Vanderbilt played two quarterbacks in its season-opening victory over Austin Peay last weekend, and the Commodores (1-0) plan to do so once again when they face visiting Delaware on Saturday.
Graduate Blaze Berlowitz made his first career start and was 11-of-16 passing for 149 yards in Vanderbilt’s 28-9 victory. He also carried the ball 11 times for 45 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Jared Curtis, a local five-star recruit who flipped his commitment from Georgia late in the recruiting cycle, completed 7 of 9 passes for 60 yards and ran for 22 yards on three rushing attempts.
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said Tuesday he hasn’t seen enough to commit to one quarterback over the other.
“Right now, this is still about finding the best formula for us to win Saturday, but also to become the best team we can become. There’s no manual for this,” Lea said. “I’m just trying to get enough sample size to have some clarity as to what each guy brings to the table.
“Where does it go from here? … I’m still unsettled, so I want to create a little larger sample size.”
There’s no uncertainty regarding Delaware’s quarterback situation. Nick Minicucci led Conference USA in passing yards (3,683) and total offense (3,918) last season, accounting for 33 total touchdowns (23 passing, 10 rushing).
Minicucci connected on 20 of 36 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns when Delaware (1-0) opened its season by beating FCS opponent Merrimack 42-7 last Thursday. He also scored on a 12-yard run.
Ten Delaware receivers caught at least one pass in the win. Wide receiver Sean Wilson led that charge with six receptions for 73 yards and a TD.
“There’s going to be moments where (Vanderbilt’s) talent shows up,” Delaware coach Ryan Carty said. “How we respond to those moments is what’s going to dictate the result of the football game.”
Vanderbilt, which has won its last eight home games dating back to the start of last season, recorded five sacks against Austin Peay.
“Protecting the QB will be the cornerstone of what we need to do to win football games,” Carty said.