Vols topple Vandy 53-28

The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Vanderbilt Commodores today in a game on the college football schedule which sees one SEC conference team playing for bowl berth consideration in the midst of a winning season, and the other team trying to finish out its losing season on a high note with an upset.

Josh Dobbs threw two touchdown passes to Von Pearson and ran for a third score as Tennessee ended the regular season with its first five-game winning streak since 2007. Jalen Hurd rushed for more than 100 yards for the fifth time this year, finishing with 120 yards.

Vanderbilt would answer on its ensuing drive cutting Tennessee’s lead to three again, but Tennessee then scored 36 unanswered points taking a 53-14 lead early in the fourth quarter when Joe Young ran in a touchdown from eight yards out.

Ralph Webb was a bright spot for Vandy rushing for 149 yards with 115 of them coming before halftime.

Just Like Last Year: When Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 24-17 last year, they benefited from a Cam Sutton punt return touchdown and a Todd Kelly Jr. interception. The margin of victor was the largest in the series since a 39-10 Tennessee win in 2006 but was made closer by a pair of late Vanderbilt touchdowns. It is the most points the Vols have scored in an SEC game since a 59-21 win over Mississippi State in 2003.

Tennessee blew out Vanderbilt 53-28 this afternoon on the back of over 300 rushing yards for the Volunteers. “That was on us”, said Jones. Tennessee rushed for 331 yards, the defense produced a safety when Derek Barnett sacked Shurmur in the end zone and Aaron Medley kicked three field goals. “… It was a misfit and some guys slipped on that play and they had a big hole in the middle”.

After Dobbs made it 17-7 on a six-yard run, Vanderbilt cut it to 17-14 thanks to two great passes from Kyle Shurmur on that drive.

After allowing 276 yards in the first half, the Vols held Vanderbilt to 16 yards of offense midway through the fourth quarter. The score also marked Tennessee’s sixth special-teams TD (school record) of the year.

Sutton now has 625 returns yards, breaking the long-standing single-season record of 457 yards set by Bobby Majors in 1969.