Vanderbilt football falls to Tennessee, 45-21, goes winless in SEC play

Aria Gerson, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Vanderbilt couldn't get another rivalry win, but at least it got a moment.

Mike Wright let the ball fly from beyond midfield, zeroes on the clock. It landed in the hands of Will Sheppard, and all of a sudden the Commodores were on the board with a Hail Mary against their rivals.

The play came at the end of the first half, a high point for a gritty performance that wasn't nearly enough for the Commodores.

Tennessee (7-5, 4-4 SEC) was too good, the offense too potent. Vanderbilt (2-10, 0-8) could do nothing but grind clock and hope for the best in the 45-21 loss.

Offense

Vanderbilt tried some of the same aggression it used against Ole Miss, attempting to gain a few yards on every play and frequently operating with four downs.

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In the first quarter, the Commodores struggled to get anything going. An interception from quarterback Mike Wright was returned for a touchdown on the first drive, and Vanderbilt struggled to move the ball through most of the first half.

But the Hail Mary pass at the end of the half provided a spark for the offense, which grinded out drives in the second half. Two touchdown drives spanning the third and fourth quarters ate up nearly 20 minutes of clock as the Commodores converted five fourth downs.

The offense didn't help the defense out. Wright's pick-six and a failed fourth down deep in Vanderbilt's territory led to scores by Tennessee.

Contrast in styles

Tennessee, known for its up-tempo offense, certainly displayed that Saturday. The Vols scored fast and furious while the Commodores kept possession — Vandy had the ball for 38:16 compared to UT's 21:44.

Late in the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt stripped backup Vols quarterback Joe Milton to continue its streak of forcing at least one turnover in every SEC game. The Commodores played their game. That just wasn't enough for Tennessee's talent.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt football falls to Tennessee, 45-21, goes winless in SEC play