CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – It’s technically just now Week 1, but the Austin Peay football team is already preparing to play its second game of the season. The Govs opened their season with a big Week 0 win at home last Thursday over Gardner-Webb.
The Govs will have a much tougher opponent in their next game though, as they head down to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores. Austin Peay has never defeated an SEC opponent, but they did pick up an FBS early-season road win at Middle Tennessee State last season. The Govs also put forth a valiant effort against the Georgia Bulldogs in 2025.
Ahead of this in-state matchup, let’s take a look at what we need to know about the Govs’ next opponent.
| PREVIOUSLY: Austin Peay football takes down Gardner-Webb to open 2026 season
What to know about Vanderbilt
This isn’t the same Vanderbilt team of the last decade. The Commodores had their best season in program history in 2025, finishing with a 10-3 record and ending the season as the No. 15 team in the country.
Much of the team’s success was due to star quarterback and 2025 Heisman candidate Diego Pavia. Pavia led the SEC with 29 touchdown passes and threw for 3,539 yards, with 862 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores. However, Pavia is no longer in the picture, so the Commodores’ offense will look much different.
The Commodores held a competition between five-star true freshman Jared Curtis and Blaze Berlowitz for the starting quarterback job, and Berlowitz was recently announced as the winner. Berlowitz transferred to Vanderbilt from New Mexico State and appeared in six games last year in relief of Pavia. The Commodores do return running back Sedrick Alexander and wide receiver Junior Sherrill, who were two of the team’s top playmakers in 2025.
In the SEC Football Preseason Media Poll, the Commodores were picked to finish 13th in the SEC. This will be the third meeting between Austin Peay and Vanderbilt in recent history. The Commodores won both matchups, one in 2013 and the other in 2015.
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Game prediction: Govs hang tough
No matter how you slice it, the Govs are massive underdogs heading into this game. The Commodores play in arguably the toughest conference in college football, while the Govs are fighting to be one of the best teams in the FCS.
The Commodores do have a recent history of losing to lesser opponents though. In the last two decades, the Commodores have lost games to East Tennessee State, Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, and Temple, among others.
The Commodores have to play nine SEC games this year, which means it’s possible that this game gets overlooked. If the Commodores see the Govs as an automatic win, they could be in for a real surprise. The Govs have enough offensive firepower to stay in this game, and if the defense can make enough timely stops, this could be closer than people expect.
The biggest advantage the Govs have is at quarterback. Chris Parson is one of the top quarterbacks in the FCS, and he has plenty of starting experience. Berlowitz, meanwhile, has only played in seven games over three seasons. That could make a difference, but everything else will have to go perfectly for the Govs as well.
Ultimately, I predict that the Commodores will come away with the win, but the Govs will keep it within two touchdowns. The good news is, after this, the Govs get to play four of their next five games at home.
The game is 6 p.m. Saturday at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. For tickets, go to the Austin Peay page on Ticketmaster or call 931-221-PEAY (7329).
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