Vanderbilt edges Mississippi State 25-23 for first SEC win
Brock Taylor kicked a school-record six field goals as the Commodores won in Starkville and improved to 4-5.
NASHVILLE - Vanderbilt beat Mississippi State 25-23 on Saturday in Starkville, Mississippi, for its first SEC win of the season, according to the official Vanderbilt athletics recap.
Brock Taylor kicked a school-record six field goals, including a 55-yarder with 1:46 left that made it 25-17. Sedrick Alexander added a 2-yard touchdown run as Vanderbilt built a 16-0 halftime lead.
Mississippi State answered with a 65-yard touchdown pass from AJ Swann to Sanfrisco Magee and a fumble return for a score by Will Whitson. Swann and Magee connected again from 30 yards with 32 seconds left, but the two-point try failed and Cole Spence covered the onside kick.
Jared Curtis completed 17 of 27 passes for 168 yards, and Makhilyn Young led a 160-yard rushing day with 63 yards. Vanderbilt is 4-5 and 1-5 in the SEC. The Commodores host No. 5 Alabama at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at FirstBank Stadium.
Source: Vanderbilt Athletics: Taylor Helps Dores Top Mississippi State (Nov. 7, 2026).