Auburn Edges Vanderbilt 21-15 on Blocked-Punt Touchdown

Coach Alex Golesh earned his first SEC victory as Auburn’s defense rebounded and special teams swung the game ahead of a road trip to Tennessee.

Overview

Auburn beat Vanderbilt 21-15 at Jordan-Hare after Cade Carlson returned a blocked Vanderbilt punt for a touchdown that provided the game's decisive margin.
Quarterback Byrum Brown completed 18 of 27 passes for 140 yards, rushed for a touchdown, threw a passing score to Chas Nimrod, and had one interception in a mixed but productive outing.
Omar Mabson II blocked the second-quarter punt that Carlson returned 10 yards, a special-teams play that flipped momentum and put Auburn in front 14-3.
Vanderbilt freshman Jared Curtis finished 22 of 33 for 199 yards and led the team in rushing, but the Commodores settled for two late field goals from Brock Taylor and could not convert late chances into touchdowns.
The win moves Auburn to 3-1 (1-1 SEC), marks a defensive rebound after giving up 44 points to Florida the prior week, and sets up a tougher conference test at Tennessee next week.