
Vanderbilt Commodores at Auburn Tigers
· NCAA - FootballVanderbilt becomes bowl eligible for first time since 2018 with 17-7 win over Auburn

The Commodores (6-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) locked up another win in their surprising season with a 14-play, 78-yard drive that consumed 8 minutes, 53 seconds. It was kept alive when Keldric Faulk was penalized for leverage while trying to block a field goal by Brock Taylor, setting up first down at the 4.
“This is a great moment for our program and one that we need to celebrate the right way,” Vandy coach Clark Lea said after emerging from a lengthy and noisy locker room celebration. “I think if you look at where we’ve come in, I guess, what amounts to 11 months now, we’ve had an incredible journey. I feel like in December we probably hit rock-bottom coming out of last season.”
The Tigers (3-6, 1-5), meanwhile, fell one loss away from their fourth straight losing season.
Pavia was contained much of the way but still delivered a second straight win over Auburn. He completed 9 of 22 passes for 143 yards with a 28-yard touchdown to AJ Newberry. Pavia led New Mexico State to a huge upset of the Tigers last season before transferring to the SEC and helping produce a much less surprising victory.
Vandy was winless in eight SEC games last season, ending on a 10-game skid. Then came Pavia, Stowers and other key newcomers who helped produce a Sprite-splashing celebration postgame.
“We weren’t going to be denied this opportunity today, and I feel that way about this team,” said Lea, with son Jack seated next to him. “They earned a right to celebrate. They earned the right to be excited, and I enjoyed being in the middle of it.”
Pavia, meanwhile, got to once beat one of the teams that wasn't interested in recruiting him.
“A lot of people didn’t take a chance on me,” he said. “They’re just another team that didn’t so I just want to make them pay for what they did.”
Auburn's last effort to stay in the game ended when Towns McGough's 52-yard field goal attempt fell short for his second miss. By the time the Tigers fumbled away their last possession in the final two minutes, most of the fans had already hit the exits.
The Tigers managed to tie it at 7-all going into halftime. They converted two fourth-down plays in their own territory before Payton Thorne's 30-yard touchdown pass to Rivaldo Fairweather.
The Commodores retook the lead on Taylor's 31-yard field goal late in the third quarter. They got the chance after replay officials overturned a called fumble by Moni Jones, and it was set up by Martel Hight's 39-yard punt return to the 21.
Vandy held Jarquez Hunter to 50 yards on 12 carries a week after he ran for 278 in a win over Kentucky.
Thorne completed 20 of 29 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown.
“This has been too often a story this year for us, for our players and our fans and, you know, just very disappointed,” Tigers coach Hugh Freeze said. “I thought our defense played their guts out and played well enough to win.”
“Nonsense. It’s just football talk,” Hubbard said of what the Tigers said in response. “At the end of the day they lost, we won.”
Auburn: Didn't convert a third down until the first play of the fourth quarter, whiffing on its first nine attempts and going 2 of 13. The Tigers must beat UL Monroe, No. 10 Texas A&M and No. 14 Alabama to become bowl eligible.
Auburn: vs. ULM on Nov. 16.
How To Watch
How can I watch Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Auburn Tigers?
- TV Channel: Commodores at Tigers 2021 College Football, week 10, is broadcasted on SEC Network.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
![]() |
TD | 1st Period 0:50 | AJ Newberry 28 Yd pass from Diego Pavia (Brock Taylor Kick) |
![]() |
TD | 2nd Period 6:45 | Rivaldo Fairweather 30 Yd pass from Payton Thorne (Towns McGough Kick) |
![]() |
FG | 3rd Period 1:05 | Brock Taylor 31 Yd Field Goal |
![]() |
TD | 4th Period 4:18 | Eli Stowers 4 Yd pass from Diego Pavia (Brock Taylor Kick) |
Statistics
![]() |
![]() |
|
---|---|---|
12 | 1st Downs | 14 |
4-16 | 3rd down efficiency | 2-13 |
1-1 | 4th down efficiency | 2-3 |
227 | Total Yards | 327 |
143 | Passing | 239 |
9/23 | Comp/Att | 20/29 |
6.2 | Yards per pass | 8.2 |
84 | Rushing | 88 |
38 | Rushing Attempts | 29 |
2.2 | Yards per rush | 3.0 |
3-21 | Penalties | 6-47 |
0 | Turnovers | 1 |
0 | Fumbles lost | 1 |
0 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
31:57 | Possession | 28:03 |
Game Information

Location: Auburn, AL
Attendance: 88,043 · Capacity:
College Football News

Tulane QB TJ Finley suspended indefinitely after arrest
Tulane quarterback TJ Finley has been suspended following his arrest on a charge of illegal possession of stolen things worth more than $25,000.

Sources: Ohio State lands No. 34 prospect Simeon Caldwell
Ohio State landed the commitment of four-star defender Simeon Caldwell on Wednesday, multiple sources told ESPN, securing coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes a pledge from the nation's No. 34 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle.

Most interesting college football teams this spring
Questions at QB, new coaches, more pressure. We might not learn much in spring football, but these teams are facing questions.

2025 NFL draft All-Film team: 11 prospects with upside
The top prospects are being finalized for the 2025 draft. But what underrated players just jump off the screen from this class?

2025 NFL draft: Shavon Revel went from warehouse job to top prospect
After struggling at juco and working at Amazon, the ECU corner changed it all at a tryout camp on one hour's sleep.