NASHVILLE (Interstat) — Vanderbilt defeated Delaware 35-26 on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, in an NCAA Football Bowl Division game. The Commodores improved to 2-0, while the Blue Hens fell to 1-1. Vanderbilt, playing at home, finished with 35 points. Delaware, the visiting team, finished with 26. The game matched Vanderbilt of the Southeastern Conference against Delaware, which entered after a season-opening win. Vanderbilt entered after a season-opening victory of its own. FirstBank Stadium served as the site of the contest.

Delaware scored 17 points in the first quarter, using early momentum to put pressure on the Commodores. Vanderbilt answered with 21 points in the second quarter, a burst that changed the pace of the game. The Blue Hens added nine points in the third quarter. Vanderbilt’s remaining 14 points helped it secure the win.

In the second quarter, Delaware’s Tucker Smack made a 37-yard field goal. Later in the second quarter, Viron Ellison Jr. rushed up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown. Vanderbilt’s Jamison Curtis scored on a 1-yard rush in the third quarter. Brock Taylor added the extra point. In the fourth quarter, Smack added a 40-yard field goal. Later in the fourth, Nick Minicucci completed a short pass to Da’Wain Lofton, who caught the ball near the Vanderbilt 35 and took it 43 yards for a touchdown.

Delaware’s listed key performers included quarterbacks Nick Minicucci and Braden Streeter. Minicucci is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound quarterback from Midland Park, New Jersey. Streeter is a 6-foot-2, 192-pound quarterback from Franklin, Tennessee. Vanderbilt’s key performers included quarterback Blaze Berlowitz, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound quarterback from Cushing, Oklahoma.

Delaware also listed tight end Scott Moore, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound player from Girard, Kansas; cornerback Jaquise Alexander, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound player from Ruskin, Florida; defensive back KT Seay, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound player from Norfolk, Virginia; defensive back George Mullins, a 6-foot-2, 191-pound player from Webster, Florida; cornerback Jamarion Kolagbodi, a 6-foot, 175-pound player from Fort Wayne, Indiana; linebacker Colin Gallagher, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound player from Middletown, New Jersey; linebacker Gavin Moul, a 6-foot, 225-pound player from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania; safety AJ Graham, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound player from Mooresville, North Carolina; receiver Bryson Graves, a 6-foot, 180-pound player from Florence, South Carolina; receiver Donovan Lewis, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound player from Westminster, Maryland; tackle Trace Scott III, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound player from Orlando, Florida; receiver Sean Wilson, a 5-foot-11, 183-pound player from Alpharetta, Georgia; receiver Da’Wain Lofton, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound player from Fort Worth, Texas; running back Viron Ellison Jr., a 6-foot, 195-pound player from Lewisville, Texas; running back Kaderris Roberts, a 5-foot-9, 182-pound player from Zellwood, Florida; running back Jo Silver, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound player from Washington Township, New Jersey; kicker Josh Cupitt, a 6-foot, 170-pound player from Reading, Pennsylvania; safety Noah Jefferson, a 6-foot-2, 194-pound player from Hampton, Virginia; defensive end Kaeden Singleton, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound player from Lawrence, Pennsylvania; tackle Sam Siafa, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound player from Downingtown, Pennsylvania; safety Nasir Eatmon, a 6-foot, 180-pound player from Waldorf, Maryland; defensive back Jalen Bell, a 6-foot-1, 193-pound player from Kissimmee, Florida; receiver Matthew McKinley-Daniels, a 6-foot, 193-pound player from Gainesville, Florida; linebacker Blake Matthews, a 6-foot-3, 203-pound player from Bremen, Georgia; defensive back Kahlil Ali, a 6-foot, 188-pound player from Pennsauken, New Jersey; cornerback Kshawn Cox Jr., a 5-foot-10, 175-pound player from Bridgeville, Delaware; defensive end Brandon Gorham, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound player from Odenton, Maryland; defensive lineman Dominick Brogna, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound player from Bayville, New Jersey; and linebacker Jawarren Corbin, a 6-foot-1, 235-pound player from Wildwood, Florida.

Vanderbilt’s listed key performers also included Walter Taylor, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound quarterback from Jackson, Alabama; Cayden Daniels, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound cornerback from Cordele, Georgia; Jordan Matthews, a 6-foot-2, 182-pound defensive back from Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Martel Hight, a 6-foot, 175-pound cornerback from Rome, Georgia; Bryan Longwell, a 6-foot-1, 227-pound linebacker from Nashville, Tennessee; Nick Rinaldi, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound defensive end from Dover, Massachusetts; Miles Capers, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound defensive end from Sumter, South Carolina; CJ Heard, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound safety from Atlanta, Georgia; Brycen Coleman, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound tight end from Ocean City, Maryland; Tristen Brown, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver from Houston, Texas; Jared Curtis; and Brock Taylor.

Delaware entered the game after a 42-7 home win over Merrimack on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Vanderbilt opened its season with a 28-9 home win over Austin Peay on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. The Blue Hens’ loss evened their record at 1-1. The Commodores remained unbeaten at 2-0. The game was Delaware’s second of the season and Vanderbilt’s second.

Delaware will host Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. The Blue Hens will visit Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. They will host Liberty on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Delaware will visit Middle Tennessee on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. The Blue Hens will host Missouri State on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. They will visit Western Kentucky on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. Delaware will visit Kennesaw State on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. The Blue Hens will host Florida International on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026. They will visit New Mexico State on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026. Delaware will host Jacksonville State on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026.

Vanderbilt will host North Carolina State on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. The Commodores will visit Auburn on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. They will visit Georgia on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Vanderbilt will host Ole Miss on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. The Commodores will host Arkansas on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. They will visit Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. Vanderbilt will visit Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. The Commodores will host Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026. They will visit Florida on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026. Vanderbilt will host Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2026.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Vanderbilt 52, Delaware 15. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Vanderbilt with a 97.1 percent probability to win. The projections were made before the game. Vanderbilt’s actual 35-26 victory was closer than the projection, but the Commodores improved to 2-0 while Delaware moved to 1-1.