Vanderbilt Beats Mississippi State on Record Six Field Goals

Brock Taylor Sets Field Goal Record as Vanderbilt Edges Mississippi State 25-23 in Starkville

Vanderbilt secured its first SEC victory of the season on Saturday, defeating Mississippi State 25-23 in Starkville. The Commodores leaned heavily on kicker Brock Taylor, who set a school record with six field goals in a game that came down to the final seconds.

The win moves Vanderbilt to 4-5 overall and 1-5 in conference play, while Mississippi State drops to an identical 4-5 record and 2-5 against SEC opponents. The afternoon featured special teams execution while holding off a late-game surge from the hosts.

Building the First-Half Advantage

Vanderbilt controlled the opening 30 minutes of football, stifling the Mississippi State offense and building a 16-0 lead by halftime. Taylor opened the scoring with a 38-yard field goal late in the first quarter.

The Commodores then executed an 18-play, 87-yard drive—their longest scoring march of the season. Sedrick Alexander capped the methodical possession with a 2-yard touchdown carry. That score moved Alexander into sole possession of eighth place on Vanderbilt’s all-time scoring list.

Taylor added field goals from 36 and 22 yards out before the break. Meanwhile, the Vanderbilt defense kept the Bulldogs entirely off the scoreboard in the first half, surrendering just 71 total yards. Jordan Matthews helped bolster the unit’s stellar play by securing his initial career interception, which kept an adversary off the board before halftime for the first time since the Charleston Southern matchup to begin the 2025 season.

The Bulldog Counter-Punch

Mississippi State altered the trajectory of the game immediately out of the locker room. On the first drive of the third quarter, AJ Swann connected with Sanfrisco Magee for a 65-yard touchdown pass, shrinking Vanderbilt’s lead to 16-7 with 11:20 remaining in the period.

Moments later, the Bulldogs struck again via the defense. Tyshun Willis sacked Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis, forcing a fumble that teammate Will Whitson scooped up and returned 14 yards for a touchdown. Suddenly, the halftime cushion had evaporated into a 16-14 advantage.

Curtis finished the afternoon completing 17 of 27 passes for 168 yards while adding 22 rushing yards. On the ground, Makhilyn Young led the Commodores with 63 rushing yards, complemented by Alexander’s 59 yards, helping Vandy accumulate 160 total team rushing yards.

Taylor’s Leg Seals the Margin

In the second half, Taylor provided all the scoring for the Dores. He connected from 54 and 34 yards to stretch Vanderbilt’s lead to 22-14 early in the fourth quarter.

Mississippi State answered with a field goal to narrow the gap to five points. Responding under pressure, Taylor drilled a 55-yard field goal with 1:46 remaining on the clock, pushing the score to 25-17.

With only 32 seconds remaining on the clock, Swann and Magee hooked up for their second scoring connection of the contest on a 30-yard pass. Swann finished the game completing 23 of 36 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Trailing by two points, Mississippi State attempted a two-point conversion to tie the game. The Vanderbilt defense rebuffed the attempt as Swann’s pass sailed out the back of the end zone. Cole Spence subsequently smothered the onside kick attempt, allowing the Commodores to secure the 25-23 victory.

Vanderbilt returns home Saturday to face No. 5 Alabama in an 11:45 a.m. kickoff at FirstBank Stadium.