It was only the first quarter of Vanderbilt’s game at Auburn on September 26, but quarterback Jared Curtis was already making headlines for an unexpected reason. Scrambling for a first down to the 29-yard line, Curtis slid out of bounds and accidentally took out his coach, Jerry Kill, by the legs, sending him sprawling and his headset flying.
First Down, Then First Half Woes
While Curtis snagged that crucial first down, the drive quickly stalled at the Commodores’ 46-yard line, ending in a failed fake punt. This set a tough tone for the first half, with Auburn taking a 14-3 lead into halftime. You hate to see it. Only one of Auburn’s touchdowns was on offense; the other came from a blocked punt! That’s a real gut punch for Vanderbilt. The Commodores’ only points came from a field goal that resulted from a Tigers interception, so they weren’t exactly lighting it up themselves.
Curtis’s Debut Under Pressure
Curtis, a 5-star quarterback making his first SEC start, still put up some numbers despite the sideline chaos. He went 12-for-16 for 105 yards passing in the first half and ran 11 times for 31 yards. His lone interception was on a Hail Mary attempt at the end of the second quarter, so you can’t be too hard on him there. Coach Jerry Kill, whose official title is special assistant to the head coach and senior offensive assistant, joined Vanderbilt’s staff in 2023 with offensive coordinator Tim Beck. They even brought in some New Mexico State players, like Diego Pavia and Eli Stowers, with Makhilyn Young still on the team. But even with that talent, the first half just didn’t click.
Accidentally running over your coach and then heading into half down 14-3 with a blocked punt score against you? That’s a brutal start to an SEC debut. Vanderbilt needs to find a way to rally, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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