NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No. 7 Tennessee Football took down Vandy, 36-23 in a hard-fought and crucial victory. However, the Vols started off shaky inside FirstBank Stadium.
The Commodores took the opening kickoff for a 100-yard touchdown, making the game 7-0 on the first possession.
Soon after, star running back Dylan Sampson fumbled the ball, leading to another Vandy touchdown less than five minutes into the game, giving the Commodores a 14-0 lead. The Vols struck back hard, Nico Iamaleava hit Dont’e Thornton Jr. for a 28-yard touchdown marking the beginning of a Vols comeback and putting them behind by seven.
The Commodores responded with a 32-yard field goal, making the score 17-7 with four minutes left in the first quarter.
The second quarter kicked off with a bang as Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia threw an interception caught by UT's Jermond Mccoy. However, success didn't last long as Iamaleava threw a pick on the next play.
When the Vols got possession they were unable to put up six, settling instead for an impressive 50-yard field goal from Max Gilbert, bringing the score to 10-17. Iamaleava hit Thornton once again to reach the endzone with an 86-yard touchdown to make it a tie game.
With a mere 22 seconds on the clock before halftime, Iamaleava passed to Miles Kitselman for an 18-yard touchdown before the closure of the half, giving the Vols the lead for the first time in the game.
The Vols came back strong at the start of the third quarter with Iamaleava taking matters into his own hands and rushing 14 yards in two plays, gaining a first down for UT. The Vols barreled down the field and hit back hard, Iamaleava landed his fourth passing touchdown of the day to Mike Mathews for a 14-yard touchdown, handing the Vols a two-possession lead, 31-17.
Vanderbilt was unable to regain momentum after losing the lead in the first half. The Commodores were taken down for a safety with just over a minute left in the third quarter, bringing the Vols lead even higher at 33-17.
UT continued its push downfield at the start of the fourth with the team landing in the red zone. The Vols were once again unable to capitalize but landed a 22-yard field goal from Gilbert to push the lead up three more points, 36-17.
The Commodores responded in a big way, bringing It back to a two-possession game late in the fourth quarter. Vandy scored a 31-yard touchdown for a new score of 36-23 after not being able to complete the two-point conversion.
The Vols held on until the end and ran down the clock, securing a hard-fought and vital win increasing their chances of being seen again in the playoffs.
