Grading Jared Curtis in Vanderbilt football win over Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, MS − Jared Curtis got his first SEC win as a starter as Vanderbilt football took down Mississippi State 25-23 on Nov. 7 at Davis-Wade Stadium.

The Commodores (4-5, 1-5) got their first conference win thanks primarily to Brock Taylor's six field goals. The offense controlled the time of possession, holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes of game time.

Curtis didn't play his best or most flashy game of the season, but he operated the offense effectively and gave his team a chance to get a much-needed win.

Curtis was 17-for-27 for 168 yards passing. He didn't have any touchdowns or interceptions.

He ran 10 times for 35 yards, not including sacks. He was sacked three times for 13 yards, including one that resulted in a fumble returned for a touchdown by Mississippi State.

Jared Curtis performance vs Mississippi State

Curtis missed many of the downfield throws he usually makes. But he was still generally efficient, keeping things moving even though many of the drives stalled out in field goal range.

He did make one really bad play, fumbling on a sack that turned into a scoop-and-score touchdown for Mississippi State in the third quarter. Luckily for Curtis, the play happened early enough in the game that he was able to rebound.

Had Curtis hit more of his throws, he would've put the game out of reach. But he ultimately did enough for the victory.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson .