Jayden McGowan goes 97 yards for Vanderbilt's first kick return touchdown since 2014
Vanderbilt sophomore receiver Jayden McGowan was off to the races after fielding a kickoff in the first quarter of Saturday’s season opener against Hawaii. McGowan blazed past the Rainbow Warrior tacklers, getting a key block along the way, as he went 97 yards for a touchdown to put the Commodores up 14-7.
According to Vanderbilt athletics, the kick return touchdown was the first since Darrius Sims did so against South Carolina in 2014. It is also the fourth-longest kick return touchdown in school history. You can view the moment below.
Vanderbilt capped off the score as quarterback AJ Swann found Quincy Skinner for the two-point conversion. The Commodores added another touchdown on the ensuing drive, marching 84 yards down the field before Swann connected with Will Sheppard to increase the lead to 21-7.
McGowan burst onto the scene last year as a true freshman out of Laurens, South Carolina. He finished the season second on the team 44 catches for 453 yards and three touchdowns. He twice surpassed the 100-yard mark in 2022, first in Week 1 against Elon and later in Week 6 against Ole Miss.
McGowan also served as the Commodores kick returner last season. He ended the year with an average of 24.0 yards per return to rank third in the SEC and 20th in the FBS.
Vanderbilt went on to claim a 35-28 victory against Hawaii as Jayden McGowan finished as the team’s leading receiver with six catches for 72 yards. He also rushed two times for 11 yards.
McGowan will hope he can carry over the momentum from Saturday’s performance to have an even stronger sophomore campaign. The Commodores now prepare to face Alabama A&M in Week 1.
True freshman London Humphreys hauls in first career catch, touchdown against Hawaii
It didn’t take long for true freshman London Humphreys to carve out a role in Vanderbilt‘s offense for the 2023 season. And in their first game of the year against Hawaii, the Nashville, TN, native hauled in his first collegiate touchdown catch.
On a fourth and seven from the 32-yard line, Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann was able to draw the Hawaii defense offsides, allowing the Commodores a free play. And the Commodores made the most out of that opportunity as Humphreys beat his defender down the sideline for a 32-yard pitching catch with Swann and the first touchdown grab of his career. Not only was this the true freshman’s first touchdown catch, but also his first collegiate grab.