By T-Rohn. Disclosure: Gridiron Gumbo’s owner leans Mississippi State, which means he has no dog in this fight and a deep personal understanding of what a rough October feels like.
Result update (Oct. 22, 2026), CONFIRMED: Arkansas won 31-21 at Vanderbilt on Oct. 17, snapping the Razorbacks’ 14-game SEC losing streak, per ESPN and the AP recap. Our pick, Vanderbilt 28-20, was a miss, and it is logged as a miss in our pick tracker.
Vanderbilt’s week started the way a crawfish boil ends when somebody forgets the lid: hot, messy and short on the good stuff. The Commodores are coming off a 52-17 home loss to Ole Miss, and on Tuesday coach Clark Lea confirmed three injuries that will keep key depth pieces out when Arkansas comes to FirstBank Stadium on Saturday.
Blaze Berlowitz: Broken Collarbone, Unbroken Toughness
Backup quarterback Blaze Berlowitz broke his collarbone late in the Ole Miss game and had surgery Monday. Lea says he’ll be out about a month.
Berlowitz came in after the game was decided and led a touchdown drive. Along the way he took a hit on a sideline run near the Rebels’ 12 that drew an unnecessary roughness flag. Then he stayed in, threw one more pass and handed off twice before he left. “Just the toughness to have a broken collar bone and finish taking three snaps including a pass is pretty remarkable,” Lea said. We make jokes for a living around here, and there’s nothing funny about that. The man finished the drive. Respect.
To be clear, Berlowitz was not Saturday’s starter. Five-star freshman Jared Curtis took the job during the Delaware game. Berlowitz started the first two games, then got the start at Georgia while Curtis was hurt, going 12-for-23 for 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception. On the season he’s 28-for-53 for 386 yards and a score, plus 110 rushing yards. He even volunteered to play receiver after losing the QB job. That’s the kind of teammate who brings the ice chest and the boudin to the tailgate.
Who’s Holding the Clipboard Now?
With Berlowitz out, the backup job behind Curtis goes to junior Whit Muschamp or sophomore Jack Elliott. Muschamp appeared to have the edge coming out of fall camp, and his only passing work this season was two attempts against Georgia. Yes, he’s that Muschamp family. We’ll give Vandy fans a minute to decide whether that last name makes them feel better or reach for the Pepto.
The Big Fellas Up Front
Gunner Givens, an offensive lineman, needs season-ending hip surgery. Lea called it about a six-month recovery. The good news is that Givens’ waiver for an extra season of eligibility has already been approved, so he gets another year in black and gold.
Offensive lineman Mitchell Smith, who also missed the Ole Miss game, will have a procedure to clean up his knee. Lea expects him back “hopefully after the bye week,” so he’ll miss a couple of games.
Losing two linemen in one week is how a decent gumbo turns into soup. It’s still edible, but your grandmother is going to say something.
Up Next: The SEC Cellar Bowl
Arkansas (2-4, 0-3 SEC) at Vanderbilt (3-3, 0-3 SEC)
Saturday, Oct. 17 · 6 p.m. CT · ESPN2 · FirstBank Stadium, Nashville (Vanderbilt’s Homecoming)
REPORTED: Vanderbilt was a 6.5-point favorite with a 49.5 total at BetMGM, as of Oct. 16, 2026 (BetMGM). Lines are for entertainment; see our picks disclaimer. Both teams are winless in SEC play, so somebody gets out of the basement Saturday night and somebody gets to keep the folding chair down there.
Arkansas comes in having lost 34-7 at Texas A&M and 24-17 to Tennessee, and the Hogs’ offense has been about as productive as a nutria on a treadmill. Vandy, meanwhile, won its three nonconference games and then dropped three straight to Auburn, Georgia and Ole Miss. Arkansas leads the series 7-3, but Vanderbilt won the last meeting 45-31 in 2018. The Commodores have never beaten the Razorbacks at home, and they last hosted them in 2011, back when your phone still had a keyboard.
Players to watch for Vandy: WR Junior Sherrill (529 receiving yards, fourth in the SEC, with a catch in 43 straight games, the longest active streak in FBS), RB Sedrick Alexander (25 career rushing TDs, third in school history) and LB CJ Heard (team-high 43 tackles and two forced fumbles).
Our official Week 7 pick: Vanderbilt 28, Arkansas 20. The Commodores win, and by our numbers they thinly cover the six. It’ll be ugly, so turn on the lights, stir the pot and keep the antacids handy.
Sources
- The Tennessean (Oct. 13): Vanderbilt football injury updates on Blaze Berlowitz, Gunner Givens, Mitchell Smith
- The Tennessean / Leaf-Chronicle (Oct. 12): Blaze Berlowitz broke collarbone vs. Ole Miss
- 247Sports: Vanderbilt football notebook, Clark Lea injury quotes
- Sports Illustrated: Berlowitz to undergo surgery, miss time
- Vanderbilt Athletics: VUFB Game Week – Arkansas
- The Sharp Edition: Arkansas at Vanderbilt odds
Correction (Oct. 22, 2026): An earlier version described the line as about a 6-point favorite at most books with a total around 50, without naming a sportsbook. It now cites BetMGM. We also added the final result.
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