Imagine a stadium that can hold up to 35,000 fans had just one person standing to support the home team. In a stunning scene following a crushing loss to their rivals, Vanderbilt reportedly had just one fan left in the stands by the fourth quarter. But was the blowout really that bad?

Ole Miss was leading 45-10 in the fourth quarter on the Vanderbilt home turf with just 11 minutes left on the clock. It did not take announcer Joe Tessitore much time to notice that just one lonely fan was still trying to support the losing team. This gesture touched Tessitore, and he even asked the staff to give him a blanket or some snacks.

“Can somebody bring that guy, like, just a blanket, or maybe a salted pretzel? Just anything,” Tessitore said during the live stream of the game. “He deserves something. That is faith right there. That is dedication.”

While the fan was holding on to faith, his team derailed even more and ended the game 52-17. Vanderbilt had not seen a beating like this since losing 47–6 to South Carolina in 2023. This game broke their 10-game winning streak on their home turf.

This sight also reminded everyone of a similar one a decade ago, when Alabama was playing the Commodores on their home turf, and Vanderbilt was losing 54-0. Only one fan was sitting there on the stands as he watched his team crumble.

“We haven’t felt this way in a long time here, and yet we have to recognize we’re not above it,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said during his post-game press conference. “When you have undisciplined penalties and when you turn the ball over against a good team, you get beat, you pay the price, and that’s what happened.”

Vanderbilt committed five penalties in just the first quarter of the game that cost them 59 yards. The number just kept rising; by the end of the game, there were 11 penalties for 92 yards.

“You can’t play that type of game and expect to win,” Vanderbilt defensive lineman Issa Ouattara said. “It’s looking at ourselves in the mirror and asking the hard questions. And it’ll take confrontation; it’ll be addressed.”

Jared Curtis was back on the field as the starter after sitting out in their last game against Georgia. He recorded 222 yards and 1 touchdown, but these came with 2 costly interceptions. Curtis also recorded a fumble near his own goal line when Blake Perkin sacked him.

During one of the plays, Vanderbilt was just one yard away from a first down. Curtis was all set in the shotgun formation, but he wasn’t ready to take a snap and ended the play in a fumble.

With the loss, the Commodores look in no shape to repeat their heroics of the 2025 campaign.

How did Ole Miss play?

The Rebels rebounded well after their loss against Florida, and their QB, Trinidad Chambliss, was the man who earned the applause. It was a bit difficult for him because of the weather at the stadium, but he threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns with 1 interception.

Ole Miss scored four touchdowns within just nine minutes during the second quarter. This was a major scoring surge that quickly gave the Rebels a 24-point lead. Even after winning with a good margin, Chambliss is hungry for more.

“I feel like this team has a lot more potential, a lot more that they could do in that whole game,” Chambliss said. “We probably could play a better complete game, honestly, and it’s still kind of early in the season, so we’re just still hoping for that.”

The Rebels are now 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC.