There’s no telling which version of Auburn fans will see on Sept. 26 in their Week 4 matchup against Vanderbilt at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The Tigers open the 2026 season with Baylor in Atlanta before coming home to host Southern Miss and Florida to kick off September, meaning their clash with the Commodores could feature two extremely different forms of Alex Golesh’s squad.
Auburn could very well benefit from the continuity stemming from its 13 USF transfers and hit the ground running offensively, which would likely mean a win against Baylor on Sept. 5, given how good DJ Durkin’s defense is expected to be. If they’re clicking on all cylinders, it’s hard not to draw up a win against Florida on Sept. 13 in the Tigers’ SEC opener.
If Auburn starts 3-0, Jordan-Hare Stadium will be rocking when Vanderbilt comes to town.
However, it’s also a possibility, although not exactly probable, that the Tigers experience some kinks against the Bears in Week 1 and somehow fall to DJ Lagway and Dave Aranda. If that happens, that Florida game looks considerably more daunting, and Auburn’s mental state could crumble after such a rough start.
The more likely scenario is the first one, but there are no guarantees as the program is fresh off five consecutive seven-loss seasons.
But despite Auburn’s season outlook when the fourth Saturday in September arrives, the Tigers will almost certainly want revenge on Clark Lea’s Commodores after Vanderbilt has emerged victorious from the previous two meetings.
Granted, this is almost an entirely new staff and roster, particularly on the offensive side, but fans haven’t forgotten about recent struggles against a program they feel like Auburn should beat every year.
Former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia defeated the Tigers 17-7 on the Plains in 2024, when he went 9-of-22 passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns through the air in Hugh Freeze’s second campaign. Then, Auburn fell 45-38 in overtime last year in Nashville, even despite 353 passing yards from Ashton Daniels and over 100 yards from running back Jeremiah Cobb in Durkin’s first game as interim head coach.
Lea enters his sixth year as Vanderbilt’s head coach and is coming off one of the best seasons in program history, as the Commodores finished 10-3 and just missed the College Football Playoff by a few spots in 2025.
Now, though, Vanderbilt doesn’t have Pavia anymore to headline its locker room, but the Commodores likely turn their attention to five-star true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis. The other option at quarterback is senior Blake Berlowitz, who transferred from New Mexico State prior to the 2024 season and has spent the last three years as Pavia’s backup — both with the Aggies and the Commodores.
However, despite Pavia’s departure, Vanderbilt still boasts a multitude of weapons on both sides of the football. Wide receiver Junior Sherrill ranked second on the team last year in receiving with 784 yards on 54 receptions, only behind standout receiver Tre Richardson, and was tied for first with seven touchdowns through the air.
Senior running back Sedrick Alexander returns for his senior season after two solid campaigns in Nashville, during which he rushed for nearly 600 yards and recorded 200 or more receiving yards in both seasons. Alexander notched 15 touchdowns as a junior, including 11 on the ground, and returns as one of the SEC’s most exciting running backs.
The Commodores’ defense and special teams units also feature numerous weapons, with senior cornerback Martel Hight returning after recording 25 tackles and four interceptions in 2025. Brock Taylor is one of the top kickers in the SEC and looks to have a breakout year after earning All-SEC Freshman Team and All-SEC Third Team honors as a redshirt freshman in 2024.
Nonetheless, it will certainly be seen as a “must-win” game for Auburn. Especially if they start the season with wins over Baylor and Florida, an opportunity to capture their second SEC win against a team that’s had their number for the last two years before entering a tough four-game stretch starting in Knoxville, Tennessee, would be critical.
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