A strong defensive performance and a turnover-free night helped Vanderbilt to an easy 55-0 victory over Alcorn State on Saturday night at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Vanderbilt held the Braves to just 1.6 yards per play and six first downs (three due to penalties) on 44 snaps.

It was the Commodores’ first shutout since 2019.

Alcorn State did not cross the halfway line all night and had fewer yards on offense (71) than Vanderbilt’s Martel Hight (127) on punt returns.

Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia completed 10 of 13 throws for 83 yards and ran 13 times for 51 yards and a score.

He was replaced early in the fourth quarter by Nate Johnson, who scored a 56-yard touchdown on his first snap.

After the Braves’ sixth drive of three or fewer plays, Hight grabbed a punt from Franklin Rogers and ran 57 yards for a touchdown with 12:17 left.

Six seconds later, Vanderbilt’s Alan Wright finished the scoring with his first touchdown on an 18-yard interception return of a throw by Roderick Hartsfield Jr.

AJ Newberry scored on a 20-yard run on the longest play of the night for either team, giving the Commodores a 34-0 lead with 2:37 left in the third quarter.

The Commodores scored on every possession in the first half and led 27-0 at halftime thanks to a 205-28 yard advantage.

With 5:15 minutes left in the first quarter, Vanderbilt scored first with a 35-yard field goal by Brock Taylor.

On the Braves’ ensuing drive, Vanderbilt’s Linus Zunk caught quarterback Tyler Macon throwing and CJ Taylor returned the ball 23 yards to the ASU 17-yard line.

On the next play, tight end Eli Stowers threw an end-around and found tight end Cole Spence free for a touchdown throw with 2:40 minutes left in the quarter.

After another ASU punt, Pavia led another methodical drive that ended on a fake at his 5-yard keeper, giving him a 17-0 lead.

Sedrick Alexander’s 2-yard run and Taylor’s 46-yard field goal provided the final points of the half.

–Field level media