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Vanderbilt names Blaze Berlowitz season opener starter

8/26/2026

Summary

Clark Lea Starts

Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea announced Blaze Berlowitz will start the season opener.
Both quarterbacks will share snaps in the season opener against Austin Peay, with Curtis as backup.
Offensive coordinator Tim Beck said Berlowitz knows the offense and can manage time of possession.
Lea said the move mirrors Tennessee’s selection of true-freshman Faizon Brandon, the first freshman starter since 2004.

Summary

Vanderbilt SEC Schedule

Vanderbilt’s 2026 SEC schedule will feature nine consecutive conference games, a league first.
The Commodores finished 2025 with a school-record 10 wins, led by quarterback Diego Pavia’s 3,539 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Preseason media poll projects Vanderbilt to finish thirteenth out of sixteen SEC teams.
Curtis, a Georgia transfer, became Vanderbilt’s highest-rated recruit ever after posting 9,500 passing and 2,100 rushing yards at Nashville Christian.

History

Historical Context

Vanderbilt’s planned nine-game SEC slate under coach Clark Lea follows a 1992 pattern of institutional growth, the year the Maastricht Treaty created the European Union (Feb 7 1992) and Cartoon Network launched nationally (Oct 1 1992). That same year, Bill Clinton secured the Democratic presidential nomination (July 16 1992), illustrating a broader shift toward expansion in sports and media.

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Clark Lea Starts

Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea announced Blaze Berlowitz will start the season opener.
Both quarterbacks will share snaps in the season opener against Austin Peay, with Curtis as backup.
Offensive coordinator Tim Beck said Berlowitz knows the offense and can manage time of possession.
Lea said the move mirrors Tennessee’s selection of true-freshman Faizon Brandon, the first freshman starter since 2004.

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