Nashville, TENN--It's a kid's game after-all.

For Vanderbilt returner Martel Hight that's easy to see.

On Saturday the difference that Hight can make was as he manufactured seven points with his legs.

“I think of it as a game of tag," Hight said when referring to returning punts. "I try not to get touched."

The sophomore cornerback wasn't touched as he streaked down the field into the south end zone on Saturday night for his first career return.

Hight's 57-yard punt return was the first return for a touchdown by a Vanderbilt player since Jonathan Krause did it at Wake Forest in 2012. Saturday also marked the first time that a Vanderbilt player eclipsed 100 punt return yards in a game since Krause did it and the first time a Commodore has eclipsed that in a season since 2019.

Simply put, this season marks the first time in Clark Lea's tenure that Vanderbilt has had a threat back there.

Lea didn't take that for granted on Saturday.

"I thought Martel [Hight] was kinda our top performer tonight," Lea said. "The difference he can make as a returner, it showed up in a critical moment against Virginia Tech and it showed up [Saturday], too."

Hight seems to possess a level of speed that makes him dangerous, dangerous in a way people around West End aren't accustomed to. The sophomore corner likes the possibilities as he's paired with what he feels is a capable blocking team

As a result, the Rome, Georgia, native feels he's got a chance to make an impact on every game.

"Every game from here on out I think that," Hight said when asked if he thought he could break one heading into Saturday night.

As Vanderbilt looks around to evaluate where its dynamic play lies it can now look at its speedy punt returner.