NASHVILLE - Vanderbilt gets its first SEC home game of the season Saturday with a chance to stop the slide and test itself against a No. 9 Ole Miss team that arrives looking for a reset of its own.
The Commodores are trying to shake off a two-game losing streak to open conference play after road losses at Auburn and Georgia. Even with the defeats, Vanderbilt believes it is moving closer to the team it wants to be. The challenge now is turning that feeling into something tangible against a Rebels squad that comes in off a bye week.
Ole Miss is trying to rebound after a rough trip to Florida. Coming off an emotional win over LSU, the Rebels went to Gainesville and were beaten by the Gators 52-24.
For Vanderbilt, the biggest question this week has centered on quarterback Jared Curtis. The five-star freshman missed last week’s game against Georgia with a knee injury, but he is expected to be back on the field Saturday after being listed as probable on the Wednesday night injury report. Curtis has been working back from a knee bruise he suffered against Auburn two weeks ago.
The Commodores will need him, along with the rest of the offense, to match up with Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and the weapons around him. Weather could shape the whole thing, too. Rain is expected to be a major factor, and that could tilt the game toward the run.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Vanderbilt will again be without several key pieces. Offensive lineman Mitchell Smith is doubtful after Clark Lea said Thursday that Smith has a banged up knee, has not practiced this week and will continue to be doubtful for the Ole Miss game.
The Commodores also remain without cornerback Jaylin Lackey, linebacker Jamison Curtis and defensive lineman Nikhil Jefferson because of soft tissue injuries. Defensive lineman Aaron Bryant is out for the season with an ACL injury, and wide receiver Kahden Smith will not play today either.
The series history leans heavily toward the Rebels, who lead Vanderbilt 54-40-2 all-time.
Vanderbilt last played Georgia and lost 38-14. Ole Miss last played before its bye week, dropping a 52-28 game at Florida.
The forecast could make this the toughest weather Vanderbilt has dealt with all season. As of Friday evening, The Weather Channel had rain above 90% for the entire game, with the rain expected to begin earlier in the morning. A thunderstorm is not in the forecast, but steady rain appears likely throughout the day.
Vanderbilt has not lost confidence despite the two-game skid. The Commodores know they need to start stacking wins, but the urgency to get back on track is still there.
Vanderbilt starting tight end Cole Spence missed the first three games of the season because of a hyperextended knee he suffered the week before Vanderbilt’s 2026 opener against Austin Peay. He spoke exclusively about what it was like returning from injury and what it means to him.
In another exclusive, Vanderbilt senior defensive analyst Bob Shoop discussed what it is like coaching against his son, Ole Miss linebackers coach Jay Shoop.
Vanderbilt’s listed personnel includes X receivers Junior Sherrill, Ja'Cory Thomas and Joseph McVay; Y receivers Brycen Coleman, Cole Adams and Claiborne Richards; quick guards Cade McConnell, Kevo Wesley and Ted Gregoire; centers Lyndon Cooper, Gunnar Givens or Keegan Wechsler; defensive tackles Issa Ouattara, Bradley Mann and Talan Carter; defensive tackles Glenn Seabrooks III, Jaylon Stone and Mike Diatta; linebackers Nick Rinaldi, Bryce Cowan and Josiah Broxton; linebackers Bryan Longwell, Bryce Cowan and Austin Howard; cornerbacks Martel Hight, Davin Chandler, Jaylin Davies and Cobey Sellers; and cornerbacks Jordan Matthews, Cayden Daniels and Bishop Starling.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Just Got A Huge Sign About Jared Curtis Readiness
Jared Curtis status had been one of Vanderbilts bigger pregame questions after the knee bruise knocked him out of the Georgia game, but the early signs in the next matchup were encouraging. Curtis was back in the lineup and got the start on the first offensive snap after being taken off the injury report, a clear indication the Commodores believed he was ready to handle the load again after being listed as probable.
Even with the return, the recovery process is still visible. Curtis is playing with a knee brace under his tights, a reminder that he is not all the way back to full comfort yet, even as Clark Lea has pointed to the quarterbacks development and steady progress. For Vanderbilt, the larger takeaway is less about the brace itself and more about what his availability says about how quickly he has moved past the injury. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Faces A Belief Test As Losses Keep Mounting
After another loss, Vanderbilts football program has been leaning on a familiar group of voices to help explain where things stand. The public relations staff has worked through CJ Heard, Junior Sherrill and MK Young in the postgame setting, and the conversations have reflected a team trying to hold itself together while the results keep slipping away. Heard has talked about the importance of pushing forward, while coach Clark Lea has continued to frame the season as part of a larger learning process.
The challenge for Vanderbilt is bigger than one bad Saturday, because the SEC does not leave much room for a team still trying to find its footing. Lea has stressed the need to improve on both sides of the ball and the mental grind that comes with repeated setbacks, but the long stretch of losses has turned every postgame availability into a small test of belief. The Commodores keep searching for a response that feels sustainable, and until they find it, each week brings the same hard question: whether they can turn resilience into something that shows up on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Gets A Real SEC Test Against Ole Miss
Saturday brings a different kind of measuring stick for Vanderbilt, one that should tell a lot more about where the Commodores really stand in SEC play. Ole Miss arrives with the sort of offense that can expose mistakes quickly, and the buildup around this matchup has centered on whether Vanderbilt can keep the game within reach long enough to make things uncomfortable late.
The guesswork around the game has not been limited to talent alone, either. Weather is expected to be part of the equation, and that could change how both teams approach the day, especially if the scoring stays more muted than usual. Vanderbilt is still being treated as the underdog, but there is enough uncertainty in the setup to leave room for a closer fight than the odds suggest. [Read more 🡒]