Fuller kicks 2 extra points for Vanderbilt; Vols win

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sarah Fuller has a football keepsake from her history-making moment. The ball from her second extra point likely is headed to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Being treated like just another athlete? That’s the best part of becoming the first woman to score in a power Five conference game, finally getting the chance to do more than squib a kickoff for Vanderbilt during a 42-17 loss to Tennessee.

“This whole time has been if I can do it, if I’m good enough to do it,” Fuller said. “It wasn’t if I was a girl or not. So that’s something I’ve really appreciated. At the end of the day, they treated me like an athlete and that’s the best I could ask for.”

She made history Nov. 28 as the first woman to play in a Power Five game, but was on the field only once, driving a low kickoff to open the second half as the Commodores got shut out at Missouri.

Vanderbilt interim coach Todd Fitch said special teams coordinator Devin Fitzsimmons had been charting kicks, especially close where the Commodores had struggled this season with few opportunities in games.

“So it was really, truly off statistics of the week’s preparation,” Fitch said. “It wasn’t about, you know, trying to do something special. It was truly who made the most of those kicks.”

With Vanderbilt (0-9) getting the chance to play after postponing last week’s game at Georgia, the Commodores played with just 49 scholarship players and finally gave the goalkeeper for the Southeastern Conference women’s soccer tournament champs an opportunity to put up points.