Jared Curtis entered on Vanderbilt’s prescribed third possession against Delaware, then played the entire second half of the Commodores’ 35-26 win. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown and ran for two more scores. Blaze Berlowitz, who started, finished 3 of 9 for 29 yards and lost a fumble. Curtis gave Vanderbilt a substantial reason to change who takes the first snap.
Clark Lea praised Curtis afterward for keeping the offense organized through a dropped snap, a delay of game and other disruption on his first possession, then settling into the game. Lea left the starting decision open that night. On September 15, he confirmed Curtis would start against NC State.
Vanderbilt hosts the Wolfpack Saturday, September 19, at 11:45 a.m. CT on SEC Network, with an 85.4% chance to win. Fans can reasonably expect a victory while looking for the offense to make its opening possessions count.
Curtis is a freshman and Vanderbilt’s highest-rated commit in program history. That makes his development unusually exciting. Fans get to watch a landmark recruiting addition try to turn his talent into dependable Saturdays. The immediate wish is simple enough. Get the snap, get the play off and give the next down a chance.
He has productive targets to work with. Against Delaware, Junior Sherrill caught five passes for 94 yards, and Jayvontay Conner caught six for 87. Keep both involved so Curtis has places to go with the ball. NC State also offers a reason to watch quarterback runs. Virginia’s Beau Pribula rushed for 110 yards against the Wolfpack as the Cavaliers converted all four fourth-down attempts. NC State subsequently held Richmond to 2 of 13 on third down and stopped its only fourth-down try. Vanderbilt should make the Wolfpack prove it can finish those stops again.
The Delaware comeback still deserves some caution. Vanderbilt erased a three-point halftime deficit with three third-quarter touchdowns, including one on special teams, but outgained Delaware only 339-338. Martel Hight’s interception supplied a 26-yard touchdown possession, and Cayden Daniels’ interception ended Delaware’s final possession. Both teams also blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone. Those plays helped Vanderbilt win while exposing a protection problem of its own. Enjoy another takeaway; look just as closely for a punt that gets away safely and an offense that can score from its own territory.
The model gives Vanderbilt a 10.2% playoff chance with a win, versus 5.1% with a loss. Even with a win, Vanderbilt would remain a playoff long shot. See the interactive guide and methodology for forecasts and how they’re calculated.
This finishes Vanderbilt’s three-game nonconference homestand before consecutive SEC games at Auburn, at Georgia and home against Ole Miss. Curtis gets this home start to build sustained scoring drives before taking the offense to Auburn. Watch for him to establish a rhythm early, then keep the offense moving after the first disrupted play.