Mackenzi Adams came off the bench and threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 19 Vanderbilt beat 13th-ranked Auburn 14-13 Saturday night in Nashville, Tenn., to make its record 5-0 for the first time since 1943.

The Commodores also moved to 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference for only the third time and first since 1950. The win keeps them undefeated atop the SEC East while also snapping a 13-game skid to Auburn (4-2, 2-2). The win was Vandy's first in the series since the 1955 Gator Bowl.

Trying to preserve a one-point lead, Vandy had to punt the ball back to Auburn with 2:16 left, but Brett Upson kicked it 55 yards and Alan Strong downed it at the Tigers' 3. On the next play, Myron Lewis intercepted Chris Todd's pass intended for Rodgeriqus Smith.

All that was left was for Adams to take a knee a couple of times and the party was on. Fans poured on to the field to celebrate one of the biggest wins in the history of a program that perennially has been the doormat of the SEC.

The SEC's smallest school, and only private university, is known more for its academics than its football. Fans were celebrating the Commodores' first appearance in the Top 25 since 1984 even before the game started, sporting signs that boasted geeks rule.

Then the Commodores -- whose last winning season was 1982 -- went out and backed it up by pushing around Auburn.

The difference was Auburn kicker Wes Byrum's missed extra point in the first quarter, but Vandy outgained the Tigers on offense 263-208, and a defense that had led the SEC in sacks coming in added five more by five different Commodores. Vandy sacked Todd twice inside the final four minutes to force the Tigers to punt away with 2:51 left.

Ben Tate ran for 108 yards, and the Tigers scored 13 points in 60 seconds in the first quarter. That was it against a Vandy defense that had been the SEC's worst in yards allowed, giving up 364.3 per game.

Quarterback Chris Nickson started the game for Vanderbilt but aggravated an injured right shoulder he hurt two weeks ago at Mississippi. Adams came in cold.

But the Commodores held Auburn to a mere 25 yards in the second quarter. They stopped Tate on two carries for losses, and D.J. Moore nearly picked off a Todd pass. That forced Clinton Durst to punt from his own end zone, and Moore caught the ball near midfield and ran it back 25 yards to the Auburn 30.

Adams completed all four of his passes for 41 yards, the last a 15-yarder to Justin Wheeler for a touchdown with 39 seconds left in the first half for a TD -- the first allowed in the first half this season by Auburn.

ALSO SATURDAY

SOUTH CAROLINA 31, MISSISSIPPI 24: If there was any question who South Carolina's starting quarterback is, Chris Smelley gave an emphatic answer.

Smelley passed for a career-high 327 yards and three touchdowns, led a 95-yard victory-clinching drive and helped South Carolina to its first SEC win with a victory over Mississippi at Oxford, Miss.

"Chris is our starter, it's as simple as that," coach Steve Spurrier said.

That seemed in doubt after Spurrier waited till Thursday evening to announce who would start a critical game.

The coach, notorious for his lack of patience with quarterbacks, yanked Smelley early in a game against Alabama-Birmingham a week ago after the redshirt sophomore started 3-for-9 with an interception. Redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia had a strong game in the 26-13 win, but by going mostly mistake-free Smelley showed why Spurrier is sticking with him.

"Chris threw a lot of good ones today," Spurrier said. "I really like the way he played in the fourth quarter. That (95)-yard drive was the longest we've had around here in a long time. I think Chris can play and I think Chris can play better."

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