DALLAS (FWAA) – The Vanderbilt Commodores rushed for 314 yards and secured their first 10-win season in school history with a dominating 45-24 win at No. 19 Tennessee. For its first win over Tennessee since 2018, Vanderbilt earned the Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for games the weekend of Nov. 29, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the sixth time for Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 in SEC) to receive the award by the FWAA and its third time in the last two seasons. The Commodores’ last award came after beating No. 1 Alabama, 40-35, the weekend of Oct. 5, 2024.
This is the final week for the FWAA to award its Pop-Tarts Crazy Good Team of the Week for the 2025 season.
Quarterback Diego Pavia and junior Sedrick Alexander spearheaded a dynamic rushing attack. Pavia outgained the entirety of Tennessee’s team in yardage, throwing for 268 yards and rushing for 165, compared to the Volunteers’ 382 yards of total offense. It was Pavia’s career high in rushing yards, and his now-28 passing touchdowns this season are a program record. Alexander finished the day with 115 yards on the ground on just 10 carries, setting his career best in rushing yards as well.
The win was thorough. Vanderbilt rushed for a season-high 314 yards, its most since going for 404 against Hawaii in 2022 and its most against an SEC opponent since at least 1996. Vanderbilt’s six SEC wins are the most in school history, while the victory capped the first 10-win season for the 'Dores across their 135-year history.
The win also marked the Commodores’ first at Neyland Stadium since 2017 and their first win over Tennessee as a ranked team since 1948. The 45 points were the most points allowed by the Volunteers’ all season.
Vanderbilt tallied four sacks, which is tied for the most allowed by the Tennessee offense all season (also surrendered four at Alabama and vs. Oklahoma)
The Commodores, ranked 14th in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, are idle this weekend while they await a possible College Football Playoff berth to be announced Dec. 7.
Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Coming into the 2025 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Pop-Tarts "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominee for the weekend of Nov. 29 was:
Califiornia (7-5): Running back Kendrick Raphael scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds remaining to lift the Golden Bears to a stirring 38-35 victory over No. 21 SMU in its 2025 regular-season finale. Cal led 31-14 early in the fourth period before the Mustangs stormed back to take a 35-31 lead with 2:22 to play. But true freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele engineered the most memorable drive of his young career, leading Cal 75 yards over seven plays and culminating in Raphael's game-clinching score. SMU missed a 52-yard field goal to tie with three seconds remaining.
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Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,100 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.