5 things to know: Vols vs. Vanderbilt
Tennessee football travels to Nashville on Saturday to take on in-state rival Vanderbilt (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Here are five things to know:
Recent history favors Commodores
Vanderbilt often is seen as Tennessee’s “little brother” in college football.
And while, from a historical perspective, the Vols dominate this rivalry, it’s Vanderbilt that’s had a leg up more recently.
The Commodores have won three of the past four games in the series. It’s the most success Vanderbilt has had since it won 11 of the first 12 games in the series.
Prior to 2016, Vanderbilt’s last threegame win streak against Tennessee was from 1923-26. Additionally, four of Vanderbilt’s five wins in the past eight years have been by double digits.
J.T. Shrout or Harrison Bailey?
Another game, another quarterback conundrum.
Tennessee has moved on from senior Jarrett Guarantano, who had an upand-down season filled with more valleys than peaks. Freshman Harrison Bailey started in his stead in Saturday’s game against Florida and had a decent outing with 111 yards passing and one touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, with the Vols trailing 31-7, sophomore J.T. Shrout entered the game at quarterback. He led two 90-plus yard scoring drives, completing 12 of 14 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt confirmed that Shrout and Bailey are in contention for the starting job Saturday, but it remains to be seen who the Vols will trot out.
Will Sarah Fuller kick against the Vols?
This storyline might be over, but that’s not certain. Two weeks ago, Sarah Fuller, a Vanderbilt soccer goalie, filled in as a kicker after a COVID-19 outbreak among the specialists. She became the first woman to play in a Power Five college football game with a squib kickoff, but she never got a chance to score.
Last week, Vanderbilt’s game against Georgia was postponed, and the kickers have returned from quarantine to face the Vols. Fuller is listed No. 2 on the depth chart, behind Pierson Cooke and ahead of Wes Farley. Fuller’s best chance to score might come with a point-after attempt in the fourth quarter if the score is lopsided.
Does Vanderbilt have enough players?
It’s possible, maybe probable, that Vanderbilt plays this game with fewer than 50 scholarship players. If it were a midseason game against another oppo
nent, it would be postponed. But the Commodores want to play their rival before COVID-19 ends the season soon.
Vanderbilt’s depth chart is bare bones in some areas. There might not be enough outside linebackers to run a 3-4 scheme. Multiple starters are absent, including standout defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who opted out this week. Some new starters don’t have backups.
The Commodores will have to be creative and work around a shoestring rotation in personnel packages.
What are the odds?
Tennessee is a 15-point favorite, according to Betmgm.com.
That is the most the Vols have been favored by since 2019.
This is the first time in two straight games that Tennessee has been considered the favorite and the fifth time total this season. The Vols are 3-5 against the spread, covering in both of their wins against South Carolina and Missouri.