​NASHVILLE, TN – APRIL 18: Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Blaze Berlowitz (1) points to a receiver as he scrambles during the Vanderbilt Commodores spring game, April 18, 2026, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Per Pete Thamel, Blaze Berlowitz will start Vanderbilt football’s season opener against Austin Peay next Saturday, and the internet has reacted to this news predictably: freakout from some Vanderbilt fans (who I won’t name, because I like a lot of people making this take) and trolling from fans of other SEC schools (Vanderbilt’s vaunted five-star quarterback couldn’t even win the starting job!)Sources: Vanderbilt senior Blaze Berlowitz will be the starting quarterback to open the season for the Commodores. He’ll make his first career start against Austin Peay on Sept. 5. Five-star true freshman Jared Curtis will also play in that game, marking his first career snaps. pic.twitter.com/IflEFhbFlV— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) August 25, 2026I’m going to say this as nicely as possible, because I like some of you (but not you, Vol Twitter trolls): if you’re putting a lot of stock in who takes the first snap of the Austin Peay, you need to get your head checked.A few key points:Jared Curtis is a true freshman.Even as true freshmen go, Curtis was playing against a low level of competition in high school at Nashville Christian, which plays in the smallest private school division of Tennessee high school football. Forget the SEC, Austin Peay will be a big step up in competition when you’ve been playing the likes of Ezell-Harding and Clarksville Academy (insult not intended) and then the playoffs against Jackson Christian, Trinity Christian, and Old Hickory Academy University School of Jackson (insult very much intended.)Only parlagi will understand that last part, and only my dad (RIP) would understand the reference to Old Hickory Academy. (But do, if you get a chance, look up what year Jackson’s schools integrated and what year Old Hickory Academy-turned-USJ opened.) But I digress.Regardless of whether Curtis is “ready,” it would obviously be coaching malpractice for him to play every snap against Austin Peay and Delaware. Berlowitz also needs game reps in case disaster happens.Curtis will likely play as many snaps against Austin Peay as technically the backup as he would if he were the starter.I do not particularly care whether Curtis is getting his game reps against Austin Peay in the first quarter or the second half.You’d expect both quarterbacks to play against Austin Peay and Delaware (see point 4, above), even if those games are closer than expected, especially if those games are closer than expected (because that might be a sign that the quarterback you went with needs to be benched.) The fact that they went out of their way to say that Curtis will play against Austin Peay speaks louder than that they named