Brock Taylor Assesses His Season for Vanderbilt Football – Sports Illustrated

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NASHVILLE — Thinking through his season with four games to go, Vanderbilt football kicker Brock Taylor is able to recall the kicks that did not go his team’s way instantaneously.
There is not a particular reason why Taylor remembers the misses so easily other than he has only missed two kicks the entire season. When a kicker converts at the rate he has been, it would be easy for any person to remember the misses.
But on the season, Taylor has not had the year he probably would have liked thus far. It is not a feeling he has control over nor is it the fault of anybody individually.
“Right now is kind of an interesting time. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little frustrated with the lack of attempts this season, which is nobody’s fault,” Taylor said on his assessment of his season. “It’s unfortunate how things have turned out that way.”
The numbers support Taylor’s frustration about the lack of attempted kicks. In total, there has been a considerable dropoff in the amount of opportunities he has gotten. This season, Taylor has come out for just nine field goal attempts and 21 extra point attempts for a total of 30 attempted kicks. Through eight games in 2025, Taylor attempted seven field goals and 38 extra points. That adds up to 45 trips onto the field for a kick.
The decrease in kick attempts is a result of the pieces Vanderbilt lost on the offensive end from the 2025 team. Last season, Vanderbilt had one of the most potent offenses in college football with Diego Pavia at quarterback, which meant the Commodores were in Taylor’s field goal range or gave Taylor an extra point attempt on what felt like every offensive possession.
But for Taylor, he has made seven of his nine field goals. The two he missed was a 48-yard attempt at Auburn Sept. 26 and a 58-yard attempt at Georgia Oct. 3 that was blocked.
The miss against Auburn is the one that seemed to stick out more to Taylor. Despite the miss, it was easily the game this season that was most impactful to his development as a kicker. Taylor came back with two field goals in the fourth quarter that kept Vanderbilt in it against Auburn.
“Personally, I told my coach it was nice because I’m thankful I haven’t missed a lot through my college career. Those feelings of humility and keeping yourself humble and reminding yourself what it feels like to come off to the sideline after a miss I think are really healthy for my development and knowing how to come back and make the next one.”
Taylor feels like one of the best ways to showcase his skills are when he gets the opportunity to attempt a deep field goal. That is what made the blocked field goal against Georgia frustrating. It was a chance to show his leg speed. Instead, it left Taylor with a feeling of wanting that chance back.
When Taylor goes out to attempt any kick, he and the coaching staff expect him to make it every time, regardless of distance. It is a compliment from the coaches to Taylor on how he can impact a game with his leg.
Usually, teams let kickers attempt kicks greater than 55 or so yards when it is at the end of half or end of game situations. But because Taylor’s range extends further, Vanderbilt has no problem sending its guy to attempt a 58-yarder in the middle of a quarter, just like what happened in Athens.
“I fully expected to go out there and make that kick. Unfortunate with the result of it, but I appreciate my coaches letting me have opportunities like that. One of the biggest reasons I’m trying to make it is to keep building that confidence that they know we can go back there comfortably in the first or second quarter rather than just in the end of half, end of game situations,” Taylor said.
It has not been the season Taylor initially hoped for in the offseason. But that certainly does not take away from his ability. With a month left in the regular season, there is still time left for him to get opportunities that can show what he brings to the table.
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Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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