Vanderbilt Outlasts Iowa State in Thrilling Finish
NASHVILLE, TN — Vanderbilt held off a late surge from Iowa State to secure a 31-28 victory on Saturday, improving to 3-0 in the young season. Powered by quarterback Sammy Lincoln’s efficient arm and a stellar defensive effort in key moments, the Commodores (3-0) capitalized on their home-field advantage.
Lincoln was exceptional once again, completing 25-of-33 passes for 349 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. His connection with Stephon Salaam proved unstoppable, as the wideout hauled in six receptions for 112 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight-reel 74-yard score that tied the game at 10 late in the second quarter. Garrison Ahmad was another standout, contributing six catches for 106 yards and a 48-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. George Dixon added a 24-yard touchdown catch as part of his four-catch, 61-yard day.
Iowa State (1-2) took a brief lead in the second quarter behind Robert Cominsky’s 41-yard field goal and Jeremy Carman’s 2-yard touchdown run. However, Vanderbilt responded immediately with Salaam’s long touchdown reception and seized control in the third quarter with three straight touchdown drives, all capped off with touchdown passes by Sammy Lincoln. The Commodores’ defense, led by a relentless front seven, held the Cyclones to just 85 rushing yards and forced timely stops on third down.
The Cyclones mounted a spirited fourth-quarter rally, narrowing the deficit with Cortney Torrence’s 1-yard touchdown run and Justice Butler’s 52-yard touchdown catch from Carman with under two minutes left. A successful two-point conversion brought Iowa State within three points, but Vanderbilt’s offense iced the game with a late drive to run out the clock.
“Our guys showed a lot of heart out there,” head coach Lee Williamson said. “Sammy [Lincoln] made the plays we needed, and the defense stepped up when it counted. It’s a great win against a tough opponent.”
The Commodores posted 424 yards of total offense, including 349 through the air, while converting an impressive 11-of-18 third-down attempts.
Vanderbilt has next week off before opening up conference play in two weeks at No. 18 LSU.
| Iowa State Cyclones at Vanderbilt Commodores |
| Sep 18, 2032 | 1ST | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | SCORE |
| Iowa State Cyclones (1-2) | 0 | 13 | 0 | 15 | 28 |
| Vanderbilt Commodores (3-0) | 3 | 7 | 21 | 0 | 31 |
| Team Stats Comparison |
| ISU | VAN |
| Total Offense | 350 | 424 |
| Rushing Yards | 85 | 75 |
| Passing Yards | 265 | 349 |
| First Downs | 15 | 20 |
| Punt Return Yards | 21 | 14 |
| Kick Return Yards | 97 | 80 |
| Total Yards | 468 | 518 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Conversion | 3-8 | 11-18 |
| 4th Down Conversion | 0-0 | 2-3 |
| 2-Point Conversion | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals | 4-2-1 | 3-1-1 |
| Penalties | 2-20 | 3-25 |
| Possession Time | 16:07 | 23:53 |
| Scoring Summary |
| FIRST QUARTER SCORING | ISU | VAN |
| 2:48 | (VAN) Joshua Haywood, 19 yard field goal | 0 | 3 |
| SECOND QUARTER SCORING | ISU | VAN |
| 8:47 | (ISU) Robert Cominsky, 41 yard field goal | 3 | 3 |
| 1:59 | (ISU) Jeremy Carman, 2 yard run | 10 | 3 |
| 1:43 | (VAN) Stephon Salaam, 74 yard pass from Sammy Lincoln | 10 | 10 |
| 0:55 | (ISU) Robert Cominsky, 25 yard field goal | 13 | 10 |
| THIRD QUARTER SCORING | ISU | VAN |
| 5:23 | (VAN) Stephon Salaam, 18 yard pass from Sammy Lincoln | 13 | 17 |
| 2:28 | (VAN) George Dixon, 24 yard pass from Sammy Lincoln | 13 | 24 |
| 0:12 | (VAN) Garrison Ahmad, 48 yard pass from Sammy Lincoln | 13 | 31 |
| FOURTH QUARTER SCORING | ISU | VAN |
| 7:17 | (ISU) Cortney Torrence, 1 yard run | 20 | 31 |
| 1:38 | (ISU) Justice Butler, 52 yard pass from Jeremy Carman (2-Pt) | 28 | 31 |
| | Vanderbilt Commodores | | PASSING | C/A | YDS | TD | INT | | Sammy Lincoln | 25/33 | 349 | 4 | 0 | | RUSHING | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | | Soma Vea | 10 | 56 | 5.6 | 0 | | Tyree Kuhn | 7 | 9 | 1.2 | 0 | | Kevin Wayne | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 0 | | David Keyton | 4 | 5 | 1.2 | 0 | | Sammy Lincoln | 9 | -3 | -0.3 | 0 | | RECEIVING | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | | Stephon Salaam | 6 | 112 | 18.6 | 2 | | Garrison Ahmad | 6 | 106 | 17.6 | 1 | | George Dixon | 4 | 61 | 15.2 | 1 | | Soma Vea | 7 | 41 | 5.8 | 0 | | Brock Rayford | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 0 | | KICKING | FG | XP | PTS | LONG | | Joshua Haywood | 1/1 | 4/4 | 7 | 19 | | PUNTING | NO | YDS | AVG | IN20 | | Dillon Stitser | 2 | 68 | 34.0 | 0 |
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EDIT: Oops, left off the Iowa State individual stats, I’ll go back in and add that later if I remember!