Tennessee Drops Shocking 45-34 Decision To Vandy

'Dores Sledgehammer Vols' Inept Defense For 608 Yards

  • Saturday, November 26, 2016
  • Larry Fleming

Tennessee’s football season, once filled with visions of at least a Southeastern Conference East title, officially plunged into a crash-and-burn fiasco Saturday night in a stunning 45-34 loss to rival Vanderbilt in Nashville.

“I don’t know what else to say besides it’s embarrassing,” Vols offensive lineman Brett Kendrick said. “We should never lose a game like this, so that’s about that only words I can use.”

A win by the Vols probably would have put them in the conversation for a bid to the Sugar Bowl. That idea vanished in the cool night air at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Couple Saturday’s loss with a disappointing setback at South Carolina and Tennessee’s once-promising season completely fell apart. Talk in the preseason about a possible run at the national title seemed outrageous in the final-game collapse against a team that has been a patsy on the Vols’ schedule for decades.

“That was spectacular. Incredible,” Vandy coach Derek Mason is quoted as saying on the Vanderbilt website. “We talked about that in order to do something unbelievable, you have to play unforgettable in the second half. That’s what this group did.”

Saturday’s loss did little to decrease the discontent a big chunk of Vol followers have shown for Vols coach Butch Jones over the last month.

“First of all, credit Vanderbilt,” Jones said. “We got outscored 21-3 in the second half; we couldn’t get off the field on third down. Defensively, we didn’t do a very good job playing the ball in the air and they made more plays at the end of the day.”

Jones was probably even more dejected after learning the 45 points were the most Vanderbilt has scored in a SEC game since 1971.

And, the No. 24 Vols went into the game 38-0 as a ranked team against an unranked Vanderbilt.

“It’s embarrassing,” Tennessee defensive lineman Kendal Vickers said of the unit’s struggles. “We’ve got to do something to fix it, and fix it fast.

The Vols (8-4, 4-4) had won three straight and were primed to put their second straight nine-win season in the books.

Instead, Tennessee built a quick 21-7 lead, enjoyed a 31-24 halftime margin and its defense failed to control one of the league’s least productive offenses.

Vandy (6-6, 3-5) shredded the Vols for 608 yards of offense and scored 21 second-half points, including Ralph Webb’s 28-yard touchdown gallop that produced a 45-34 lead with 4:06 remaining. It was Webb’s second TD of the game – he scored from 9 yards out in the second period.

Webb finished with 114 yards rushing on 21 carries.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Vols defensive end Derek Barnett, who got his 32nd career sack just before the first half ended to tie former UT great Reggie White’s all-time school record. “I play to win. I play this game to get victories for my teammates. It was a tough loss.”

Tennessee quickly drove down field, but failed to convert and fourth-and-four when Joshua Dobbs threw a short pass to Alvin Kamara – he scored the Vols’ first three touchdowns – and he ran out of bounds after a 1-yard gain.

Vanderbilt ran out the clock after that.

“We just embrace it,” Dobbs said of the offense having to score on almost every possession to keep up with the opponents. “We try to take advantage of the opportunities that we have, and we weren’t able to do that tonight.”

In their last four games, the Vols’ defense allowed 118 points and 1,985 yards of offense.

A Darrius Sims 3-yard burst gave Vandy its first lead of the game at 38-34 with 12:15 on the clock.

Tennessee missed a chance to cut into Vandy’s four-point lead when Aaron Medley’s 37-yard field goal try struck the right upright and fell to the ground. It was his first miss inside 40 yards all season.

The Vols had a 34-24 lead after Medley’s 25-yard field goal, but Khari Blasingame’s 12-yard TD run trimmed the Commodores’ deficit to 34-31 late in the third quarter.

Vandy’s rally spoiled another superlative effort by Dobbs in his final regular-season game for the Vols. He completed 31 of 34 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns; he connected on his first 11 attempts.

The Commodores’ quarterback Kyle Shurmur continued the demise of Tennessee’s defense over the final four weeks by throwing for 416 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.

“I challenged our group to find their inner superhero,” Mason said. “Kyle has played as good of football as you can play.”

Trent Sherfield caught nine passes for 184 yards and Caleb Scott rang up 117 yards on just four receptions, helping Vandy to beat the Vols for only the fourth time in the last 34 meetings. Both receivers surpassed the 100-yard mark in the first half.

Tennessee defensive coordinator Bob Shoop, who was supposed to turn the Vols’ defense into an aggressive, mean machine, limps out of the regular season with his reputation looking like a piece of swiss cheese.

Thanks to Kamara and Dobbs, the Vols got off to a terrific start and quickly built a 21-7 lead against the pesky Commodores.

Kamara had three touches in the early going and scored three touchdowns. He scored on runs of 14 and 1 yard and turned a short pass into a brilliant catch-and-run play covering 21 yards.

There was little defense being displayed on the field, except for one short stretch. The Vols’ John Kelly fumbled, but on the next play Micah Abernathy intercepted a Shurmur pass at the Vandy 27.

Dobbs connected with Malone for what was called a 27-yard touchdown play. A review overturned the call and the Vols were at the 1. Kamara scored on the next play.

The fact that Vanderbilt held the Vols to a second-half field goal didn’t sit well with Malone.

“Everybody has to do a self-check,” he said. “It’s unacceptable. This isn’t supposed to happen.”

The Commodores rallied behind Shurmur’s passing to tie the game.

Shurmur hit Sam Dobbs on a 20-yard TD strike and Webb hit paydirt from 9 yards out and the Commodores were level at  21-all.

Webb, a junior, gained 40 yards in the first half and became Vandy’s all-time leading rusher.

The teams traded field goals – Medley hit from 41 yards and Tommy Openshaw countered from 31 – and the score was still deadlocked. The Vandy field goal came with 3:50 left in the half.

Tennessee launched a 72-yard, seven-play drive that was capped by Dobbs’ hitch-and-go to a wide open Malone, who was standing all alone the Vandy 8. He jogged into the end zone to give the Vols a 31-24 halftime advantage.

Dobbs, who has been on a tear over the last three games, completed 17 of 18 passes for 206 yards and two scores in the first half.

For Malone, a wide receiver, it was his 10th touchdown reception this season, the most since Robert Meacham in 2006. Malone caught five passes for 87 yards in the first half.

SCORING

Tennessee                14 17 3 0 – 34

Vanderbilt                  7 17 7 14 – 45

First Quarter

UT – Alvin Kamara 14 run (Aaron Medley kick), 9:15                         

VU – Bailey McElwain 18 pass from Kyle Shurmur (Tommy Openshaw kick), 6:49

UT – Kamara 21 pass from Joshua Dobbs (Medley kick), 3:40

Second Quarter

UT – Kamara 1 run (Medley kick), 13:59

VU – Sam Dobbs 20 pass from Shurmur (Openshaw kick), 10:30

VU – Ralph Webb 9 run (Openshaw kick), 7:57

UT – FG Medley 41, 6:33

VU – FG Openshaw 31, 3:50

UT – Malone 27 pass from Dobbs (Medley kick), 0:54

Third Quarter

UT – FG Medley 25, 3:57

VU – Khari Blasingame 12 run (Openshaw kick), 0:49

Fourth Quarter

VU – Darrius Sims 3 run (Openshaw kick), 12:15

VU – Webb 28 run (Openshaw kick), 4:06

Attendance: 38,108

YARDSTICK

                                                UT                   VU

First Downs                           27                    27       

Rushes-Yards                       33-176            38-192

Passing Yards                      340                 416

Comp-Att-Int                         31-34-0          21-35-1

Plays-Total Yds                     67-516            73-608

Fumbles-Lost                        3-2                  0-0

Punts-Avg                              2-39.0             2-33.0

Penalties-Yds                        4-35                4-30

INDIVIDUALS

RUSHING – Tennessee: Alvin Kamara 10-69, Joshua Dobbs 13-53, John Kelly 9-52, Jauan Jennings 1-2; Vanderbilt: Ralph Webb 21-114, Dallas Rivers 6-52, Darrius Sims 7-16, Khari Blasingame 2-16, Sam Dobbs 1-5, Kyle Shurmur 1-minus 11.

PASSING -- Tennessee: Dobbs 31-34-0-340; Vanderbilt: Shurmur 21-34-1-416, Trent Sherfield 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING – Tennessee: Josh Malone 7-121, Jennings 4-75, Kamara 8-72, Jason Croom 7-38, Ethan Wolf 4-33, Kelly 1-1; Vanderbilt: Sherfield 9-184, Caleb Scott 4-117, Jared Pinkney 2-42, Webb 2-21, Dobbs 1-20, Bailey McElwain 1-18, C.J. Duncan 1-14, Sims 1-0.

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)

Sports
Mocs Houk Named SoCon Golfer Of The Week
  • 3/27/2024

Chattanooga Mocs senior John Houk claimed this week’s Southern Conference Golfer of the Week honor with an impressive runner-up performance at the General Hackler Championships. The Athens, Tenn., ... more

UTC Homecoming Set For October 26
  • 3/27/2024

The Chattanooga Mocs completed spring drills prior to Spring Break and are now deep into strength and conditioning work ahead of the summer in preparation for the fall season. One highlight to ... more

Chapman's 5 RBIs Lead Vols To Run-Rule Win Over Tennessee Tech
  • 3/27/2024

A five-RBI game from Reese Chapman and impressive group effort from the pitching staff highlighted No. 5/5 Tennessee's 11-1 run-rule victory over in-state foe Tennessee Tech on Tuesday night ... more