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1st Quarter Report
Tennessee fell flat on their face against Georgia last Saturday, but memory of that harsh loss doesn't seem to have tripped them up today. Tennessee has jumped out to a quick 14-7 lead against Vanderbilt. Tennessee's offense has been firing on all cylinders thus far, outscoring their total from last Saturday with time still left to play.
If Tennessee keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 8-4 in no time. On the other hand, Vanderbilt will have to make due with a 2-10 record unless they turn things around.
Preview
If the oddsmakers' predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for Tennessee. They will be playing at home against the Vanderbilt Commodores at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Both of these teams will be looking for a pick-me-up after considerable defeats in their previous games.
Tennessee might have drawn first blood against Georgia on Saturday, but it was Georgia who got the last laugh. It's going to take some time for Tennessee to recover from the 38-10 bruising that Georgia dished out on Saturday. It was the first time this season that Tennessee let down their fans at home.
Despite the loss, Tennessee got a solid performance out of Jaylen Wright, who rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. Wright's longest rush was for an incredible 75 yards.
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt's recent rough patch got a bit rougher last Saturday after their ninth straight loss. There's no need to mince words: Vanderbilt lost to South Carolina, and Vanderbilt lost bad. The score wound up at 47-6. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Vanderbilt in their matchups with South Carolina: they've now lost nine in a row.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, the Commodores had trouble moving the ball and finished the game with only 234 total yards. They were dismantled by their opponents in that department as South Carolina gained 487.
The losses dropped Tennessee to 7-4 and Vanderbilt to 2-9.
Not only did the pair lose their last games, but neither team managed to cover the spread. As mentioned, Tennessee is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 27 points. Bettors picking Vanderbilt against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a five-game streak of failing to cover when playing on the road.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Saturday's game: The Volunteers have been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 205.7 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for the Commodores , though, as they've been averaging only 96.8 per game. How will Vanderbilt fare against such a dominant running game? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
