DEREK MASON

With the kick, Fuller became the first female to play in a Southeastern Conference football game. Fuller, a senior, became the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game with a kickoff against Missouri on Nov. 28. Her gender-breaking accomplishment was a glimmer of inspiration amid the darkness of a pandemic. The Los Angeles Dodgers kept the trend going at the end of a pandemic-shortened baseball season, earning their first World Series title since 1988. “We never stopped," World Series MVP Corey Seager said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt is negotiating a deal with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Clark Lea to make the former Commodores player its new head coach. The 38-year-old Lea is a Nashville native who played baseball at Birmingham-Southern and Belmont before walking on as a fullback at Vanderbilt, where he played from 2002-04. He started coaching at UCLA and also has coached at South Dakota State, Bowling Green, Syracuse and Wake Forest. The Fighting Irish made the College Football Playoff in 2018 behind a defense that ranked eighth in the nation in yards allowed per play (4.53). ___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Dan Mullen sees no reason for sixth-ranked Florida to overlook winless Vanderbilt, not with what is on the line for the Gators this season. They're putting up the kind of offensive numbers seen when Florida won its first national title. Mullen also remembers Vanderbilt holding a 21-3 lead the last time his Gators visited Nashville. Vanderbilt (0-6) has never gone winless through an entire season, and these Commodores have a trio of one-possession losses. “They understand week to week we're going to put the best product out there that we can,” Mason said.

18 Penn State was upset by Indiana so instead of returning to Happy Valley to host No. 3 Ohio State with an unbeaten record, the Nittany Lions are trying to avoid going 0-2 for the first time since 2013. No Big Ten team has tested Ohio State in recent years like Penn State, though the Nittany Lions haven't actually beaten the Buckeyes since 2016. 3 Ohio State at No. Can they disturb Justin Fields, who was near perfect last week for Ohio State?

10 Florida's game against defending national champion LSU was postponed Wednesday to tentatively Dec. 12 after the SEC postponed Missouri-Vanderbilt on Monday. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is going through a similar situation. To play, the SEC requires at least 53 on game days. Timing is critical depending on the day of the week a positive test or tracing result returns. “Every time you’re taking a test," Mason said, “you're crossing your fingers ... you don't have anybody in harm's way."

In a precarious season when almost nothing feels normal, the SEC does feel like, well, the SEC even without its most prominent passers. And the league opted to continue working toward a season that will include just 10 SEC games with a Sept. 26 start. Alabama coach Nick Saban said that schedule under the circumstances will be good for the fans and players alike. NEW FACESLane Kiffin, head coach, Mississippi; Mike Leach, head coach, Mississippi State: The hiring of these two big-name coaches with impressive offensive pedigrees brought some excitement to the Magnolia State. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt: Mason has had his successes with the Commodores, but has also won just 10 SEC games in six seasons.

Kyle Trask #11 of the Florida Gators celebrates after a game against the Auburn Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. Florida could pose problems, especially after struggling to do much to disrupt Georgia's Jake Fromm a week ago. Florida running back Lamical Perine has been held under 70 yards in eight of nine games this season. Vanderbilt has fumbled four times, tying Alabama, Oregon State and Texas State for the fewest in the nation. With victories against Vanderbilt and then rival Florida State in three weeks, they would finish undefeated in the Swamp for the 14th time since 1990 and just the third time since 2010.

(Photo byNASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Vanderbilt Commodores will be starting a third different quarterback when they visit No. Two QBs who have started games this season for Vanderbilt are in concussion protocol. Mason said this is similar to his first season at Vanderbilt when he wound up playing four different quarterbacks. Wallace has never started a game in college, though he has played in six games this season coming off the bench. The 6-2, 210-pound Walters has never taken a snap in a college game.