He’s fourth in program history for for total yards accounted for and tied for sixth in career rushing touchdowns.
• He recorded 532 yards of total offense and accounted for six touchdowns in the win over Kentucky, his second game this season with six total touchdowns.
• He completed 33-of-39 pass attempts for a school-record 484 passing yards and five scores through the air. He also led Vandy on the ground with 48 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
• It was the most total yards of offense by a Commodore since at least 1996 and the second highest total offense mark by a Power 4 player this season.
• His five passing touchdowns in a game matched the program record, a mark he also reached earlier this fall against Utah State.
SEDRICK THE ENTERTAINER
• Running back Sedrick Alexander has scored multiple touchdowns on five occasions this fall after finding the end zone three times in the win over Tennessee.
• The back leads the team with 11 rushing, and 15 total touchdowns. Alexander ranks third in the SEC and 12th nationally with his 15 TDs. He also ranks 10th in the SEC in scoring with 90 total points.
• Alexander’s 26 career touchdowns is tied for third in program history. His 21 rushing touchdowns is also tied for third.
• Along with his three touchdowns, Alexander totaled 115 yards on the ground in the win at Tennessee and earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
• 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.
• Alexander went for 83 yards on 12 carries in the season-opening win against Charleston Southern. The 83 yards propelled Alexander past the 1,000-yard mark for his career. Alexander also added 26 yards receiving to top 100 all-purpose yards for the first time in his collegiate career.
• Alexander followed with a 73-yard, two-touchdown performance on just 10 carries in the win at Virginia Tech. The two touchdowns matched a career high for the junior. The opening two games also marked the first time in his career Alexander rushed for 70-plus yards in back-to-back contests.
SHERRILL STRIKES
• Junior Sherrill leads the Dores and ranks fourth in the SEC with seven touchdown receptions on the season.
• Sherrill is second on the team with 46 catches while averaging 14.4 yards per reception in 2025.
• The wide out surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards with two catches for 30 yards in the win over LSU in Week 8. He registered career highs in catches (eight) and receiving yards (115) in the Week 13 win over Kentucky.
• He notched three touchdowns and 91 yards on six catches in the Week 5 victory over Utah State. All three touchdown grabs came in the first half, making Sherrill the first Commodore with three TD catches in a half since Earl Bennett in 2005.
• He registered the first rushing score of his career with an 8-yard touchdown run vs. Georgia State.
BACKFIELD CAPERS
• Miles Capers’ 9.5 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 the first seven games also eclipsed his previous season high of three from 2024. He leads the Dores and ranks 17th in the SEC with 0.4 sacks per game.
• Capers has recorded multiple tackles in all but one game this season and in 16 of the last 17 contests dating back to October 2024.
• He has made 2.5 tackles for loss in three games this season.
• Capers tied his career best with a season-high seven tackles in the win over Missouri in Week 9.
YOUNG RUNNING WILD & FREE
• Makhilyn Young is one of three Commodores over 400 yards rushing this season. With 410 yards on 45 carries, Young is averaging 9.1 yards per carry, most on the team with double-figure carries. His six touchdown runs are third on the team behind Sedrick Alexander and Diego Pavia.
• “MK” led Vandy with 86 rushing yards on four carries in the win over Missouri. He broke an 80-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to give the Dores their first lead. It was Vandy’s longest play from scrimmage this season and the longest run by a Commodore since 2022.
• Young 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 carried a career-high eight times in the Virginia Tech win, racking up a career-best 95 yards on the ground. He added a 12-yard reception to lead all players in all-purpose yardage.
• The career day also include a collegiate-best 62 yard carry to help seal the win in the fourth quarter.
• 29 of Young’s 95 yards came after contact, according to PFF. That mark was also a career best for the junior. In total, Young set or matched eight career highs against the Hokies.
SYDNOR GETS STOPS
• Graduate defensive lineman Khordae Sydnor has continued to make his presence felt in opposing backfields during his second season at Vanderbilt, amassing 8.5 tackles for loss.
• The 8.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage are third on the team. His 40 yards of created loss are second most behind only Miles Capers with 60.
• His 8.5 TFL are his career high after finishing with 6.5 last season at Vandy and in 2022 at Purdue.
• Sydnor owns 15.0 TFL at Vanderbilt and 24.0 over his five-year career.
• With 3.5 sacks this season, Sydnor sits tied for third on the Dores. He is second on the team in quarterback hurries, registering seven this year.
HEARD HIM
• Safety CJ Heard finished the regular season second on the team with 64 tackles while adding two sacks, five quarterback hurries, an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery.
• He posted eight stops with a fumble he forced and recovered in the win over Missouri in Week 9. His forced fumble and recovery set up Vandy’s ensuing game-winning touchdown drive.
• Heard also had a tackle for no gain and a quarterback hurry on back-to-back plays after Missouri entered the red zone, leading to a missed field goal by the Tigers late in the third quarter.
• 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.
RINALDI RISING
• Former walk-on and now senior linebacker Nick Rinaldi has continued his exceptional work in 2025. After a career-best season featuring 52 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2024, Rinaldi has piled up 7.0 tackles behind the line and 3.5 sacks this season.
• His 7.0 tackles behind the line of scrimmage are fourth most on the team.
• Rinaldi was all over the field in the win at No. 11/10 South Carolina, racking up seven tackles, 2.5 TFL and a sack. His performance earned him Burlsworth Trophy Walk-On of the Week honors.
• In the win at Virginia Tech in Week 2, Rinaldi led the Dores with six tackles, 2.5 TFL and a sack. He also added a QB hurry to the ledger.
• The back-to-back games with 2.5 TFL are tied for his career high and are the only consecutive games with multiple TFL in his career.
• Rinaldi was named the 2025 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the first Commodore to receive the honor since its inception in 2003.
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.
• Hight grabbed two interceptions in the win over Kentucky, the most in a game by a Commodore since 2023. He leads the team in picks this season with three and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.
• 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.
TREMENDOUS TRE
• Tre Richardson’s jump from Division II Washburn to Vanderbilt has been seamless on the football field, as the wide receiver leads the team in all-purpose yards with 1,108.
• He had a career day in the win over Kentucky, amassing a career-high 159 receiving yards with three touchdowns. He finished with 124 receiving yards on just three catches in the previous win over Auburn.
• Richardson is also third on the team with 40 receptions on the season, averaging 17.0 yards per catch. Four of his six touchdowns have come from 25-plus yards out.
• The speedster made a spectacular one-handed grab on a 26-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass in the third quarter at Virginia Tech. The score was his first as a Commodore.
• The versatile threat also has eight carries for 58 yards and 371 yards on 14 kick returns while averaging a team-high 92.3 total yards per game.
• Richardson is the first Vandy wide receiver since Darrius Sims in 2016 to go over 1,000 all-purpose yards in a season.
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.
• White earned SEC co-Offensive Lineman of the Week after Vandy’s dominant win at Tennessee, his fourth SEC honor this season.
• He picked up his third weekly honor after the Auburn win. White received the highest overall Pro Football Focus grade on the Dores’ offensive line after not surrendering a sack, quarterback hit, hurry or pressure on 43 pass-block snaps. It was the fourth time this fall that the center has earned a pass-block grade over 80 percent, and the second time he has graded out that high in the pass game against an SEC opponent.
• 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.
LANGSTON AND LONGWELL
• Vanderbilt’s linebacker duo of Bryan Longwell and Langston Patterson have combined for 129 tackles this season.
• Longwell has registered 13 tackles twice this fall and has recorded a tackle for loss in eight of 12 games.
• He leads the team in tackles this season after also pacing Vandy last fall, finishing with 89 stops.
• Patterson has totaled five or more tackles in six of the last seven games and ranks third on the team.
• Patterson finished the 2024 campaign with 78 tackles after posting 74 in 2023.
• For their careers, Patterson has 218 tackles to his name while Longwell enters bowl season with 193.
