Vanderbilt is going bowling for the first time since 2018 because they’ve beaten Alabama and Auburn in the same season for the first time since 1955.
The Commodores down Auburn Saturday, 17-7, at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Hugh Freeze’s Tigers outgained Vanderbilt 327-227 but couldn’t prolong drives on third downs. Auburn converted only two of 13 tries on third down and could only muster one score.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s stat line won’t impress. He was just 9-for-22 for 143 yards passing and only averaged 2,2 yards on his 12 carries. He found AJ Newberry for a 28-yard touchdown to start the scoring late in the first quarter.
Auburn would answer with an 80-yard touchdown drive punctuated by quarterback Peyton Thorne’s 30-yard touchdown strike to Rivaldo Fairweather.
The game went to halftime knotted at seven.
Auburn had a chance to take the lead with 9:03 left in the third quarter, but Towns McGough’s 44-yard field goal try missed. He would later miss from 52.
Pavia and the Commodores would produce 10 points on their next three drives, and Auburn had no answer.
The Tigers are now just 9-13 in the Freeze era. Auburn will be off next week before stepping out of conference to play UL-Monroe.
Vanderbilt, 6-3, will host South Carolina next week.
