Vanderbilt survived a tough test from Delaware on Saturday afternoon, pulling away in the second half for a 35-26 victory at FirstBank Stadium.
The Commodores entered the game looking to build on their season-opening win over Austin Peay, but Delaware made sure the afternoon was anything but comfortable.
Vanderbilt jumped out to an early 14-0 lead before the momentum completely shifted in the second quarter. Delaware scored 17 unanswered points and took a 17-14 advantage into halftime, sending the Commodores to the locker room trailing for the first time this season.
Freshman quarterback Jared Curtis helped Vanderbilt regain control after the break.
Curtis led the Commodores down the field to open the second half and finished the drive with his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon. Vanderbilt’s special teams added another score when Austin Howard blocked a Delaware punt and recovered it in the end zone.
Curtis then connected with Walter Taylor for a touchdown to give Vanderbilt a 35-17 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
Delaware refused to go away. The Blue Hens scored nine unanswered points in the final period, cutting Vanderbilt’s lead to 35-26 and giving themselves an opportunity to make things interesting late.
The Commodores’ defense eventually shut the door when Cayden Daniels intercepted Delaware quarterback Nick Minicucci in the closing minutes.
Curtis finished as Vanderbilt’s standout performer, completing 14 of 22 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown while adding two scores on the ground. Jayvontay Conner caught six passes for 87 yards, while Junior Sherrill finished with five receptions for 94 yards.
Delaware running back Jo Silver rushed for 109 yards on 16 carries, while Da’Wain Lofton recorded 142 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Despite the nine-point final margin, the teams were relatively close statistically throughout the afternoon. One of Vanderbilt’s biggest advantages came near the goal line, where the Commodores converted four of their five red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.
The 35-26 victory moves Vanderbilt to 2-0 on the season. The Commodores return to FirstBank Stadium on Sept. 19 for their final nonconference matchup against NC State.
