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    • Game recap from week 9 matchup
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    Game recap from week 9 matchup

    Vaseline Posted on

    A week after a humbling 30-15 home loss to Georgia, No. 6 Texas football (7-1, 3-1 SEC) got back on track with a 27-24 win over resurgent Vanderbilt (5-3, 2-2) Saturday at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.

    The Longhorns got off to a fast start behind quarterback Quinn Ewers, and they fended off several late surges by the Commodores to get a hard-fought SEC win.

    Ewers finished with 288 passing yards on 27-for-37 passing with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Quintrevion Wisner chipped in 79 rushing yards on 17 carries, along with five receptions. Jaydon Blue had 10 carries for 47 yards and three catches.

    MORE LONGHORNS: Texas vs Vanderbilt takeaways from Week 9 win

    Watch Texas football vs Vanderbilt live on Fubo (free trial)

    Read below for the replay.

    Texas vs Vanderbilt score updates

    1 2 3 4 F
    TEXAS 14 7 3 3 27
    VANDERBILT 7 3 7 7 24

    It wasn’t pretty, especially the 10 penalties for 108 yards and the two turnovers. But QB Quinn Ewers had his best game since suffering an abdominal strain in Week 3, and the Texas defense affirmed its status as one of the best in the nation. Up next? A bye week followed by a game against Florida at home Nov. 9

    Vanderbilt refues to die. Diego Pavia finds Denton native Eli Stowers for a 13-yard touchdown pass and the Commodores will try for an onside kick.

    Texas overcomes yet another holding call and gets a very valuable 23-yard field goal from Bert Auburn. A 23-yard run by Jaydon Blue on 3rd-and-nine set up what could be the winning points. Credit those points to the defense. Heck, credit the win to the defense.

    The Texas defense makes its stand. Vanderbilt goes for it on 4th-and-two from its own 35, and Diegio Pavia lofts up a desperate pass while under pressure from Barryn Sorrell. Linebacker Liona Lefau comes down with the interception at the Vanderbilt 29-yard line.

    A 3rd-and-20 completion to Silas Bolden by Quinn Ewers got Texas out of some trouble, but the Longhorns still have to punt. The Texas defense hasn’t allowed Vanderbilt to drive down the field all game, and it’ll need another stop with the Commodores set up at their own 16-yard line.

    Sacks, turnovers and penalties. Those three things can negate a lot of good that Texas has shown this game. But a fourth penalty and a fourth sack allowed help end a promising Texas drive, and Vanderbilt takes over at its own 22-yard line with a chance to tie the game.

    Texas is again methodically marching down the field as the third quarter ends. It seems like the Longhorns are in complete control with 340 yards of offense compared to 177 for Vanderbilt. But take a look at the scoreboard, and the Commdores are within one play of tying the game. These two turnovers by Texas have been very costly. A scoring drive here feels huge.

    Diego Pavia is keeping Vanderbilt’s upset hopes alive. The quarterback rolls right on 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line and finds Junior Sherrill for the score. Two turnovers by Texas has led to two TDs for the Commdores, and Vanderbilt has some life.

    Quinn Ewers is going to see these tipped passes in his Halloween nightmares. Another pass gets knocked into the air, and Miles Capers grabs the loose ball. Vanderbilt is set up at the Longhorns’ 38-yard line. A struggling Commodore offense that has just 154 yards needed that break.

    The Texas defense opens the second half with a 3-and-out, then the offense muscles its way downfield before settling for a 40-yard field goal from Bert Auburn. Quintrevion Wisner is unquestionably the lead back for the Longhorns at this point; he has 73 yards rushing on 13 carries and 39 yards receiving on five receptions.

    Texas has responded after last week’s humbling at the hands of Georgia. Texas has racked up 250 yards of offense, including 211 yards passing by quarterback Quinn Ewers. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, the beating heart of the Commodore offense, has returned to the game after suffering an ankle or knee tweak in the second quarter. He did help the Commodores get in range for a 54-yard field goal by Brock Taylor to close out the first half.

    Michael Taaffe and Liona Lefau combine for a tackle on Vanderbilt running back Sedrick Alexander, an Austin native from LBJ High School, and the ball pops out. Trey Moore pounces on the loose ball, and Texas will try and add to its lead. The Longhorns are set up at their own 43-yard line. Taaffe now has an interception and a forced fumble.

    Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia gets loose for a big gain downfield before being tackled by Texas safety Jelani McDonald. The run is negated by a holding call. Even worse for Vanderbilt, Pavia gets up and limps to the tent on the sidelines. It looks like he turned his ankle on the tackle, and the Commdores cannot afford to lose their starting quarterback and leading rusher.

    DeAndre Moore Jr. continues his massive game. The sophomore receiver starts in the slot, gets outside, and Quinn Ewers hits him in stride for a 25-yard touchdown. Moore has five carches for 92 yards and two TDs, Ewers has 17 consecutive completions, and the Longhorns are in the midst of answering a whole lot of questions that came out of the Georgia loss. Ewers holds the school record with 19 consecutive completions set last season against Oklahoma. That record is in serious threat the way the Texas offense is running.

    Welcome back, punter Miachel Kern. A holding call on Texas LT Kevin Banks and a sack by Vanderbilt snuff out the Texas drive, but Kern pins Vanderbilt at its own 1-yard line after DeAndre Moore Jr. down the ball. Kern had missed the past three games at punter with an injury while Ian Ratliff handled the punting duties.

    Some former Westlake Chaparrals combine for a big Texas play. Defensive end Ethan Burke tips a pass by Diego Pavia into the air and safety Michael Taaffe gets his first interception of the year. That pair helped their Austin high school win a couple of state titles and that play may help the Horns win this game.

    This is the first time that Vanderbilt has trailed in three SEC games, as remarkable as that sounds. Let’s see how the Commodores’ option attack can handle a deficit.

    Quinn Ewers is cooking now for Texas. The QB lofts a perfect ball into the hands of DeAndre Moore Jr. for a 27-yard touchdown pass. Ewers is 13-of-14 for 126 yards and two TDs with an interceptions. He’s not in Nashville to talk about any slow starts.

    Texas gets a little lucky and then gets a nice punt return from Silas Bolden. Vanderbilt converted a fourth-and-1 in its own territory but the officials call an illegal formation because a Commodore didn’t have “his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage.” Bolden then reels off a 24-yard punt return and Texas set up at Vanderbilt’s 49-yard line.

    Texas answers as QB Quinn Ewers marches the Longhorns down the field on a 9-play, 75-yard drive. Ewers went 8-for-8 for 65 yards on the drive with a series of swing passes and receiver screens. Matthew Golden grabs a 3-yard touchdown pass, his first score since the second game of the season. A 32-yard catch and run from DeAndre Moore Jr. on a receiver screen was the biggest play of the drive. Methodical. Efficient. Deliberate. Take your pick on the adjective but it’s a needed score.

    Vanderbilt makes the turnover pay off. On third-and-8 from the Texas 18-yard linbe, Commdore QB Diego Pavia shows off his legs on an 18-yard touchdown run. He barely gets the pylon, but it counts. The slow starts continue for Texas. That’s four straight games with an interception for Ewers.

    A disasterous start for Texas. Vanderbilt LB Langston Patterson gets into the backfield and tips a pass attempt by Texas QB Quinn Ewers, which is then picked off by Martel Hight. The Commodores are set up at the Texas 31-yard line.

    Texas has struggled with slow starts over the past month. Here’s how the Longhorns have fared on their first five drives of each of the three conference games: Against Mississippi State — two touchdowns, two punts, one turnover; against Oklahoma — one touchdown, three punts, one turnover; against Georgia — three punts, two turnovers. Texas has averaged 21.8 yards over those 15 drives, and six of those possessions have been three-and-outs. Of those three games, Quinn Ewers quarterbacked those drives in the Oklahoma and Georgia games while Arch Manning directed the offense against Mississippi State.

    With wide receiver Isaiah Bond out with an ankle injury against Vanderbilt, Texas will likely start true freshman Ryan Wingo, according to multiple reports that have not been confirmed by Texas officials. Bond, who transferred to Texas from Alabama in the offseason, leads the Longhorns with 380 yards on 23 receptions and has four touchdown catches. Wingo, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound five-star recruit from St. Louis, has 308 yards receiving and two touchdowns on 16 catches and averages a team-high 19.3 yards per reception.

    Texas: RB CJ Baxter (out), RB Christian Clark (out), RB Velton Gardner (out), DB Derek Williams Jr. (out), WR Isaiah Bond (out), S Andrew Mukuba (out).

    Vanderbilt: DL Zaylin Wood (out), CB Mark Davis (out), OL Grayson Morgan (out), CB Kolbey Taylor (probable), TE Eli Stowers (probable), LB Langston Patterson (probable), RB AJ Newberry (probable), CB Martel Hight (probable), RB Sedrick Alexander (probable), edge Miles Capers (probable), DL Linus Zunk (probable).

    According to the National Weather Service, a cool front will dip Saturday into Nashville with temperatures around 70 degrees at kickoff and into the 50s by the end of the game. There may be a few sprinkles with the front, so pack a poncho.

    What channel is Texas vs Vanderbilt game on today?

    • TV channel: SEC Network
    • Streaming:  Fubo (free trial)
    • Radio: 1300 AM, 98.1 FM, 105.3 FM (Spanish)

    Texas vs Vanderbilt will broadcast nationally on ESPN in Week 9 of the 2024 college football season. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

    More: Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian: QB Quinn Ewers isn’t 100%, but what player is?

    Texas vs Vanderbilt history

    • Series record: Vanderbilt leads 8-3-1
    • Texas last win: Oct. 15, 1927 (13-6)
    • Vanderbilt last win: Oct. 13, 1928 (13-12)

    More: Texas vs Vanderbilt scouting report, prediction

    Texas vs Vanderbilt predictions

    Thomas Jones, Texas beat writer

    Texas 34, Vanderbilt 16. 

    DEFENSE KEYS REBOUND WIN

    The Longhorn defense should handle a pedestrian Commodore attack, and Texas should clean up the miscues on offense. At least, Texas fans hope so.

    Cedric Golden, Columnist

    Texas 38, Vanderbilt 24

    BACK ON TRACK FOR TEXAS

    The Commodores are much improved, but they aren’t the Georgia Bulldogs. Jaydon Blue gets some totes and the Longhorns get back on track.

    Danny Davis, Texas beat writer

    Texas

    NO FIELD-STORMING IN NASHVILLE

    The Texas run defense will be tested by Diego Pavia and Sedrick Alexander, but the Longhorns will bounce back from last week’s loss to Georgia and save Vanderbilt the trouble of having to replace another goalpost.

    David Eckert, Texas insider

    Texas 28, Vanderbilt 17

    TEXAS FANS EXHALE

    The Commodores slow things down and get enough big plays from Diego Pavia to keep things close, but Texas’ heavy talent advantage wins out. 

    Texas vs Vanderbilt betting odds

    Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday:

    • Spread: Texas by 18.5
    • Over/under: 51.5
    • Moneyline: Texas (-105), Vanderbilt (+657)

    Texas football 2024 schedule

    • Aug. 31: Texas 52, Colorado State 0
    • Sept. 7: Texas 31, Michigan 12
    • Sept. 14: Texas 56, UTSA 7
    • Sept. 21: Texas 51, Louisiana Monroe 3
    • Sept. 28: Texas 35, Mississippi State 13*
    • Oct. 5: BYE
    • Oct. 12: Texas 34, Oklahoma 3
    • Oct. 19:  Georgia 30, Texas 15
    • Oct. 26: No. 6 Texas at No. 25 Vanderbilt*
    • Nov. 2: BYE
    • Nov. 9: No. 6 Texas vs. Florida | 11 a.m. | ABC or ESPN (Fubo)*
    • Nov. 16: No. 6 Texas at Arkansas | 11 a.m. | ABC or ESPN (Fubo)*
    • Nov. 23: No. 6 Texas vs. Kentucky*
    • Nov. 30: No. 6 Texas at No. 14 Texas A&M*

    Vanderbilt football 2024 schedule

    • Aug. 31: Virginia Tech, 34-27 win (OT)
    • Sept. 7: Alcorn State, 55-0 win
    • Sept. 14: at Georgia State, 36-32 loss
    • Sept. 21: at Missouri, 30-27 loss (2OT)
    • Sept. 28: Open
    • Oct. 5: Alabama, 40-35 win
    • Oct. 12: at Kentucky, 20-13 win
    • Oct. 19: Ball State, 24-24 win
    • Oct. 26: Texas
    • Nov. 2: at Auburn
    • Nov. 9: South Carolina
    • Nov. 16: Open
    • Nov. 23: at LSU
    • Nov. 30: Tennessee

    * Denotes SEC game

    All times Central.

    Texas football news

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