For a while, it looked like an early touchdown might hold up.
Darrius Sims took the opening kickoff back 95 yards, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Ralph Webb two plays later that gave Vanderbilt an early 7-0. And then the Commodores settled in for a slog: while the offense only gained 64 yards in the first half, Vanderbilt took a 7-6 lead into the locker room thanks to bottling up the run game (Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combined for 37 yards on 20 carries before halftime) and forcing the Bulldogs to settle for field goals.