Aria Gerson, Nashville TennesseanSun, November 30, 2025 at 1:30 AM UTC·1 min readKNOXVILLE – Vanderbilt football players brought cigars with them to Knoxville.
Clark Lea wasn't aware they had, but to him it was a sign of his team's confidence going into Neyland Stadium. The 12th-ranked Commodores eventually defeated Tennessee, 45-24, outscoring the Vols 24-3 in the second half.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt was the first time that Vanderbilt (10-2, 6-2 in SEC) has won 10 games, not just in the regular season but at all. Tennessee finished the regular season 8-4 overall, 4-4 in SEC.
"It speaks to the confidence of our team," Lea said. "I had no idea about (the cigars). But it means a lot. The 10 wins means a lot. We've said from the beginning, we want to compete for a national championship. So this is about getting to the playoffs and having a chance to do that."
Despite the 10 wins, Vanderbilt might not make the College Football Playoff. The Commodores were ranked No. 14 in the most recent rankings issued by the CFP committee. So far, the only team ahead of the Commodores that has lost is Texas A&M.
Regardless, Vanderbilt will go home with a rivalry win and a spot in the record books.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"It means a lot," Randon Fontenette said. "We're all in this together, we talk about making history. ... It's never been done and we did it. we just embrace it but also we know there's more out there for us and that's what we're trying to do."
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X @aria_gerson.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt football celebrates after first 10-win season with cigars
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