How it Happened: No. 10 Tennessee dominates Vanderbilt
NASHVILLE — No. 10 Tennessee closed the regular-season schedule with a 56-0 win at Vanderbilt Saturday night at FirstBank Stadium. Here’s what happened as it happened:
FIRST QUARTER
Tennessee 7, Vanderbilt 0 (14:05) — The Vols had a perfect start. Joe Milton III hit a wide-open Jalin Hyatt for a 61-yard bomb on Tennessee’s third offensive snap and Jabari Small scored on a 3-yard run on the next play. Just like that, the visitors had a 75-yard, 55-second touchdown drive to start the game.
Tennessee 14, Vanderbilt 0 (1:57) — Josh Heupel gambled on fourth-and-goal on the 1-yard line and it looked like Princeton Fant was initially stopped short of the end zone. A second effort — and maybe a push from Milton — got Fant over the goal line, though, building the Tennessee lead to two touchdowns. The drive covered 76 yards in 11 plays and included a Milton strike to Ramel Keyton over the middle for 23 yards, converting a fourth-and-4 from the Vanderbilt 30.
SECOND QUARTER
Tennessee 21, Vanderbilt 0 (8:09) — Dee Williams got a block, had a wall and did the rest himself, making one cut back and taking the Vanderbilt punt back 73 yards for a touchdown, giving the Vols a three-touchdown lead midway through the second quarter.
THIRD QUARTER
Tennessee 28, Vanderbilt 0 (12:26) — Jabari Small got back in the end zone, this time on a 52-yard run. The Vols took over at midfield after stopping Vanderbilt on fourth down. Small lost two yards on first down, then took off on second-and-12 for the 52-yard touchdown to make it a four-touchdown game.
Tennessee 35, Vanderbilt (10:43) — Another possession in the second half, another long touchdown run. This time it was Jaylen Wright going 50 yards to make it a 35-point Tennessee lead. Vanderbilt faked a punt and ran for the first down, but Vandy punter Matt Hayball fumbled at the end of the run and Tennessee recovered.
Tennessee 42, Vanderbilt 0 (4:53) — Joe Milton III threw his first touchdown of the night with 4:53 left in the third quarter, finding Walker Merrill in the end zone for a 7-yard score. The drive covered 49 yards over seven plays and gave the Vols touchdowns on three consecutive drives to start the second half.
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FOURTH QUARTER
Tennessee 49, Vanderbilt 0 (11:16) — The touchdown runs just kept getting longer in the second half. This time Jaylen Wright went 83 yards on the first play of the Tennessee possession, after the Vols stopped Vanderbilt on fourth down at the Tennessee 17-yard line. The run put Wright at 160 yards on just five carries, averaging 32.0 yards per carry. It gave the Vols 289 yards rushing on 28 attempts, with five touchdowns on the ground.
Tennessee 56, Vanderbilt 0 (7:41) — It happened again. This time freshman running back Dylan Sampson ran 80 yards for a touchdown, giving the Vols 396 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
PREGAME NOTES
No. 10 Tennessee will be playing shorthanded in Saturday night’s game at Vanderbilt. The inactive list for the Vols includes wide receiver Cedric Tillman, offensive tackle Gerald Miney and defensive backs Trevon Flowers, Doneiko Slaughter, Brandon Turnage and De’Shawn Rucker.
Senior linebacker Jeremy Banks made the trip and is expected to play after not traveling with the Vols for the 63-38 loss at South Carolina last week.
