Vanderbilt wins 25-23, hosts Alabama next
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Vanderbilt snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday, beating Mississippi State 25-23 in Starkville, Mississippi, for its first Southeastern Conference win of the season.
It was the Commodores' first win over Mississippi State since 2004 and their first in Starkville since 1971, according to the Associated Press and Vanderbilt. Both teams are now 4-5. Vanderbilt is 1-5 in SEC play, and Mississippi State is 2-5.
"This team, to the last second, every blade of grass," Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said, according to the AP. "We played the way that we want to play at Vanderbilt."
Brock Taylor's record day
Brock Taylor accounted for 18 of Vanderbilt's 25 points with six field goals, a school record. He made kicks of 38, 36, 22, 54, 34 and 55 yards, the last one with 1:46 to play to push the lead to 25-17.
It was Taylor's first game with two field goals of 50 yards or more, and the 55-yarder was his longest of the season. He now has 44 career field goals, third on Vanderbilt's all-time list, according to the team's postgame notes.
How it unfolded
Vanderbilt led 16-0 at halftime and held Mississippi State to 71 first-half yards. The Commodores' only touchdown came on an 18-play, 87-yard drive that took 10:19 and ended with a 2-yard run by Sedrick Alexander. Jordan Matthews added his first career interception.
Mississippi State scored twice early in the third quarter. AJ Swann hit Sanfrisco Magee for a 65-yard touchdown, and Will Whitson returned a fumble 14 yards for a score after Tyshun Willis sacked quarterback Jared Curtis, cutting the lead to 16-14.
Swann and Magee connected again on a 30-yard touchdown with 32 seconds left, but Swann's two-point pass sailed out of the end zone, and Cole Spence recovered the onside kick to seal the win.
By the numbers
Vanderbilt ran for 160 yards, led by Makhilyn Young with 63 and Alexander with 59, and held the ball for 39:55. Curtis, a freshman, completed 17 of 27 passes for 168 yards and became the second Vanderbilt freshman to pass for more than 1,500 yards in a season. Junior Sherrill caught seven passes, extending his streak to 46 straight games with a catch, the longest active streak in FBS. Mason Lewis led the defense with 10 tackles.
Swann finished 23 of 36 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Mississippi State.
Alabama comes to Nashville
Vanderbilt returns home to face No. 5 Alabama at 11:45 a.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 14, at FirstBank Stadium, with the game on SEC Network. The last time the Crimson Tide visited Nashville, in 2024, Vanderbilt won 40-35 for the program's first win over a No. 1 team.
The Vandyville fan zone opens at 8:45 a.m., and a Commodore Court concert starts at 9:45 a.m., according to the school. Fans heading to the game can find Vanderbilt Commodores gear ahead of kickoff.
It was a big Saturday for Nashville sports. See our story on Nashville SC setting the MLS points record, the Predators' Hometown Remix jersey debut and all Midstate Daily sports coverage.
Sources
- Vanderbilt Athletics: Taylor helps Dores top Mississippi State (Nov. 7, 2026)
- Vanderbilt Athletics: Postgame notes vs. Mississippi State (Nov. 7, 2026)
- ESPN/AP: Vanderbilt holds off Mississippi State to win its first SEC game 25-23
- SEC: Vanderbilt survives Mississippi State's comeback surge for first SEC win
- Vanderbilt Athletics: Kickoff against Tide announced (Nov. 2, 2026)
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