The No. 20 Texas Longhorns will take on the No. 9 Vanderbilt Commodores at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1 for week 10 of college football.
Here are five players the Longhorns will have to stop in order to shut down the Commodores in Saturday’s matchup.
Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2), Oct. 25, 2025 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Longhorns’ defensive unit will need to apply heavy pressure to stop quarterback Diego Pavia — a senior with stats that are highly comparable to Texas quarterback Arch Manning.
“(We’re going to) have to defend him, kind of in layers, and (we’ve) got to be very detailed,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said in a press conference on Monday. “(We’ve) got to have great eye discipline against this group and against him.”
The Albuquerque native holds a completion percentage of 68.8 on the field, and has registered 15 touchdowns and five interceptions across 1,698 passing yards. However, his athletic ability doesn’t stop at his passing game. Pavia also leads his team in rushing yards, recording five touchdowns across 458 yards this season, making him double-trouble for the Longhorns.
Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) makes a catch, Oct. 25, 2025 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Another notable offensive weapon on Vanderbilt’s roster is tight end Eli Stowers. The senior transferred from New Mexico State alongside Pavia in 2023, and proves to be one of his favorite targets.
The Denton native appears essential when garnering downfield movement. He sits at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds and has logged two touchdowns and 397 receiving yards across 31 receptions for the Commodores this season.
Vanderbilt Commodores edge Miles Capers (29) sacks Georgia State quarterback TJ Finley (4), Sept. 20, 2025 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Regarding the Commodores’ front, they run a conventional defense that has cataloged four forced fumbles and 21 sacks thus far — 4.5 of which resulted in 46 yards lost, and were credited to edge Miles Capers.
The fourth-year pass rusher stands at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds and has racked up a forced fumble, fumble recovery and 25 total tackles this season.
This could easily pose an issue for the Longhorns, as they have struggled with maintaining consistent protection on the offensive line, to which the senior edge rusher could easily take advantage of.
Vanderbilt Commodores running back Sedrick Alexander (28) runs in a touchdown past Georgia State safety Deuce Walker (7), Sept. 20, 2025 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Beyond Pavia, Vanderbilt holds strong in its run game. With both running backs, senior Makhilyn Young and junior Sedrick Alexander, posting near-identical numbers.
Also a New Mexico State transfer, Young hails from Midland, Texas and has cataloged five touchdowns across 382 rushing yards for the Commodores, averaging 12.3 yards per carry. As for the Austin native, Alexander has recorded 73 carries for 388 yards and six rushing touchdowns this season. The pair are both strong rushers with great speed and possess the ability to secure passes.
Thus, another problem area that could arise against a Texas defense that looked shaky against the unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs in week 9.
Texas-Vanderbilt kicks off on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. CT on ABC.