Five for Friday: Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 117th assembly between Vanderbilt and Tennessee kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Saturday inside FirstBank Stadium.

The Commodores (5-6, 2-5 SEC) can be going for a 3rd win in a row after victories over Kentucky and Florida, respectively. Vandy has dropped three in a row to the Volunteers since successful the 2018 matchup.

Tennessee (9-2, 5-2 SEC) has misplaced two of its final three and is coming off a 63-38 loss at South Carolina. The Volunteers are searching for their first 10-win season since 2007.

Right here is extra on the right way to watch, hearken to and observe Saturday’s contest in addition to 5 key matchups to contemplate when the Commodores face the Volunteers:

When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday

Location: FirstBank Stadium (39,790)

Tv: SEC Community

Broadcast Crew

Tom Hart (play-by-play), Jordan Rodgers (analyst) and Cole Cubelic (sideline)

Channel Finder

AT&T | Xfinity | DISH | Comcast

Streaming

Obtainable by way of WatchESPN

Vanderbilt Sports activities Community from Learfield

Announcers: Andrew Allegretta (play-by-play), Norman Jordan (analyst), Kevin Ingram (sideline)

On-Air Time: 5:30 p.m.

Associates: Nashville WQZQ 93.3 FM; Chattanooga WALV 95.3 FM; Lewisburg WJJM 1490 AM, 94.3 FM; Memphis WMPS 1210 AM, 103.1 FM

Satellite tv for pc: SiriusXM 192; SiriusXM on-line 963

Sport Day Program

Social

Twitter: @VandyFootball and @VandyNotes

Instagram: @VandyFootball

Fb: @VanderbiltFootball

Streaming Audio

Vanderbilt Athletics App (Free)

Climate

58 levels at kickoff, 68 p.c likelihood of rain

1. Tempo

The Vanderbilt protection has confronted speedy offenses like this earlier than, however none with the tempo that Tennessee likes to play with.

Head coach Josh Heupel and offensive coordinator Alex Golesh deploy a hyper-speed offensive system designed to attain shortly, usually and all the time. Tennessee averages 3.66 factors per drive (sixth nationally) and almost seven yards per play (thirteenth nationally). Conversely, solely three groups in the entire FBS have a shorter time of possession common than the Volunteers.

“They attempt to go quick and get you confused, get you drained so that you mess up,” Vandy senior linebacker Anfernee Orji stated. “It’s actually simply as much as us to do our jobs, staying structured and everybody doing their 1/11.”

Saturday gained’t be a lot concerning the Vanderbilt protection surrendering yardage, however how shortly they will get well and realign earlier than the subsequent step. If that unit is left scrambling, it is going to be an extended evening on the workplace for the Commodores.

2. Persist with the Course of

It’ll be very tempting for the Vandy offense to wish to put the ball within the air Saturday. However simply as if it have been eyeing that final piece of pumpkin pie after Thanksgiving dinner, Vanderbilt should resist the urge and keep true to itself.

Tennessee has the SEC’s worst cross protection and solely Ohio has given up extra yards per sport by the air nationally. Solely as soon as this season have the Volunteers not allowed 200 passing yards to an opponent and in 5 video games they’ve surrendered no less than 300 passing yards.

Nonetheless, offensive coordinator Joey Lynch, quarterback Mike Wright, operating again Ray Davis and that Vanderbilt offensive line are at their greatest when the run sport is buzzing and the clock is ticking.

The Commodores need to proceed to stay affected person and keep on with their offensive course of with a purpose to dictate the narrative of the sport and, finally, the end result.

3. Disciplined Soccer

One strategy to probably beat Tennessee is to have it beat itself.

The Volunteers are averaging a whopping 8.27 penalties per sport, the worst common within the SEC and third-worst in all of school soccer. In each sport this season Tennessee has drawn no less than six penalties.

In a win towards Tennessee Martin in October, Tennessee was flagged a season-high 13 occasions.

The penalty drawback hasn’t been a demise knell for the Volunteers, but it surely’s a problem the Commodores can’t let go unpunished by the course of Saturday’s matchup.

4. It All the time Comes Right down to Third Down

It’s been a recurring theme all season lengthy, and Saturday can be no totally different: For Vanderbilt to achieve success it have to be one of the best third-down group on the sphere.

Vandy has transformed 18 of 31 offensive third downs the previous two weeks in two wins. The earlier three weeks – all losses – the Dores registered simply 15 third down conversions whole.

Vanderbilt is changing 50.7 p.c of its third downs in 5 wins this season and solely 29.4 p.c of the time in six losses.

Tennessee’s protection has been comparatively strong in defending third downs this season so it is going to be crucial for Vanderbilt’s assault to be at its greatest on these essential snaps.

5. Depart it All on the Subject

Tomorrow is just not assured.

Vanderbilt has scratched and clawed and fought its method again from a 3-6 document by 9 video games to the sting of clinching a postseason berth. It has performed impressed and proudly en path to wins over Kentucky and Florida, respectively, to get itself in place to safe a sixth victory.

However, as second-year Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea asserted Tuesday, nothing goes to be given to the Commodores, particularly not by their arch-rivals from the jap aspect of the state.

Vandy has to go away every little thing on the desk Saturday. The hassle, the combat, the idea should all be at a most. The playbooks have to be extensive open. And on the threat of utilizing each hyperbole and cliché within the books, the Commodores should empty the tank realizing the ultimate Saturday in November at FirstBank Stadium might mark the final time Workforce 2 takes the sphere collectively as one.

(6.) Geoff Macdonald

Vanderbilt will honor one in all its biggest coaches Saturday when Geoff Macdonald drops the anchor at midfield previous to kickoff.

Presently engaged on strategic partnerships and as an engagement supervisor with Vanderbilt Athletics, Macdonald spent almost three many years on the Vandy tennis courts the place he guided Vanderbilt to the NCAA’s Spherical of 16 on 19 events whereas successful the 2015 nationwide championship, posting runner-up finishes in 2001 and 2018, three Remaining 4 finishes and two Elite Eight culminations.

A six-time convention Coach of the Yr, four-time ITA regional Coach of the Yr and the 2015 ITA Coach of the Yr, Macdonald tutored student-athletes to 17 All-America accolades, 24 first group All-SEC honorees and 169 spots on the SEC’s Tutorial Honor Roll.

Macdonald led the Commodores to a few common season titles and 16 top-three finishes, together with a second-place end in simply his second season in 1996. Macdonald guided Vandy to its first SEC Match title in 2015.

— Chad Bishop covers Vanderbilt for VUCommodores.com.
Observe him @MrChadBishop.