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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Vols are headed back to a bowl game for the first time since 2010 after defeating Vanderbilt, 24-17, on Saturday night.
Tennessee (6-6, 3-5) will return to the postseason for the first time since playing in the 2010 Music City Bowl. The Vols will make their 50th bowl appearance, fourth-most of any program in the nation.
The bowl match-ups will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 7 on ESPN’s Championship Drive Show at 8:30 p.m.
“First, of all I want to thank our great, great crowd, Vol Nation for coming out and supporting this football team,” said head coach Butch Jones, who has led his one of his teams to a bowl game for the sixth time in eight seasons as a head coach. “They’ve been remarkable all year long. Today exemplifies what we have here in Tennessee. Proud of our players. This game summarized our season with adversity, great resiliency and we found a way to win the football game. We always talk about impactful plays.”
Sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs totaled 183 yards of offense (91 rushing and 92 passing) while rushing for a pair of touchdowns.
Subbing for an injured Jalen Hurd, senior Marlin Lane ran for 51 yards on 16 carries. In his return to his hometown, Hurd was limited just 21 yards on five first-quarter carries before leaving the game with an upper body injury.
Alton Howard led all receivers with three receptions for 55 yards. Lane also had 25 receiving yards.
The Vols’ defense was led by LaDarrell McNeil, who made seven tackles. Danny O’Brien had a career-high five tackles.
Redshirt junior Curt Maggitt tallied another five tackles and two sacks. Maggitt’s 11 sacks on the season tie for fourth-place with Leonard Little (1995) and Todd Kelly Sr. (1992) for sacks in a single season. Freshman Derek Barnett recorded five tackles, two for a loss and one sack. His 20.5 TFLs on the year are the fifth-most in a season at UT, and is tied for seventh most sacks in a single season with 10 with Ronnie McCartney (1975).
Cameron Sutton had a huge day on defense and special teams. He returned a punt for a 76-yard touchdown to open the game’s scoring along with recording his 14th pass defended in the third quarter. That tied him for fifth-most all-time by a Vol in a single season with Roshaun Fellows (2004), Rashad Baker (2001) andTerry Fair (1997).
Tennessee capitalized on a Todd Kelly Jr., interception — which was reversed from the original call of being out-of-bounds, on a video review — to take a 24-10 lead with 3:19 left in the third quarter. Dobbs ran in his second score of the day from 8 yards out.
Vanderbilt answered on the ensuing drive on a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Ralph Webb with 22 seconds left in the third quarter to cut the Commodores’ deficit to 24-17.
The Vols defense, aka the Orange Swarm, came up big in the fourth quarter, holding Vanderbilt scoreless and to just 42 total yards as Tennessee celebrated its return to postseason.
The Vols took a 17-10 lead into halftime on a Dobbs 1-yard burst over left tackle.
Tennessee got the scoring started early on Sutton’s punt return for a touchdown 6:42 into the game. It was the Vols’ first punt return for a score since their last visit to Vanderbilt when Cordarrelle Patterson returned a punt 81 yards on Nov. 17, 2012. Aaron Medley added a 36-yard field goal with 51 seconds left in the first quarter for a 10-0 lead.
Vanderbilt tied the game at 10 in the second quarter on a Tommy Openshaw 36-yard field goal and a 36-yard pass from Patton Robinette to Steve Scheu with 5:25 left in the first half.
Vanderbilt finished its season 3-9 and winless in the SEC at 0-8.
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