| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
| Austin Peay | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Vanderbilt | 5 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 28 |
Final. Saturday, September 5, 2026. Kicked off 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+ (streaming only).
Vanderbilt opens at FirstBank Stadium against Austin Peay, an FCS program from an hour up Interstate 24 in Clarksville. Clark Lea’s Commodores are coming off the best two year stretch in modern program history and are trying to do it without Diego Pavia; the Governors are a United Athletic Conference playoff contender collecting the in state guarantee game.
| Kickoff | 7 p.m. ET · 6 p.m. CT · 5 p.m. MT · 4 p.m. PT |
| TV | None. Streaming only. |
| Streaming | SEC Network+ in the ESPN app (requires a TV provider login that includes SEC Network) |
| Venue | FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee |
| Line | Most books do not post FCS games. Where a line exists, Vanderbilt is favored by roughly four touchdowns. |
Prediction and Odds
Austin Peay is the kind of FCS opponent that occasionally makes an SEC bottom feeder sweat, but Vanderbilt is no longer that. The Commodores have won at a level that got Lea a new contract, and even with a new quarterback they have far more size on both lines. Austin Peay’s best hope is tempo and a couple of early scores; the more likely script is a Vanderbilt lead by halftime and reserves in the fourth quarter.
Our pick: Vanderbilt 34, Austin Peay 10. Vanderbilt wins comfortably.
Why This One Matters
Vanderbilt is trying to prove the last two seasons were a program change and not a quarterback. The post Pavia offense gets its first live reps here before the SEC schedule starts. Austin Peay is one of the UAC’s playoff hopefuls and treats this as a measuring stick.
How to Watch Without Cable
SEC Network+ cannot be bought on its own. It comes with any provider that carries SEC Network, so Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and Sling with the sports add on all work through the ESPN app. Details in our streaming guide.
The Bottom Line
Austin Peay at Vanderbilt kicks off at 7 p.m. ET Saturday, September 5 on SEC Network+. Vanderbilt is our pick. Result on our live scoreboard.