So, you’re looking for the score. You want to know who is winning the Vanderbilt football game right now, but here is the thing: the stadium lights are actually dark.
If you check the calendar, it is mid-January 2026. The pads are in storage. The grass at FirstBank Stadium is getting a much-needed breather.
Vanderbilt’s 2025 season just wrapped up in wild fashion a few weeks ago. If you were looking for a live scoreboard today, you probably got mixed up with the basketball team, who just had their hearts broken in a 80-64 loss to Texas on Wednesday. But for the football squad? They just finished the most insane, logic-defying season in the history of the program.
The Final Score That Still Hurts
The last time the Commodores actually took the field was New Year's Eve in Tampa. It was the ReliaQuest Bowl against Iowa. Honestly, most Vandy fans are probably still a little salty about it.
The final was Iowa 34, Vanderbilt 27.
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It was a total slugfest. Diego Pavia, the guy who basically became a folk hero in Nashville this year, threw for over 500 yards. He was slinging it. But Iowa did what Iowa does—they played that suffocating, "bend-but-don't-break" defense and managed to squeeze the life out of the game in the fourth quarter.
Why People Are Still Searching for the Score
Why is everyone still talking about Vandy football in the middle of winter? It’s because for the first time in... well, ever... Vanderbilt was actually good. Like, "ranked in the Top 10" good.
They finished the regular season 10-2.
Think about that. This is a program that used to be the SEC's punching bag. But in 2025, Clark Lea turned them into a buzzsaw. They didn't just win; they humiliated people. They walked into Neyland Stadium on November 29 and beat the brakes off Tennessee, winning 45-24.
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They beat LSU. They beat Missouri. They even gave Texas a massive scare in Austin, losing by only three points. People are still searching for the "Vanderbilt football game" because the momentum hasn't stopped, even if the games have.
Who's Winning the Vanderbilt Football Game in the Transfer Portal?
If we're talking about who is winning the "game" of the off-season, Vanderbilt is actually killing it right now. The transfer portal opened up on January 2, and Clark Lea hasn't been sleeping.
While the "post-Diego Pavia era" sounds scary, the roster is getting a massive facelift. Just this week, they landed Beau Johnson, an absolute mountain of a man from North Dakota State. He’s 6-foot-6 and nearly 300 pounds. He didn't allow a single QB hit all last season.
Then you’ve got Micah DeBose coming in from Alabama and Brian Allen Jr. from Iowa. It’s kinda poetic, right? You lose to Iowa in a bowl game and then go grab one of their best defensive pieces. That is how you win the off-season.
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The 2025 Results Everyone Forgot
If you’re trying to settle a bet or just catching up, here is how the big games shook out:
- at South Carolina: Vandy won 31-7. Total dominance.
- vs. LSU: Vandy won 31-24. This was the night Nashville realized the team was legit.
- vs. Auburn: A 45-38 overtime thriller.
- at Tennessee: 45-24. The "Anchor Down" heard 'round the world.
What Comes Next for the Dores?
The next time you can actually ask "who's winning the Vanderbilt football game" and get a live score will be September 5, 2026.
They open the season at home against Austin Peay. After that, things get real very quickly. The 2026 schedule is a gauntlet. They have to travel to Georgia and Auburn, and they host Alabama in November.
Basically, the 2025 season proved that Vanderbilt isn't a fluke. Clark Lea was just named the president of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) for 2026. The guy has gone from a hot-seat candidate to the most respected coach in the room in eighteen months.
Actionable Steps for Fans
- Watch the Basketball Team: If you need a Vanderbilt fix right now, the basketball team is currently 16-1 and ranked in the Top 15, despite that loss to Texas.
- Track the Portal: Keep an eye on the "Vandy United" social media pages. They are still hunting for a starting quarterback to replace Pavia.
- Spring Game: Mark your calendars for April. That’s the first time you’ll see the new-look offensive line in action.
The "winning" isn't happening on a scoreboard today, but in the recruiting offices and the weight rooms of Nashville, the Commodores are currently on the hottest streak in school history.