By Riley Haltom
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s offense might have finally woke up. The ninth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers traveled down I-40 to Nashville to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores on rivalry week in a win-and-in game for the College Football Playoff, and the Vols took care of business, 36-23. A complete performance all around, the Vols have secured themselves a spot in the College Football Playoff barring any ridiculous antics from the playoff committee. Here are my takeaways from the rivalry week win:
Dylan Sampson Sets Another Record
Travis Stephens held the record for most rushing yards in a single season by a Tennessee running back with 1,464 yards set in 2001. With Sampson’s season-high 178 rushing yards on 25 carries against Vanderbilt, he surpassed Stephens’s record, reaching his season mark of 1,485 rushing yards on the season. This comes after Sampson set the single season record for rushing touchdowns back against Kentucky with 18, and is now sitting at 22 rushing touchdowns on the season. Head coach Josh Heupel explained what Dylan Sampson means to this team.
“I don’t know if I have the words to describe D-Samp as a player and a leader,” Heupel said. “I don’t know that anyone has played the position as well as he has this year.”
Sampson has had easily the best single season for a Tennessee running back of all time, and is in the conversation for best Tennessee running back ever. With an upcoming playoff berth, Sampson has the ground laid to extend his record.
Nico Iamaleava Has His Most Complete Performance
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava put on his best performance of the season against Vanderbilt. Iamaleava was 18-26, for 257 yards, four touchdowns, and a pick, along with 42 yards on the ground. QB1 was hitting on the deep passes, connecting with Dont’e Thornton twice for touchdowns, one from 26 yards and the other from a whopping 86 yards.
Iamaleava is settling in at the right time, with the college football playoff ahead. The redshirt freshman was fired up in this game, talking to a Vanderbilt defensive back after throwing a touchdown before the end of the half.
Key to the Game: Resiliency
The Vols had about the worst start you could imagine in the game. On the opening kickoff, Vanderbilt’s Junior Sherrill returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. On Tennessee’s ensuing offensive possession, Dylan Sampson fumbled the ball away and Vanderbilt turned it into points, with the Vols going down 14-0 to start the game. That didn’t last though, as the Tennesse offense kicked into gear and the defense clamped down on the Dores.
After a 17-point first quarter, Vandy didn’t score again until garbage time in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Jermod McCoy came up with an interception and Tyre West forced a safety at key junctions of the game to swing the momentum back in Tennessee’s favor. Coach Heupel is proud of how his team finished the game.
“Proud of our football team. All week we talked about finishing the regular season the right way. Flipped the game in the second quarter. Good team we got done playing, great way to finish the season.”
What’s Next?
Outside of the conference championship game, the Vols are now forced to wait for the next few college football playoff selection shows as they await confirmation on whether they will be hosting a playoff game in Neyland Stadium. The Vols are all but locked to make the dance, but the question is where they’ll dance and with who. Keep your eyes on the rest of rivalry week and conference championships to get an idea of the playoff picture. Here’s to hoping Neyland hosts a playoff game in the first-ever 12-team college football playoff.