In the regular-season finale, it felt like a coming out part for the Vols offense.
Nashville, Tenn. – In the regular season finale, Tennessee traveled to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt. For the Vols, a win against the Commodores more than secures their spot in the 12-team playoff.
1 – Not a great start for Tennessee.
The game couldn’t have started any worse for Tennessee.
On the opening kickoff, Vols’ Josh Turbyville kicks it 65 yards to Vandy’s 0 yard line and Junior Sherrill elected to return it. After a couple of cuts, he found a seam and took it all the way to house for a score.
Then on the second play of Tennessee’s opening drive, Dylan Sampson takes the ball up the left side for a 7-yard gain, but as he’s falling to the ground Vandy’s CJ Taylor rips the ball out, forces the fumble and Nick Rinaldi recovers.
Seven plays later, Diego Pavia hands it off to Sedrick Alexander for a four-yard rushing touchdown to go up 10-0 with 10:22 left in the first quarter.
Vandy would be held to a field goal on it’s next possession, to go up by 10 at the end of the first quarter.
2 – Coming out party for Tennessee’s offense.
Tennessee’s start was nearly as cold as the freezing whether at kickoff against Vanderbilt.
However, the connection between Iamaleava and Dont’e Thornton did more than enough to warm up the offense.
On the Vols’ second drive of the game, Iamaleava hit Thornton on a 28-yard touchdown pass. That drive took just 1:29, covering 73 yards over five plays.
In the second quarter, placekicker Max Gilbert added some fire to bench after drilling a 50-yard field goal attempt the took a lucky bounce off the cross bar.
On the next possession for Tennessee, it was Iamaleava and Thornton again!
This time for the most explosive play of the season for Tennessee.
A shallow slant explodes for a touchdown, after Mike Matthews helps set a crucial block and Thornton takes care of the rest for an 86-yard touchdown reception to tie the game at 17 apiece.
That play marked the longest pass completion since Casey Clausen’s 90-yard pass to Mark Jones against Georgia on Oct. 11, 2003 per Tennessee’s Stats and Info.
Tennessee found its first lead of the game on a play action go-ahead 18-yard touchdown pass to tight end Miles Kitselman. That drive took just 2:17 to find the endzone once against.
59% of Tennessee’s plays comes off play action for the most in the FBS.
As Jimmy Hyams and I discussed pregame, connecting on the intermediate pass plays would prove crucial for Tennessee. So far, it’s what’d led to Tennessee erasing a 14-point deficit to taking a 24-17 lead at the half.
After Thornton was ruled out for the second half of the game with an injury per ESPN, the Vols insert 5-star freshman Mike Matthews.
In Tennessee’s opening drive of the third quarter, Iamaleava threw a pass up the middle and Matthews hauled in his first target on the day for a touchdown reception, 31-17.
That TD catch marked his second of the season and first since Kent State.
Those 33 points also tied for most Tennessee has scored in conference play. They had 33 in a win over Mississippi State.
With Iamaleava taking advantage of a weak pass defense, the only question remained was whether Sampson would be able to keep his streak alive of scoring at least one score in every game this season. Unfortunately, a personal stat would end in the regular season finale.
3 – Tennessee’s eye discipline on defense
Eye discipline would be key for Tennessee’s defense. Too many times in big games the Vols’ defense would bite on the eye candy of presnap motion. It appears through the first half of this match, Tennessee was pretty assignment sound.
Eye discipline was most obvious in the passes batted down at the line of scrimmage with four PBUs after two quarters of play.
To close the first quarter, Vanderbilt ran four short rushes to close the first quarter, the Commodores drive continued into the second quarter where two plays later Jermod McCoy intercepted Pavia in the endzone.
That was just the fourth time this season that Pavia’s thrown a pick and the first INT since he threw two against Texas in October.
However, the Dores got the ball back as Iamaleava under threw his pass to Thornton and got picked off.
Linebacker Jalen McMurray started to get hot this drive with a PBU on a pass intended to Sherrill.
McMurray could’ve had back-to-back pass break ups had the Vols not committed a roughing the passer penalty.
Later in the second quarter, Vanderbilt tried to fool the defense with play action but Will Brooks and Arion Carter sniffed it out.
Pavia hid the ball well, but with only pass play available and his guy covered all he could do was try to scramble on a 4th and 2 and that’s when Brooks and Carter were able to come in for the tackle and force turnover on downs.
Tennessee also impressed with their ability to pressure Pavia. A couple of times, the defense able to get home with a pair of sacks.
The most Pavia’s been sacked in a game was three against Kentucky.
Joshua Josephs may have had one of his best games on defense.
With Vandy pinned back at their one-yard line, Vandy attempts to run it to create some breathing room but Josephs was right there to stuff Alexander at the line. On top of that, he also has a PBU, half a sack, 1 TFL.
Next play, Tyre West comes up with a safety as he tackles Alexander in the endzone.
Whatever life Vandy had in the opening minutes of the game quickly vanished.
Omar Norman-Lott got in on the party and came up with a crucial sack and third on the day for Tennessee.
There was a glimmer of hope for the Dores after a 31-yard touchdown followed by a personal foul on a 2-pt try Vandy tried to rush it in but Boo Carter flew in for the tackle to prevent the try, 26-23 Vols.