Tennessee traveled to Nashville to finish the 2024 regular season against the resurgent Vanderbilt Commodores. Following the preceding week’s 56-0 drubbing of UTEP in Neyland Stadium on Senior Day, the Vols were poised to secure a place in the 12-team NCAA Football playoffs should they secure a win over Vandy. Similarly, Vanderbilt was looking to lock down its first winning season since 2013 and ruin its cross-state rivals’ chances of making the playoffs. With renovations underway at the 100-year-old Dudley Field at FirstBank Stadium, the crowd of just over 28,900 mostly Big Orange fans got an early scare, but a happy conclusion as Tennessee defeated Vanderbilt 36-23.
To start the game, Tennessee kicked-off to Vanderbilt’s Junior Sherrill who promptly returned the kickoff 100 yards for the opening score. With 13 seconds gone in the game, Vandy led 7-0. Following the subsequent kickoff, Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson fumbled the ball, Vanderbilt recovered on the Tennessee 24 yard-line, and Vandy scored another touchdown. With not quite 5 minutes off the clock, the Vols found themselves down 14-0. Would this be another upset Saturday? No chance.
Tennessee immediately drove the ball right down field to score on a 28-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava to Donte Thornton to make the score 14-7. After Vandy kicked a 32-yard field goal to end the 1st quarter scoring, Tennessee kicked its own field goal early in the second quarter to bring the score to 17-10 Vanderbilt. That was as good as the day would be for Vandy. At 6:38 in the second quarter, Iamaleava hit Thornton on an 86-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Then, with 22 seconds left in the first-half, Nico hit tight end Miles Kitselman on an 18-yard touchdown pass that powered Tennessee into the halftime lead at 24-17.
The second half belonged to Tennessee as the Vols added a touchdown and safety in the third quarter and a field goal in the fourth. Vanderbilt managed a late touchdown with 5:53 left in the game and failed on its two-point attempt. Final score, Tennessee 36 – Vanderbilt 23.
For the game, the Volunteers totaled 538 yards to Vanderbilt’s 212. Vandy gained most of its yardage during the first half, dominating the time of possession despite trailing by a touchdown at the end of the first half. Tennessee ran the ball for 281 yards and passed for 257 yards. That is about as balanced and productive as an offense can be. Vandy ran for 108 yards and passed for 104 yards; balanced, but not productive. Tennessee wound up possessing the ball for 33:35 of the game, again, with most of that possession time coming in the second half when the Vols just wore down the Commodores on both sides of the ball.
Nico Iamaleava was 18-26 for 257 yards passing, throwing 4 touchdowns and 1 interception in the game. Dylan Sampson ran 25 times for 178 yards, setting a new school season record for rushing yards in a season at 1,485. Sampson has averaged 124 yards per game during the 2024 season, driving the Vols offensive success. Tennessee’s passing game was highly effective in putting up points against Vanderbilt, but its running game allowed the Vols to dominate the second half and close out any opportunity for a Vanderbilt upset.
Tennessee finishes the regular season with a 10-2 record, a remarkably successful year for the Volunteers. Only an unfortunate, tough loss at Arkansas prevented the Vols from competing in the SEC Championship game this coming weekend. Losing to the defending national champions on their home field was foreseeable. Tennessee now waits for the conference championship games to be played around the country this weekend and then the decision of the NCAA Football Championship committee as to who and where the Volunteers might play.
A season that produced wins over Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and North Carolina State along with three others, has been an impressive year. The opportunity to compete for a national championship remains. This could be a championship year after all. Regardless of the ending, Coach Josh Heupel’s 2024 Tennessee Volunteers have accomplished great successes and put the program on the right footing for more victories to come. Congratulations to the Tennessee Volunteers for a fine season. Best of luck in the playoffs!