2020 Vanderbilt Commodores football team
The 2020 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. They were led by interim head coach Todd Fitch, who replaced Derek Mason after his firing on November 29, 2020. On December 14, 2020, Clark Lea was hired as head coach.
On November 28, in game against [2020 2020 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri], Vanderbilt's Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power Five conference game by delivering the opening kickoff for the second half. Fuller, the Commodores' goalkeeper on the school's SEC championship women's soccer team, was added to the football roster after the team's regular kicking specialists had to be quarantined due to COVID-19 protocols. The following game, against Tennessee in the season finale, Fuller would become the first women to score in a Power Five game, going a perfect 2/2 on extra point attempts.
Preseason
Listed in the order that they were released
SEC Media Days
In the preseason media poll, Vanderbilt was predicted to finish in last place in the East Division.
Schedule
Vanderbilt had games scheduled against Colorado State, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech and Mercer, which were all canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Game summaries
At No. 10 Texas A&M
| Statistics | VAN | TAMU |
| First downs | 17 | 17 |
| Total yards | 255 | 372 |
| Rushing yards | 105 | 183 |
| Passing yards | 150 | 189 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 33:59 | 26:01 |
No. 20 LSU
| Statistics | LSU | VAN |
| First downs | 28 | 17 |
| Total yards | 498 | 266 |
| Rushing yards | 161 | 153 |
| Passing yards | 337 | 113 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 29:13 | 30:47 |
| Statistics | SC | VAN |
| First downs | 18 | 15 |
| Total yards | 485 | 249 |
| Rushing yards | 289 | 76 |
| Passing yards | 196 | 173 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 31:27 | 28:33 |
Ole Miss
| Statistics | MISS | VAN |
| First downs | 35 | 24 |
| Total yards | 641 | 421 |
| Rushing yards | 192 | 102 |
| Passing yards | 449 | 319 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 29:52 | 30:08 |
| Statistics | VAN | MSST |
| First downs | 30 | 14 |
| Total yards | 478 | 204 |
| Rushing yards | 142 | -22 |
| Passing yards | 336 | 226 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 32:10 | 27:50 |
At Kentucky
| Statistics | VAN | UK |
| First downs | 29 | 23 |
| Total yards | 407 | 458 |
| Rushing yards | 180 | 308 |
| Passing yards | 227 | 150 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 32:26 | 27:34 |
No. 6 Florida
| Statistics | FLA | VAN |
| First downs | 29 | 21 |
| Total yards | 586 | 406 |
| Rushing yards | 173 | 87 |
| Passing yards | 413 | 319 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 34:17 | 25:43 |
At Missouri
| Statistics | VAN | MIZ |
| First downs | 13 | 31 |
| Total yards | 185 | 603 |
| Rushing yards | 82 | 223 |
| Passing yards | 103 | 380 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 27:10 | 32:50 |
Tennessee
| Statistics | TENN | VAN |
| First downs | 24 | 16 |
| Total yards | 540 | 292 |
| Rushing yards | 212 | 53 |
| Passing yards | 328 | 239 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 33:37 | 26:23 |
Players drafted into the NFL