Vanderbilt heads to Starkville on Saturday for a matchup that brings a few notable numbers with it, starting with the fact that this will be the 25th all-time meeting between the Commodores and Mississippi State since 1904.
The Bulldogs own the edge in the series, 7-15-2, and Vanderbilt is still chasing its first win in Starkville since 1971. This will also be the Commodores’ first trip to Starkville under head coach Clark Lea.
Junior Sherrill continues to be one of Vanderbilt’s most productive weapons. He has piled up 706 receiving yards this season, which ranks 20th in FBS and second among SEC players. His consistency has been just as impressive as his production: Sherrill has caught at least one pass in 45 straight games, the longest active streak in FBS and the longest by a Commodore since at least 1996.
Sherrill crossed a major career milestone in Week 6 against Ole Miss, when his 55 receiving yards made him the ninth player in program history to reach 2,000 career receiving yards. He now sits eighth on Vanderbilt’s all-time list. A week later against Arkansas, he hauled in his fourth touchdown of the season and moved into a tie for eighth on the school’s career receiving touchdowns chart with 17.
He was tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns and ranked second on the roster in both receptions and receiving yards in 2025. Even more telling, Sherrill has put together a run of 13 straight games with at least four catches and 50 receiving yards.
On the defensive side, CJ Heard has been a force for Vanderbilt. He leads the team with 61 tackles and two forced fumbles, and he picked off his second career pass in Week 6 against Ole Miss. His 43 solo tackles are tied for the most in the SEC and rank seventh in FBS.
Heard also delivered one of his biggest performances in the Delaware win, finishing with eight tackles and his first career multi-sack game with two. His 84.8 PFF grade this season is the best among starters on the Commodore defense.
For the 2025 season, Heard finished tied for the team lead with 71 tackles and added two sacks, five quarterback hurries, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
In Other News...
Vanderbilt Just Showed Why This Team Could Be Much Tougher
Vanderbilt opened the season with the kind of defensive effort that can change the tone of a whole year. Against Bellarmine, the Commodores smothered possessions, forced turnovers and kept the visitors from ever finding much rhythm, a strong early sign that Mark Byingtons emphasis on defense is already taking hold.
Byington pointed to the teams defensive focus after the game, and the players sounded convinced there is more of that coming. Big man Berke Buyuktuncel gave Vanderbilt a noticeable presence in the paint, and if that interior edge keeps showing up, the Commodores may have a much sturdier identity than they did a year ago. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Needs More From Its Offense Before Jared Curtis Pays For It
Clark Lea spent part of Vanderbilts bye week talking through the steady, if uneven, growth of freshman quarterback Jared Curtis, who has already been asked to carry more than most first-year passers. The coach pointed to progress in Curtis ability to protect the ball, clean up pre-snap issues and run the offense more efficiently, but the larger problem around him has been impossible to ignore: the Commodores have not gotten enough from their ground game, and that has made every snap feel heavier for the rookie.
The run game became a clear point of emphasis during the break as Vanderbilt prepared for Mississippi State, because the offense cannot keep leaning so hard on Curtis and expect him to keep absorbing the load. Leas challenge now is finding a better balance before the pressure on the freshman grows any more pronounced, and before a promising developmental stretch turns into a survival test for the quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Opened The Season Looking Better Than Fans Could've Hoped
Vanderbilts season opener against Bellarmine offered a first look at a team that already looked sharper and more connected than many fans probably expected. After an early tie and a brief rebounding deficit, the Commodores settled in and took control with a burst of offense sparked by Tyler Tanner and Berke Buyuktuncel, turning what had been a back-and-forth start into a comfortable night at home.
The final margin said plenty, but so did the way Vanderbilt got there. The Commodores shot 60% from the floor, controlled the glass 38-20 and leaned on a defense that quickly took away Bellarmines early comfort. For a team trying to set a tone in November, it was the kind of opener that leaves room for optimism and a few unanswered questions about how high this group can climb once the competition stiffens. [Read more 🡒]