Vandy beats rival Tennessee for 2nd bowl in 3 seasons
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Kyle Shurmur completed his first 15 passes and finished with 367 yards and three touchdowns as the Vanderbilt Commodores routed in-state rival Tennessee 38-13 Saturday to become bowl eligible for the second time in three seasons.
Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5 Southeastern Conference) also won its third straight over Tennessee (5-7, 2-6), something the Commodores had not managed since a six-game streak that ended in 1926. Coach Derek Mason now has beaten three different Tennessee coaches in each of the last three seasons, and Vanderbilt has beaten four Vols coaches winning five of the last seven.
Tennessee sacked Shurmur three times. That didn’t stop Vanderbilt from simply dominating the Vols, outgaining them 467-242 in total offense and holding the ball for more than 43 minutes.
“This is the football team that I thought I had going into the season,” Mason said after dancing on the middle of the field in celebration.
First-year coach Jeremy Pruitt said the best team won.
“We have a long way to go,” Pruitt said. “I think our kids improved as the season went. We had a couple kids that got injured late that I don’t think helped us down the stretch. I think Vanderbilt deserved to win. They outplayed us.”
Shurmur saves his best each season for the Vols. He threw for a career-high 416 yards in 2016 and four TD passes in last season’s win. In his final game at Vanderbilt Stadium, Shurmur put on a show with his first incompletion coming with 56 seconds left in the first half.
He finished 31 of 35 completing passes to nine different receivers with TD passes of 17 yards to Jared Pinkney, 26 yards to freshman Amir Abdur-Rahman and Cody Markel. Shurmur improved his own school record in a game by completing 88.6 percent of his
passes.
Wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb and Khari Blasingame each ran for TDs, and Ryley Guay added a 43-yard field goal for the Commodores.
Tennessee played without starting right guard Nathan Niehaus, who didn’t dress for the game, and lost left guard Jahmir Johnson late in the final seconds of the first half for targeting. Review showed Johnson hit Vanderbilt safety LaDarius Wiley in the head after an interception by Commodores safety Frank Coppet.
That interception ended Jarrett Guarantano’s school record at 167 straight passes without a pick. While Shurmur was picking the Tennessee defense apart, Guarantano struggled to move the offense as the Vols managed 85 yards in the first half.
Ty Chandler went 75 yards untouched on the Vols’ first play of the third quarter to pull Tennessee within 17-7, and Guarantano hit Marquez Callaway with a TD pass in the fourth quarter.
The Vols lost two straight to end the season, outscored 88-30 in losses to Missouri and Vanderbilt when they needed only one victory to become bowl eligible in coach Jeremy Pruitt’s debut season. Tennessee still leads this series, 75-33-5.
Ke’Shawn Vaughn became only the sixth different running back to rush for 1,000 yards with the Commodores’ eighth all-time 1,000-yard season. He ran six times for 25 yards, giving him 1,001 yards for the season. He also caught two passes for 33 yards more.
Vaughn took a hit to the head on Vandy’s first TD drive, then he got hit by a pair of Tennessee defenders on his sixth and final run. He went to the locker room with an injured left arm and shoulder.
“This football team and this football program will not be forgotten,” coach Derek Mason said. “These seniors will not be forgotten. We talked about being relevant. We’re going bowling, baby.”
Mason now is just the second Vandy coach to beat Tennessee at least three times, joining Dan McGugin who led the Commodores to six straight between 1920 and 1926. This also is Vanderbilt’s largest margin of victory against the Vols since a 26-0 win in 1954.