Vanderbilt Commodores at Tennessee Volunteers
· NCAA - FootballMilton throws 4 TD passes, runs for 2 scores to help No. 25 Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 48-24
The game had several incidents late in the second quarter that led to skirmishes and six unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
“I was upset ... there were two consecutive snaps where after the whistle our quarterback ended up on the ground,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said of what lit the fuse. “Part of my job is to fight for our players and their safety.”
“It got pretty chippy for a bit,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. “We talked at halftime about playing smart football.”
Milton passed for 383 yards, his top production in six seasons — three for the Volunteers and three for Michigan. Ramel Keyton caught four passes for 122 yards and two TDs to help Tennessee (8-4, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) end a two-game losing streak.
“I'm proud of (Milton's resilience)," Heupel said. “He was decisive. There was smart decision-making and he was accurate with the football.”
“Joe can't be Joe without the other 10 guys,” Milton said. "Six TDs won't happen without the other guys. It was important to go out with a bang. I wanted to end the season right.”
The Commodores (2-10, 0-8) lost their final 10 games of the season. They came into the game averaging 237 yards of total offense in their last four games, but showed improvement (223 yards through three quarters) with AJ Swann at quarterback for the first time since late September.
Swann left with an injury late in the third quarter. Vandy finished with 306 yards of total offense.
FACTS & FIGURES
When McCallan Castles caught a 10-yard TD pass from Milton, it was the seventh TD pass by a Tennessee tight end this season, the most for the Vols since 2007 when there were nine. Jacob Warren made it eight early in the second quarter. .. Swann made his first start since Sept. 23, when he was shut down because of injury and poor performance. ... Late in the second quarter, with Tennessee on defense, tempers flared and the teams skirmished. Vandy coach Clark Lea was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct making it third-and-39 from the 35. On the next snap, a run, punches were thrown. Vandy's bench cleared, but nobody was ejected. Offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were called. ... Vols running back Jaylen Wright surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark. ... Tennessee freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava took over for Milton in the fourth quarter.
THE TAKEAWAY
Vanderbilt: After a 2-0 start, the Commodores closed the season with 10 straight losses. Vandy’s offense took several steps backward as the season wore on, giving coaches and players plenty of concern over the offseason.
Tennessee: Young, returning players gave indications that the future will be bright for the Vols. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava, running back Dylan Sampson and receiver Squirrel White are three skill players who will form the foundation of the 2024 offense.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Don’t expect the lopsided win over Vanderbilt to move the needle much. With four losses, still having a spot in the Top 25 — as well as the No. 21 spot in the College Football Playoff poll — was a bit surprising.
How To Watch
How can I watch Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Tennessee Volunteers?
- TV Channel: Commodores at Volunteers 2021 College Football, week 13, is broadcasted on SECN.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Matchup Prediction
Scoring Summary
TD | 1st Period 14:00 | Ramel Keyton 56 Yd pass from Joe Milton III (Charles Campbell Kick) | |
TD | 1st Period 11:34 | Junior Sherrill 19 Yd pass from AJ Swann (Jacob Borcila Kick) | |
TD | 1st Period 3:13 | McCallan Castles 10 Yd pass from Joe Milton III (Charles Campbell Kick) | |
TD | 2nd Period 14:09 | Jacob Warren 34 Yd pass from Joe Milton III (Charles Campbell Kick) | |
FG | 2nd Period 8:29 | Jacob Borcila 40 Yd Field Goal | |
FG | 2nd Period 6:04 | Charles Campbell 24 Yd Field Goal | |
TD | 2nd Period 0:05 | Joe Milton III 2 Yd Run (Charles Campbell Kick) | |
TD | 3rd Period 9:33 | Ramel Keyton 46 Yd pass from Joe Milton III (Charles Campbell Kick) | |
TD | 3rd Period 0:13 | Joe Milton III 2 Yd Run (Charles Campbell Kick) | |
TD | 4th Period 12:47 | Ken Seals 1 Yd Run (Jacob Borcila Kick) | |
TD | 4th Period 5:38 | Quincy Skinner Jr. 5 Yd pass from Ken Seals (Jacob Borcila Kick) | |
FG | 4th Period 0:28 | Charles Campbell 27 Yd Field Goal |
Statistics
VAN | TENN | |
---|---|---|
22 | 1st Downs | 31 |
3-12 | 3rd down efficiency | 6-12 |
0-0 | 4th down efficiency | 0-0 |
306 | Total Yards | 617 |
228 | Passing | 449 |
21-32 | Comp-Att | 31-47 |
7.1 | Yards per pass | 9.6 |
78 | Rushing | 168 |
30 | Rushing Attempts | 32 |
2.6 | Yards per rush | 5.3 |
10-83 | Penalties | 10-108 |
0 | Turnovers | 1 |
0 | Fumbles lost | 1 |
0 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
34:21 | Possession | 25:39 |
Game Information
Location: Knoxville, TN
Attendance: 101,915 · Capacity:
SEC - East
TEAM | OVR | CONF |
---|---|---|
Georgia | 13-1 | 8-0 |
Missouri | 11-2 | 6-2 |
Tennessee | 9-4 | 4-4 |
Kentucky | 7-6 | 3-5 |
Florida | 5-7 | 3-5 |
South Carolina | 5-7 | 3-5 |
Vanderbilt | 2-10 | 0-8 |
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