BREAKING: Vanderbilt football finished in the AP poll for the first time since the 2013 season

Vanderbilt Football (5-2, 2-1) was ranked No. 25 in the AP Top 25 poll this afternoon. per AP News. This is the first time the Commodores have made the top 25 since 2014, when they were ranked in the final AP poll of the 2013 season. Their placement is thanks to a 41-24 victory over Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

This is also the first time the Dores have been ranked in a midseason edition of the AP poll since 2008, when they were ranked No. 22 on Oct. 18. The Black and Gold fell out of the Top 25 to Georgia after a loss and haven’t been back during the regular season since.

The news comes less than 24 hours after Vanderbilt football earned its third straight win against Ball State on Saturday night.

The Commodores received 68 votes in the AP poll last week after earning their second straight SEC win on the road against Kentucky. They also received 26 votes in the Week 7 poll after pulling off a historic upset over former No. 1 Alabama. The 40-35 victory was the Black and Gold’s first victory over a top-five team. This week, however, the Black and Gold finally made a breakthrough, and their ranking at No. 25 is a testament to their best start in years.

Vanderbilt Football was also ranked No. 25 in Week 9 of the AFCA Coaches Poll.

Vanderbilt will look to improve its ranking when it hosts Texas at FirstBank Stadium on Saturday, October 26 at 3:15 p.m. CDT.