Vols Set To Face Vandy
photo by UT Athletics
No. 8 Tennessee closes out its regular-season slate with a high-stakes rivalry matchup against in-state foe Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.
The Volunteer State showdown carries major College Football Playoff implications for the Big Orange as they look to secure a spot in the 12-team field with a victory over the Commodores.
Saturday's game will feature a national broadcast on ABC with Dave Pasch (PxP), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) and Taylor McGregor (sideline reporter) on the call. Coverage is slated to begin at noon ET (11 a.m. CT).
Fans can listen to Tennessee's official radio broadcast on the Vol Network (Local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) over 65 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 119 or 191) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 961), as well as the Varsity App. A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App.
Bob Kesling (PxP), VFL Pat Ryan (analyst) and Brent Hubbs (analyst) will call the action, with VFL Jayson Swain handling sideline duties for the Vol Network radio broadcast. The Big Orange Countdown pregame show begins two hours prior to kickoff at 10 a.m. ET. The pregame show is hosted by John Wilkerson, Brent Hubbs, VFL Jayson Swain and a rotating VFL special guest each week. The Vol Network celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2024.
The Spanish broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990 with Carlos Lopez (play-by-play) and VFL Fuad Reveiz on the call. That version is also available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app.
Ranking Among the Nation's Best
Tennessee heads to Nashville ranked in the FBS top 10 in nine major categories: kickoff return defense (3rd – 13.0), scoring defense (4th – 13.1), third-down defense (5th – 28.8), yards per play allowed (5th – 4.33), total defense (6th – 284.3), tackles for loss (6th - 8.0), rushing defense (6th – 98.8), red zone defense (7th - 71.9) and rushing offense (9th – 227.5). The Vols lead the SEC in third-down defense, kickoff return defense and rushing offense. UT and Army are the only teams in the nation with a top 10 rushing offense and rushing defense.
The Big Orange are the only SEC team to hold 10 of their 11 opponents under 20 points this season and have issued the fifth-fewest offensive touchdowns in the FBS this year (16). Opponents have managed only one first-quarter touchdown this season against Tennessee (Kentucky).
D-Samp, the SEC's MVP
Junior running back Dylan Sampson is having one of the most prolific seasons in SEC history and is among the top candidates to be named the SEC Player of the Year. Sampson has already set three single-season program records and is closing in on Tennessee's career rushing touchdowns record, as well.
The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native enters this weekend's contest with a UT record 22 rushing touchdowns, a mark that leads the Power Four and ranks third nationally as well as tied for fifth in SEC history with LSU's Leonard Fournette (2015). Sampson has found pay dirt at least once in all 11 games this season and scored multiple touchdowns seven different times this year. He is tied for second in program history for career rushing scores with 35 and needs just two more to tie Gene McEver's record of 37 from 1928-31.
Sampson also enters the regular-season finale as the conference's leading rusher with 1,307 yards, a mark that ranks sixth in UT single-season annals. He needs just 158 yards to surpass Travis Stephens record of 1,464 yards in 2001 and become the Vols' single-season rushing king.
Led by defensive coordinator and Broyles Award nominee Tim Banks, the Vols have boasted one of the nation's top defensive units all year long, ranking on the FBS leaders in scoring defense (4th – 13.1), third-down defense (5th – 28.8), yards per play allowed (5th – 4.33), total defense (6th – 284.3), tackles for loss (6th - 8.0), rushing defense (6th – 98.8) and red zone defense (7th - 71.9).
Tennessee has held opponents to under 20 points in 11 out of its last 12 games dating back to last season's 35-0 Citrus Bowl shutout of Iowa. During this stretch, the Vols have pitched three shutouts, including two this season (71-0 vs. Kent State on Sept. 14 and 56-0 vs. UTEP on Nov. 23). It's the first time UT has recorded multiple shutouts in a season since the final two regular season games of 2002 against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Tennessee is the only SEC team to hold 10 of its 11 opponents under 20 points this season.
Vols in the CFP Rankings
Tennessee enters this final weekend of the regular season in good position to secure a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. The Vols are ranked No. 8 in the latest CFP rankings that were released on Tuesday night and would all but guarantee themselves a spot in the field with a win on Saturday afternoon.
Tennessee leads series, 78-32-5 (NCAA) | 80-32-5 (On Field)
The Vols and Commodores will meet for the 118th time when the two teams square off for state bragging rights on Saturday afternoon in Nashville. The series dates all the way back to 1892 and the two programs have played each other every year since 1945.
Tennessee has won 35 of the last 41 meetings in the series, including five in a row. UT's 80 wins over Vanderbilt are its second most over any opponent behind Kentucky (85).
The Commodores are bowl eligible for the first time under head coach Clark Lea, who is in his fourth season leading the program. Vanderbilt enters Saturday's game 6-5 overall with a 3-4 mark in conference play and has been especially tough at home, boasting a 4-1 record at FirstBank Stadium this season, which includes a victory over then top-ranked Alabama.
Fifth-year quarterback Diego Pavia has provided a major spark for Vandy this season after transferring in from New Mexico State. Pavia is a Maxwell Award and Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist and comes into the contest with 2,029 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes with just three interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing with 671 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Tight end Eli Stowers has been Pavia's favorite target with a team-high 44 receptions, 568 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Wideouts Junior Sherrill and Quincy Skinner Jr. have also combined for 727 yards and five scores through the air.
Sophomore linebacker Bryan Longwell leads the Commodores defense with 70 tackles to go along with 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception. Randon Fontenette leads the team with eight TFLs and eight pass breakups while Nick Rinaldi and Khordae Sydnor's four sacks apiece are tied for the most on the team.