Tennessee
Pavia, Vanderbilt overwhelm Tennessee, 45-24 – Knox TN Today
There are several words to describe what happened Saturday at Neyland Stadium – historic, decisive, disappointing, humbling.
Others are to be avoided. This is Sunday and KnoxTNToday is a family-friendly website.
Vanderbilt knocked down Tennessee and stepped on it, 45-24.
“Extremely disappointing second half that leads to an extremely disappointing ultimate result,” said Josh Heupel.
This was a new experience for the coach. His four previous teams defeated the Commodores. Three years ago, the Vols romped, 56-0.
This time Vandy did all the romping. It got a tying touchdown 12 seconds before halftime, totally dominated the third quarter, gave up a field goal in the fourth and slammed in two more touchdowns to be sure the Vols got the message.
Tennessee couldn’t contain Diego Pavia. Tennessee couldn’t block the blitz. The running game was snuffed out. Tennessee lost the line of scrimmage on offense and defense.
Vanderbilt gained 582 yards. Pavia passed for 268 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 165 yards and a score. He backed up what he said in the summer, that the Vols wouldn’t know what hit them come November.
“We can beat Tennessee literally any given Saturday.”
For the first time, Vanderbilt has 10 victories in a season. This might be the best Vandy team in a century or so. It pretends to think it belongs in the playoffs.
In case you are interested, success was purchased, not developed. Pavia, several other key players and at least four offensive coaches came to Nashville as a package from New Mexico State.
Retooling the offense was a brilliant move by coach Clark Lea. He was 1-23 against Southeastern Conference competition before he “adjusted” his staff.
Tennessee has an 8-4 record. The team is not as good as that sounds. It did not make consistent improvement. It almost beat Georgia but didn’t – and didn’t defeat any other really strong opponent. It made many of the same mistakes all season. It never achieved dependability on pass defense.
Heupel did not say this loss will lead to a fire drill. He did not say any assistants will be replaced. He did say he will evaluate the entire program.
“I’ll certainly take a hard look at all of it.”
Heupel said “the performance was not anywhere near the standard of what Tennessee football is.”
He said there were a lot of things the program had to deal with in the beginning and middle parts of the season. He didn’t get into specifics but he probably was talking about key injuries and Boo Carter.
“I told our players we’ve had some disappointing results, but this second half was extremely disappointing. Coaches and players, not just one.”
Defensive lineman Tyre West #42 tackles Vandy wide receiver Junior Sherrill #0 at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. (Photo By Andrew Ferguson/ Tennessee Athletics)
There were some Saturday examples.
DeSean Bishop, a warrior, scored two touchdowns in the first half. He finished with 98 rushing yards. He gained two in the second half. I don’t think the drop-off was his fault.
Joey Aguilar played quarterback with Commodores in his face or all around. It looked as if Vandy surprised all concerned with the blitz plan.
Joey was not ultra-accurate but he and Chris Brazzell combined for a 52-yard touchdown and he threw another strike that Mike Matthews dropped at the goal line.
Aguilar finished 29-of-44 for 299 yards. One of those completions was a sensational shoe-topper by freshman Radarious Jackson. Joey did not lose an interception.
Jalen McMurray was flagged for a late hit to Pavia’s head on an incomplete pass. It wasn’t a fierce blow but the penalty led directly to the Vandy touchdown a few seconds before intermission.
Heupel said what everybody knew – “not smart football.”
Pavia didn’t blow a lot of smoke after the game but he did wave goodbye to the Tennessee multitude.
Vandy fans (or maybe just his relatives) were chanting “Heisman, Heisman, Heisman.”
Why not?
Score by quarters:
Vanderbilt 7 14 10 14 – 45
Tennessee 7 14 0 3 – 24
Scoring summary:
- TENN – DeSean Bishop 2-yard run (Max Gilbert kick)
- VANDY – Sedrick Alexander 28 yd run (Brock Taylor kick)
- VANDY – Makhilyn Young 3 run (Taylor kick)
- TENN – Chris Brazzell 52 pass from Joey Aguilar (Gilbert kick)
- TENN – Bishop 35 run (Gilbert kick)
- VANDY – Tre Richardson 6 pass from Diego Pavia (Taylor kick)
- VANDY – Alexander 5 run (Taylor kick)
- VANDY – Taylor 35 field goal
- TENN – Gilbert 25 field goal
- VANDY – Pavia 24 run (Taylor kick)
- VANDY – Alexander 39 run (Taylor kick)
Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com
Tennessee football star Jermod McCoy is the player who will likely hear his name called first from the Tennessee program in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are many teams he would fit well, but these three teams are the teams I believe he is the best fit with at this moment.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are in need of a cornerback in the draft class, and they are likely to spend one of their first two picks on one. They are selecting at No. 12 and No. 20 in the draft as of now, and McCoy could hear his name called. He would be joining a decent group of cornerbacks, but he would be an immediate starter, likely alongside a later selection that they make with a cornerback.
It would be shocking if the Cowboys pass on him if they select at 12 and he is still on the board. McCoy would be an immediate starter and would be someone who could shut down a whole side of the field for the Cowboys early in his career.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins is one of the better fits for Jermod McCoy, and it would make the most sense, as the Dolphins could use almost every position after a major haul of their players. They are in a major rebuilding phase and drafting at No. 11 leaves many to believe that McCoy could be in play.
McCoy would likely be their No. 1 cornerbakc the day he got to the franchise, and would have the chance to dominate the way he did in his one season on the field with the Vols. This selection would depend on who drops out of the first ten selections. If he is one of the better players remaining (highly likely) he very well could hear his name called at pick 11.
3. New York Jets
The New York Jets have the chance to be very good when it comes to the draft, as they are drafting at both No. 2 and No. 16. I believe they will be looking to get a cornerback with their No. 16 pick, which would make a lot of sense considering they had to get rid of Sauce Gardner.
McCoy would be the perfect replacement, as they could find themselves in one of the better situations on the defensive side of the football. He can shutdown a side of the field, and I would bet that he would be a great fit with the Jets because of that exactly.
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Tennessee
Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.
During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.
From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.
Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.
“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.
The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.
“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.
For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.
“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.
What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
– Carrie Sharp
Tennessee baseball will look to salvage the final game of the SEC series against Ole Miss.
The Vols (25-14, 7-10 SEC) play Game against the No. 23 Rebels (29-11, 10-7) on April 19 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Ole Miss has been on a roll. The 8-1 win on April 18 against the Vols moved the Rebels to eight straight wins. It got an ace-level start from Cade Townsend and a grand slam from Tristan Bissetta to secure Game 2.
Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA) will start for the Rebels. Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound for Tennessee.
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss live updates
What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss on today?
- TV channel: SEC Network+
- Live stream: ESPN app
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss game times
- Game 3: April 19 (1 p.m. ET)
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss probable pitchers
- Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA)
- Ole Miss: RHP Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA)
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