2018 Vanderbilt Commodores football team

2018 Vanderbilt Commodores football
2018 Vanderbilt Commodores football
Texas Bowl, L 38–45 vs. Baylor
Conference	Southeastern Conference
	Eastern Division
Record	6–7 (3–5 SEC)
Head coach	Derek Mason (5th season);
Offensive coordinator	Andy Ludwig (4th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Jason Tarver (1st season)
Base defense	3–4
Home stadium	Vanderbilt Stadium
	Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

2018 Southeastern Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Eastern Division
No. 7т Georgia x	7	–	1	11	–	3
No. 12 Kentucky	5	–	3	10	–	3
No. 7т Florida	5	–	3	10	–	3
South Carolina	4	–	4	7	–	6
Missouri	4	–	4	8	–	5
Vanderbilt	3	–	5	6	–	7
Tennessee	2	–	6	5	–	7
Western Division
No. 2 Alabama x$^	8	–	0	14	–	1
No. 16 Texas A&M	5	–	3	9	–	4
No. 6 LSU	5	–	3	10	–	3
Mississippi State*	4	–	4	8	–	5
Auburn	3	–	5	8	–	5
Ole Miss	1	–	7	5	–	7
Arkansas	0	–	8	2	–	10
Championship: Alabama 35, Georgia 28
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions * Mississippi State vacated four conference and eight total wins due to NCAA violations.^[1] Rankings from AP Poll

The 2018 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fifth-year head coach Derek Mason. Vanderbilt finished the season 6–7, 3–5 in SEC play to finish in 6th place in the East Division. They were invited to play in the Texas Bowl where they were defeated by Baylor. This would be the last season the Commodores were bowl eligible until the 2024 season.^[2]

Recruiting

Position key

Back	B	Center	C	Cornerback	CB	Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE	Defensive lineman	DL	Defensive tackle	DT	End	E
Fullback	FB	Guard	G	Halfback	HB	Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR	Offensive tackle	OT	Offensive lineman	OL	Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS	Punter	P	Punt returner	PR	Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB	Safety	S	Tight end	TE	Wide receiver	WR

Recruits

The Commodores signed a total of 19 recruits.

College recruiting information (2018)
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Allan Walters QB	Hightstown, New Jersey	The Peddie School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Dec 16, 2016
Allan Walters QB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Daniel Dawkins C	Hightstown, New Jersey	The Peddie School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	296 lb (134 kg)	Mar 30, 2017
Daniel Dawkins C	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Alston Orji LB	Rockwall, Texas	Rockwall High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	May 23, 2017
Alston Orji LB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Ben Bresnahan TE	Cumming, Georgia	West Forsyth High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Jun 14, 2017
Ben Bresnahan TE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Gavin Schoenwald TE	Brentwood, Tennessee	Brentwood Academy	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Jun 15, 2017
Gavin Schoenwald TE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Camron Johnson WR	Brentwood, Tennessee	Brentwood Academy	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	182 lb (83 kg)	Jun 16, 2017
Camron Johnson WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Javan Rice K	Miami, Florida	Belen Jesuit Preparatory School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jun 16, 2017
Javan Rice K	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Wyatt Smock OG	Louisville, Kentucky	St. Xavier High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Jun 21, 2017
Wyatt Smock OG	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Tre' Douglas CB	McDonough, Georgia	Eagle's Landing Christian Academy	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jun 22, 2017
Tre' Douglas CB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Dashaun Jerkins S	Woodbridge, Virginia	Woodbridge High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jun 23, 2017
Dashaun Jerkins S	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Maxwell Worship S	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	Cardinal Gibbons High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	198 lb (90 kg)	Jun 29, 2017
Maxwell Worship S	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
JaVeon Marlow RB	Winter Haven, Florida	Winter Haven High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Jul 9, 2017
JaVeon Marlow RB	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Brendon Harris S	Chattanooga, Tennessee	Baylor School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Oct 24, 2017
Brendon Harris S	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
C.J. Bolar WR	Purvis, Mississippi	Purvis High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	186 lb (84 kg)	Dec 10, 2017
C.J. Bolar WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Tyler Steen DE	Fort Lauderdale, Florida	St. Thomas Aquinas High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
Tyler Steen DE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Elijah McAllister DE	Rumson, New Jersey	Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
Elijah McAllister DE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Amir Abdur-Rahman WR	Atlanta, Georgia	Mays High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	Feb 4, 2018
Amir Abdur-Rahman WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
BJ Anderson WR	Andalusia, Alabama	Andalusia High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	172 lb (78 kg)	Feb 5, 2018
BJ Anderson WR	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A
Lorenza Surgers DE	Cary, North Carolina	Panther Creek High School	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Feb 5, 2018
Lorenza Surgers DE	Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Vanderbilt Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 26, 2018. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 26, 2018.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Chuck Bednarik Award^[3]	Charles Wright	LB	SR
Maxwell Award^[4]	Kyle Shurmur	QB	SR
John Mackey Award^[5]	Jared Pinkney	TE	JR
Walter Camp Award^[6]	Kyle Shurmur	QB	SR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award^[7]	Kyle Shurmur	QB	SR
Manning Award^[8]	Kyle Shurmur	QB	SR

SEC media poll

The SEC media poll was released on July 20, 2018, with the Commodores predicted to finish last in the East Division.^[9]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
Media poll (East)
1	Georgia	1,977 (271)
2	South Carolina	1,535 (8)
3	Florida	1,441 (2)
4	Missouri	1,057
5	Kentucky	874 (1)
6	Tennessee	704 (1)
7	Vanderbilt	392

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:30 p.m.	Middle Tennessee*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	W 35–7	25,348
September 8	11:00 a.m.	Nevada*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	W 41–10	25,676
September 15	1:30 p.m.	at No. 8 Notre Dame*	Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, IN	NBC	L 17–22	77,622
September 22	3:00 p.m.	South Carolina	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	L 14–37	26,078
September 29	3:00 p.m.	Tennessee State*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	SECN	W 31–27	27,340
October 6	6:30 p.m.	at No. 2 Georgia	Sanford Stadium Athens, GA (rivalry)	SECN	L 13–41	92,746
October 13	11:00 a.m.	No. 14 Florida	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	ESPN	L 27–37	31,118
October 20	6:30 p.m.	at No. 14 Kentucky	Kroger Field Lexington, KY (rivalry)	SECN	L 7–14	54,269
October 27	11:00 a.m.	at Arkansas	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium Fayetteville, AR	SECN	W 45–31	56,251
November 10	11:00 a.m.	at Missouri	Faurot Field Columbia, MO	SECN	L 28–33	48,342
November 17	6:30 p.m.	Ole Miss	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	W 36–29 ^OT	24,866
November 24	3:00 p.m.	Tennessee	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN (rivalry)	SECN	W 38–13	35,887
December 27	8:00 p.m.	vs. Baylor*	NRG Stadium Houston, TX (Texas Bowl)	ESPN	L 38–45	51,104
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Schedule Source:^[10]

Game summaries

Middle Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Blue Raiders	7	0	0	0	7
Commodores	7	7	7	14	35

Location: Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	MTSU	VAN
1	12:21	5	58	2:39	Commodores	Khari Blasingame 30-yard touchdown run, Ryley Guay kick good	0	7
1	1:59	15	93	6:58	Blue Raiders	CJ Windham 4-yard touchdown reception from Brent Stockstill, Crews Holt kick good	7	7
2	14:01	1	11	0:00	Commodores	Fumble recovery returned 11 yards for touchdown by Dayo Odeyingbo, Guay kick good	7	14
3	7:26	7	92	4:25	Commodores	Chris Pierce 17-yard touchdown reception from Kyle Shurmur, Guay kick good	7	21
4	12:47	12	80	4:56	Commodores	Kalija Lipscomb 28-yard touchdown reception from Shurmur, Guay kick good	7	28
4	1:28	12	80	7:04	Commodores	Jamauri Wakefield 14-yard touchdown run, Guay kick good	7	35
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							7	35

Statistics	MTSU	VAN
First downs	21	19
Total yards	294	346
Rushes–yards	116	176
Passing yards	178	170
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	27–37–1	10–17–0
Time of possession	31:09	29:51

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
MTSU	Passing	B. Stockstill	24–36, 178 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	T. Thomas	8 carries, 32 yards
	Receiving	T. Thomas	4 receptions, 42 yards
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	10–17, 170 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	J. Wakefield	10 carries, 56 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	K. Lipscomb	4 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD

Nevada

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolf Pack	0	10	0	0	10
Commodores	0	17	17	7	41

Location: Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	NEV	VAN
2	13:16	7	53	2:41	Commodores	Kalija Lipscomb 2-yard touchdown reception from Kyle Shurmur, Ryley Guay kick good	0	7
2	12:24	2	7	0:15	Commodores	Ke'Shawn Vaughn 7-yard touchdown run, Guay kick good	0	14
2	3:13	7	13	3:17	Wolf Pack	32-yard field goal by Ramiz Ahmed	3	14
2	3:13	7	48	2:28	Commodores	35-yard field goal by Guay	3	17
2	0:49	10	75	2:24	Wolf Pack	Brendan O'Leary-Orange 9-yard touchdown reception from Ty Gangi, Ahmed kick good	10	17
3	7:14	11	77	6:17	Commodores	25-yard field goal by Guay	10	20
3	6:17	1	46	0:11	Commodores	Vaughn 46-yard touchdown run, Guay kick good	10	27
3	0:23	8	73	4:00	Commodores	Lipscomb 11-yard touchdown reception from Shurmur, Guay kick good	10	34
4	1:10	3	21	1:40	Commodores	Josh Crawford 1-yard touchdown run, Guay kick good	10	41
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							10	41

Statistics^[11]	NEV	VAN
First downs	14	25
Total yards	250	468
Rushes–yards	34	198
Passing yards	216	270
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	22–39–1–2	24–34–2–0
Time of possession	23:58	36:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
NEV	Passing	T. Gangi	22–39, 216 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	T. Taua	6 carries, 24 yards
	Receiving	M. Mannix	6 receptions, 86 yards
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	23–32, 258 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	11 carries, 93 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	J. Pinkney	4 receptions, 98 yards

At Notre Dame

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	0	3	7	7	17
No. 8 Fighting Irish	10	6	0	6	22

Location: Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, Indiana

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	VAN	ND
1	11:02	10	74	3:58	Fighting Irish	26-yard field goal by Justin Yoon	0	3
1	0:58	15	94	5:21	Fighting Irish	Brandon Wimbush 12-yard touchdown run, Yoon kick good	0	10
2	7:33	6	49	1:10	Fighting Irish	33-yard field goal by Yoon	0	13
2	1:15	10	51	3:55	Fighting Irish	46-yard field goal by Yoon	0	16
2	0:00	8	72	1:15	Commodores	21-yard field goal by Ryley Guay	3	16
3	0:11	5	47	2:44	Commodores	Ke'Shawn Vaughn 3-yard touchdown run, Guay kick good	10	16
4	11:04	11	75	2:44	Fighting Irish	Nic Weishar -yard touchdown reception from Ian Book, 2-point pass failed	10	22
4	7:22	9	75	3:42	Commodores	Jared Pinkney 18-yard touchdown reception from Kyle Shurmur, Guay kick good	17	22
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							17	22

Statistics	ND	VAN
First downs	24	23
Total yards	380	420
Rushes–yards	245	94
Passing yards	135	326
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	16–26–0	26–43–1
Time of possession	29:12	30:48

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
ND	Passing	B. Wimbush	13–23, 122 yards
	Rushing	T. Jones Jr.	17 carries, 118 yards
	Receiving	T. Jones Jr.	2 receptions, 56 yards
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	26–43, 326 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	10 carries, 54 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	J. Pinkney	5 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD

South Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Gamecocks	10	10	10	7	37
Commodores	0	14	0	0	14

Location: Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	SC	VAN

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	SC	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
SC	Passing	J. Bentley	19–28, 261 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	R. Dowdle	20 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	S. Smith	5 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	18–38, 180 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	J. Wakefield	14 carries, 72 yards
	Receiving	K. Lipscomb	9 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD

Tennessee State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	13	7	7	27
Commodores	0	10	14	7	31

Location: Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	TSU	VAN

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	TSU	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
TSU	Passing	D. Croft	22–31, 269 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	D. Croft	9 carries, 41 yards
	Receiving	T. Harris	8 receptions, 109 yards, 1 TD
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	22–29, 297 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	17 carries, 146 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	K. Lipscomb	9 receptions, 174 yards, 2 TD

At Georgia

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	3	3	0	7	13
No. 2 Bulldogs	7	14	17	3	41

Location: Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	VAN	UGA

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	UGA	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UGA	Passing	J. Fromm	17–23, 276 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	E. Holyfield	6 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	T. Godwin	2 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	14–28, 169 yards
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	9 carries, 79 yards
	Receiving	C. J. Bolar	4 receptions, 46 yards

Florida

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Gators	0	13	7	17	37
Commodores	7	14	0	6	27

Location: Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	UF	VAN

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	UF	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UF	Passing	F. Franks	19–29, 284 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	L. Perine	23 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	L. Perine	4 receptions, 93 yards
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	18–36, 229 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	7 carries, 56 yards
	Receiving	K. Vaughn	1 reception, 75 yards, 1 TD

At Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	7	0	0	0	7
No. 14 Wildcats	0	7	0	7	14

Location: Kroger Field • Lexington, Kentucky

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	VAN	UK

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	UK	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UK	Passing	T. Wilson Jr.	3–9, 18 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	B. Snell	32 carries, 169 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	L. Bowden	3 receptions, 18 yards, 1 TD
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	15–23, 216 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	J. Wakefield	19 carries, 74 yards
	Receiving	C. J. Bolar	2 receptions, 78 yards, 1 TD

At Arkansas

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	7	14	3	21	45
Razorbacks	7	7	3	14	31

Location: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, Arkansas

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	VAN	ARK

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	ARK	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
ARK	Passing	T. Storey	23–36, 240 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	R. Boyd	19 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	C. O'Grady	6 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	13–19, 192 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	26 carries, 172 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	J. Pinkney	5 receptions, 93 yards, 2 TD

At Missouri

	1	2	3	4	Total
Commodores	14	7	7	0	28
Tigers	7	6	13	7	33

Location: Faurot Field • Columbia, Missouri

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	VAN	MIZ

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	MIZ	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
MIZ	Passing	D. Lock	22–33, 253 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	D. Crockett	22 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	D. Gicinto	4 receptions, 81 yards
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	24–35, 249 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	15 carries, 182 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	K. Lipscomb	8 receptions, 99 yards, 1 TD

Ole Miss

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Rebels	3	10	6	10	0	29
Commodores	0	12	14	3	7	36

Location: Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	MISS	VAN

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	MISS	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
MISS	Passing	J. Ta'amu	32–52, 457 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	I. Woullard	16 carries, 107 yards
	Receiving	A. Brown	9 receptions, 212 yards
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	22–34, 191 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	25 carries, 127 yards
	Receiving	J. Pinkney	6 receptions, 85 yards

Tennessee

	1	2	3	4	Total
Volunteers	0	0	7	6	13
Commodores	7	10	0	21	38

Location: Vanderbilt Stadium • Nashville, Tennessee

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
TENN	Passing	J. Guarantano	13–29, 139 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	T. Chandler	7 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	J. Jennings	2 receptions, 51 yards
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	31–35, 367 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	K. Blasingame	20 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	C. J. Bolar	6 receptions, 93 yards

Baylor–Texas Bowl

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	10	7	14	14	45
Commodores	14	7	7	10	38

Location: NRG Stadium • Houston, TX

Scoring summary

Quarter	Time	Drive			Team	Scoring information	Score
Quarter	Time	Plays	Yards	TOP	Team	Scoring information	BAY	VAN

"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.							-	-

Statistics	BAY	VAN
First downs
Total yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: Comp–Att–Int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
BAY	Passing	C. Brewer	21–34, 384 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	C. Brewer	16 carries, 109 yards
	Receiving	T. Ebner	3 receptions, 109 yards, 1 TD
VAN	Passing	K. Shurmur	18–37, 286 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	K. Vaughn	13 carries, 243 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	K. Blasingame	3 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD

Players drafted into the NFL

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
2	45	Joejuan Williams	CB	New England Patriots
6	183	Justin Skule	OT	San Francisco 49ers

References

^ Lowery, Logan (September 12, 2024). "MSU fires Moorhead after two seasons". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2024. All eight of Moorhead's victories in 2018 had to be vacated after 10 football players were reprimanded by the NCAA for academic misconduct involving a former part-time tutor and an online chemistry class.
^ "Vanderbilt Bowl Eligible For First Time Since 2018". American Football Coaches Association. November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
^ "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
^ "2018 Maxwell Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
^ "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^ Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List"". Retrieved July 30, 2018.
^ "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
^ Dabe, Christopher (August 16, 2018). "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". NOLA.com. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
^ "Media predicts Alabama to win 2018 SEC Championship".
^ "2018 Vanderbilt Commodores Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
^ "Nevada vs. Vanderbilt – Game Summary – September 8, 2018". ESPN. Retrieved September 8, 2018.

[vacated2-1] Lowery, Logan (September 12, 2024). "MSU fires Moorhead after two seasons". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Retrieved September 17, 2024. All eight of Moorhead's victories in 2018 had to be vacated after 10 football players were reprimanded by the NCAA for academic misconduct involving a former part-time tutor and an online chemistry class.

[2] "Vanderbilt Bowl Eligible For First Time Since 2018". American Football Coaches Association. November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 4, 2024.

[3] "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.

[4] "2018 Maxwell Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.

[5] "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.

[6] Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List"". Retrieved July 30, 2018.

[7] "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.

[w341-8] Dabe, Christopher (August 16, 2018). "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". NOLA.com. Retrieved November 27, 2024.

[9] "Media predicts Alabama to win 2018 SEC Championship".

[10] "2018 Vanderbilt Commodores Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved December 26, 2017.

[11] "Nevada vs. Vanderbilt – Game Summary – September 8, 2018". ESPN. Retrieved September 8, 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

v t e Vanderbilt Commodores football
Venues	Old Dudley Field (1892–1921) Curry Field (1922) Dudley Field (1922–1980) FirstBank Stadium (1980–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Georgia Georgia Tech Kentucky Ole Miss Sewanee Tennessee
Culture & lore	History Origin of "Commodores" "Dynamite" Marching band Porter Cup Vanderbilt rape case 1906 Carlisle game 1910 Yale game 1922 Michigan game 2024 Alabama game IMG Sports Newtork
People	Head coaches Starting quarterbacks All-Americans All-Southerns NFL draftees Statistical leaders William Lofland Dudley
Seasons	1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
National championships in bold