Vanderbilt’s second game of the new campaign had a little bit of everything - early frustration, a halftime scare and then a third-quarter burst that turned the whole afternoon back in the Commodores’ favor.
When it was over in Nashville, Vanderbilt had taken down Delaware 35-26 to move to 2-0 on the 2026 season.
The Commodores didn’t exactly come out firing. They had to punt on their first two possessions, but the offense finally found its footing on the third drive after starting at the Delaware 41-yard line. That series ended with five-star freshman Jared Curtis reaching the end zone after he scooped up a misplayed snap and stretched across the goal line for the game’s first touchdown.
Vanderbilt forced another short field on the next series, this time beginning at the Delaware 26-yard line after a Martel Hight interception. Curtis then connected with Jayvontay Conner on a 17-yard pass before Sedrick Alexander finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 14-0.
Delaware wasn’t going to fade quietly. The Blue Hens answered with a 57-yard completion that helped them trim the deficit to 14-3, then came back two drives later with a 33-yard pass play that set up their first touchdown and made it 14-10.
The real jolt came just before halftime. Delaware blocked a Vanderbilt punt with 20 seconds left in the second quarter and took it back the final couple of yards for a touchdown, flipping the game and sending the Blue Hens into the locker room with a 17-14 lead. The home crowd let its feelings be known, booing the Commodores after Vanderbilt took a knee to end the half.
Whatever was said at halftime worked.
Vanderbilt opened the third quarter with a 70-yard touchdown march, and Curtis capped it himself with a rushing score to put the Commodores back on top 21-17. Not long after, Vanderbilt’s linebacker blocked a Delaware punt and fell on the ball in the end zone for another touchdown, swinging the momentum even harder in the Commodores’ direction.
By the time Vanderbilt got the ball again in the third quarter, the pressure had eased. Curtis guided a 60-yard touchdown drive on the team’s second and final possession of the period, giving the Commodores a three-score cushion heading into the fourth.
Delaware kept punching. The Blue Hens added a field goal with 12 minutes left and then put together an 80-yard touchdown drive that finished with a 43-yard passing score. But Vanderbilt answered when it had to, stopping Delaware on the two-point try and then surviving the onside kick.
Vanderbilt now turns to another home game, this one against NC State at 11:45 a.m. CT.
In Other News...
Jayvontay Conner Is Giving Vanderbilt A Passing Game Boost
Jayvontay Conner has quietly become one of the more important pieces in Vanderbilts passing game while filling in for the injured Cole Spence. The tight end led the Commodores with six catches for 87 receiving yards against Delaware, a sign that his role is growing at just the right time for an offense looking for reliable options underneath and over the middle.
Clark Lea praised Conner after the game, and its easy to see why: he has built a strong connection with both Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz, giving Vanderbilt a trusted target when the quarterbacks need one. For a team still sorting out its passing rhythm, Conners emergence offers a useful lift and a reminder that production can come from places defenses may not have spent much time planning for. [Read more 🡒]
Vanderbilt Still Sees A Historic Path Despite One Early Concern
There is still a sense around Vanderbilt that this 2026 group can grow into something memorable, even if the early evidence has been mixed. Clark Lea and several players have talked with cautious optimism about the rosters potential, pointing to the recent win over Delaware as a sign that the Commodores are capable of putting good football together, even if they have not yet delivered a full performance from start to finish.
The concern, of course, is that the team is still sorting through an unsettled starting quarterback situation, which makes the next stretch feel especially important. Players have stressed patience and development rather than instant results, but the standard inside the program is not hard to find after last seasons success. Vanderbilt is still chasing a path that could put this team in historic territory, and the next few weeks should reveal whether the promise is real or still ahead of schedule. [Read more 🡒]