The Vanderbilt Commodores they will be looking for another historic win on Saturday when they host the fifth-placed side Texas Longhorns at noon ET in an SEC matchup at FirstBank Stadium.

The Commodores (5-2, 2-1 in SEC) are off to one of their best starts in recent memory. One more win on the season will make them bowl eligible for the first time since 2018.

It won’t be an easy task this week as the Longhorns look to bounce back after being embarrassed at home against the Georgia Bulldogs. In the past few seasons, this game would have easily been considered a loss for the Dores, but head coach Clark Lea quickly changed the narrative around the program.

Led by star quarterback Diego Pavia, the Commodores knocked off the then-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, an upset that started the team’s current three-game losing streak.

Could Vanderbilt knock off two Top 5 teams in the same season?

Here are the staff predictions for Saturday’s game.

Texas 42, Vanderbilt 24

I think the Vanderbilt Commodores will be able to keep this game interesting for a few runs until Pavia and the offense can’t keep up with the Longhorns scoring attack. I have a hard time seeing the Vanderbilt defense keeping the Texas offense out of the end zone early.

Texas 37-Vanderbilt 14

Ultimately, while the past few weeks have been fun, this is a different animal that Vanderbilt faces in Texas. The Commodores hang around for a while, but the Longhorns pull away in the second half.

Texas 38, Vanderbilt 28

Earlier this week, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the rest of his schedule is basically the “SEC Championship Game.” In other words, he doesn’t think the Longhorns can afford a loss. I would agree. Texas is also pretty ticked off about losing to Georgia. Vanderbilt is one win away from bowl eligibility, and while this team is much better than any of their last, the Commodores can’t sneak up on anyone anymore. Being at home helps Vandy, but Texas fans won’t have to try to throw their beer cans through the visitors’ sideline netting after this one.

Texas 34, Vanderbilt 27

The Commodores have proven time and time again this year that they cannot be shut out, especially against their high-ranking conference counterparts. Although they beat the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier in the year, the Longhorns showed they are a much better team. This game will be closer than expected, but Texas will come away with the win.

Texas 31, Vanderbilt 24

I think this one will be closer than many expect. Vanderbilt has shown drastic improvement this season and will show against arguably one of the best teams in the country. While I think Texas will come away with this one, it won’t be by much and they will have plenty of momentum to finish the season strong heading into this weekend.