No. 5 Texas playing No. 25 Vanderbilt for 1st time since 1928 with big stakes for both

No. 5 Texas (6-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) at No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1), Saturday, 4:15 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas by 18 1/2.

Series record: Vanderbilt leads 8-3-1.

What’s at stake?

These teams haven’t met since 1928 and are now brought back together with Texas joining the Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns have slipped from their No. 1 ranking and can’t afford another loss as they chase a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. The Commodores are ranked for the first time since the end of the 2013 season. They can wrap up October with their second-ever win over an AP Top 5 team — the first came on their 61st try, when they beat then-No. 1 Alabama at the beginning of the month.

Key matchup

Vanderbilt’s ability to hold onto the ball and play keepaway is its biggest strength. The Commodores rank 11th nationally holding the ball 33 minutes a game, and they kept it away from Alabama for more than 42 minutes to notch that first win over a top-ranked team. Texas counters with the nation’s top-ranked defense in both holding opponents to 237.3 yards and just 9.7 points a game.

Players to watch

Texas: QB Quinn Ewers continues to be a constant question. After missing two starts with an abdomen strain, he hasn’t looked good in the two games since his return. He struggled badly in Texas’ loss to then-No. 5 Georgia when he looked tentative and rattled by the Bulldogs’ pass rush. If he struggles again, how quickly will Texas coach Steve Sarkisian pull him for Arch Manning?

Vanderbilt: QB Diego Pavia. The graduate transfer from New Mexico State is the big reason the Commodores never trailed in their back-to-back wins over Alabama and on the road at Kentucky. He helped them avoid going three-and-out in either game. He has been intercepted just once, which ties Vanderbilt for first among Power 4 programs.

Facts & figures

This is the first SEC road game for the Longhorns. They played rival Oklahoma in Dallas. … Texas is struggling with slow starts. The Longhorns haven’t scored in the first quarter of the last two games … Texas leads the nation with 10 interceptions on defense. … Vanderbilt is 4-0 at home against Texas in a series that started in 1899. … This is the fifth game this season Vanderbilt has played an opponent either ranked or receiving votes for the AP Top 25 poll. The Commodores are 4-1 in those games with the only loss coming in double overtime at then-No. 7 Missouri.

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