Pinned
Link copied
The Vanderbilt Commodores have enjoyed the comforts of home their last two games, but now they must head out on the road. Vanderbilt and the Tennessee Volunteers will face off in an SEC battle at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Vanderbilt will be hoping to build upon the 38-13 win they picked up against Tennessee the last time they played in last November.
The Commodores got themselves on the board against the ETSU Buccaneers last week, but ETSU never followed suit. Vanderbilt put a hurting on ETSU to the tune of 38 to nothing. RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn had a stellar game for the Commodores as he rushed for 139 yards and two TDs on 14 carries. One of the most memorable plays of the game was Vaughn's 75-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter.
The Commodores' defense was a presence as well, and it made life painful for the QB and embarrassed the Buccaneers' offensive line for a total of six sacks for a loss of 43 yards. It was a group effort with four picking up 1.5 sacks apiece.
Tennessee turned the game against the Missouri Tigers into a track meet and took the gold after outgaining them 521 yards to 272. Tennessee secured a 24-20 W over Mizzou. The team accrued the bulk of their points in the first half (17) and coasted on those for the victory.
Vanderbilt is the clear underdog, so they're hoping it's the size of the fight that determines this one. Signs indicate that those betting on them against the spread won't find the odds much better since the team is 1-7 ATS when expected to lose.
Their wins bumped the Commodores to 3-8 and the Volunteers to 6-5. A pair of offensive numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: The Commodores are eighth worst in the nation in overall touchdowns, with only 20 on the season. The Volunteers have experienced some offensive struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the matchup with the sixth fewest rushing touchdowns in the nation, having accrued only eight on the season. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
