The Tennessee Volunteers (5-5, 2-4) face off against the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-9, 0-7) tonight at Neyland Stadium in search of their sixth win of the season and a possible bowl clinch. A win tonight as well as a victory on the road in Kentucky next week would position the Volunteers with a spot in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the Independence Bowl, or the Outback Bowl.

Vanderbilt comes to Knoxville in search of their first conference win and a second road win of the season. The Commodores have struggled mightily with the Volunteers in the past, who hold a 70-27-5 record all-time over Vanderbilt.

Pre-Game:

It's senior night here at Neyland Stadium, so it's an emotional time for the players and the fans. Tonight will be the last night many Volunteer fans will see the likes of Montario Hardesty, Jonathan Crompton, Wes Brown, Dan Williams and Rico McCoy, amongst others. Many are even wondering if this will be Eric Berry's last bow. The junior defensive back is expected to forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft in the spring. The seniors run through the T individually pre-game, it will be interesting to see how Eric reacts.

Back to the game, Vanderbilt could certainly give the Vols a challenge tonight. Vanderbilt is 7^th in the nation in pass defense, and they held LSU to 23 points in Baton Rouge. Tennessee struggled to run the ball last week against Ole Miss, only accumulating 99 yards on the ground. Tennessee will also have to deal with elusive running back Warren Norman, who has returned two kickoff returns for touchdowns for the Commodores this season. The Volunteers rank 103^rd nationally in kick return yards allowed. Intangibly, Tennessee is faced with the pressures of a looming bowl bid and senior night, while Vanderbilt has nothing left to lose.

First Quarter:

Tennessee 7 Vanderbilt 0 12:02: The Volunteers put together an impressive opening drive, carried by Montario Hardesty, whose 29 yards on five carries was capped with a touchdown for the senior. David Oku opened the possession with a 42-yard kickoff return to get the momentum going. Jonathan Crompton was 2-of-2 passing for 31 yards, hitting Luke Stocker and Kevin Cooper. So far it's been a nice outing for the seniors.

Tennessee 10 Vanderbilt 0 5:41: Hardesty surpassed the 1,000 yard mark on the season while moving the ball in the second drive of the night for the Volunteers. Hardesty is moving the ball efficiently, averaging over six yards per carry, with 60 yards on the night. The Vols went for it on fourth and four at the 20, and it paid off, as Jonathan Crompton hit Tauren Poole for nine yards. The Vols then suffered a holding penalty, pushing the ball back which later resulted in a 25-yard field goal by Devin Mathis. Crompton's accuracy fell off slightly, compiling four incomplete passes on the drive.

Tennessee 10 Vanderbilt 3 2:18: Ryan Fowler hit a 31-yard field goal to cap an impressive response drive by the Commodores. The drive encompassed nine plays for 48 yards in 3:16. Some of those holes in the short-handed Volunteer defense may be showing. Running back Warren Norman compiled 36 yards on two kickoff attempts. Vanderbilt is last in the SEC in offensive scoring, but they certainly don't look the part tonight as they continue to move the ball towards scoring opportunities. We'll see about the red zone efficiency.

Second Quarter:

Tennessee 10 Vanderbilt 3 10:48: The Commodores defense forced Tennessee to punt at the onset of the second quarter, but the Vols pinned the Commodores deep at the eight. A 20-yard run by Warren Norman brought Vanderbilt out of the red zone. Norman has 25 yards on six attempts to lead the Commodores. Norman broke Herschel Walker's SEC record of for all-purpose yardage (1,805) on the drive, now that's saying something. Tennessee has caused a few tipped balls but has not come down with an interception. So far the Commodores offense appears unstoppable.

Tennessee 10 Vanderbilt 10 8:30: Vandy quarterback MacKenzi Adams hit Ryan van Rensburg on a 2-yard pass for a touchdown to tie the game. The drive was even more impressive than the first, spanning 92 yards on 11 plays in 6:04. It will take long, productive drives by Vanderbilt to keep the score close in this road game. Tennessee needs to respond here and put the pressure back on the Commodores.

Tennessee 17 Vanderbilt 10 3:16: Tennessee responded well, capping a long drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Crompton to Denarius Moore. The drive was 11 plays for 72 yards in 5:08. Quinton Hancock snagged a 20-yard reception, and Bryce Brown even had a carry as well as a 19-yard kickoff return. It's time for Tennessee's defense to come through with big plays. The offense has proven they can match the 'Dores, but for how long?

Tennessee 24 Vanderbilt 10 0:05: McKenzie Adams hit two receivers in the first two attempts of the drive for 26 yards, starting a Vanderbilt drive that would carry to the Volunteer 38. On fourth and three the Commodores went for it, but an Adams pass to Cole fell incomplete. The Vols quickly picked up where the 'Dores left off with 36 seconds remaining, driving down field quickly to cap off the half with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Crompton to Luke Stocker. The hurry up drive only took four plays, covering 61 yards in 30 seconds. Putting the 'Dores down by 14 points at the half will make a huge difference for the Volunteers.

Halftime: This game is closer than the scoreboard indicates. Three times, Vanderbilt put together successful drives, with only two resulting in scores. Vanderbilt quarterback MacKenzi Adams in 9-of-13 for 80 yards and one touchdown. Norman Warren has compiled 39 yards on the ground, with Zac Stacy adding 25. Jonathan Crompton is playing well, going 14-of-20 for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Hardesty has 87 yards on the ground on 14 attempts. Tennessee's defense has played sub-par, allowing Vanderbilt to gain 11 first downs and 155 yards of total offense. If Vanderbilt can continue to put together successful drives, they could creep back into this one.

Third Quarter:

Tennessee 24 Vanderbilt 10 10:30: A personal foul on the kickoff pinned the 'Dores at their 12 to start the drive. Vandy was unable to do much, punting the ball right outside their 20 yard line. Dennis Rogan returned the punt, which is a surprise considering he's been battling a leg injury in the past week. A tipped pass near mid-field was intercepted by Jamie Graham, who returned it to the Tennessee 44. Vanderbilt is suddenly back in business. That was Crompton's first interception in 142 pass attempts, the last one coming against Alabama.

Tennessee 24 Vanderbilt 13 6:37: Vanderbilt made the most of the turnover, driving down to the Volunteer 10 before failing a third and seven pass attempt. Dan Williams was shaken up on a play in the red zone, staying on the ground for many minutes before walking off the field. Losing Williams would be another serious injury setback to the Volunteer defense. The Commodores would cap off the drive with a 27-yard field goal by Ryan Fowler. Vanderbilt is still in this one.

Tennessee 24 Vanderbilt 13 3:16: Hardesty surpassed 100 yards on the game in this drive. The senior running back now has 104 yards on 16 carries. Bryce Brown also stepped in, catching a screen pass good for 11 yards. Gerald Jones dropped a crucial deep pass from Jonathan Crompton that could have been good for a touchdown. The Volunteers were forced to punt, putting the Commodores at the 15. This will be a significant drive for Vandy, who can narrow the lead to four with a touchdown going into the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter:

Tennessee 24 Vanderbilt 13 11:27: Tennessee regained possession right before the start of the fourth quarter. Hardesty had a big 25 yard run to put the Vols at the Vanderbilt 43. Hardesty has been the biggest weapon for the Vols on offense, racking up 141 yards on the night. The Vols stalled at the 36, setting up a fourth and four, which was not converted when Stocker dropped a short out from Crompton. Kiffin's aggressive tendency to go on fourth downs could have been skipped here, in exchange for a long field goal. Tennessee is 1-of-2 on fourth down tonight. The failure to score by the Vols is keeping Vanderbilt in this game.

Tennessee 24 Vanderbilt 13 5:54: Vanderbilt would fail to take the ball farther than the Volunteer 43 before punting it away with 9:30 remaining. The Volunteers are putting together a nice drive, chewing away at the clock. Crompton has hit Stocker twice on short passes. The drive would stop at the Tennessee 39, when Crompton's pass to Gerald Jones would be tipped incomplete. Zac Stacy would return the punt to the Tennessee 31. Vanderbilt has to score on this drive or they better start packing up the gear.

Tennessee 24 Vanderbilt 16 2:54: MacKenzi Adams would hit Brandon Barden twice on the ensuing drive, including a 32-yard completion. Vanderbilt would reach the Tennessee 3 before a tipped pass would be snagged by Dennis Rogan on third down. A critical pass interference foul would negate the interception and give the Commodores a first down at the two yard line. The Vols would push Vandy back a few yards to set up a third and goal from the five, where a Wes Brown hurry would lead to a intentional grounding penalty. Ryan Fowler would hit a 32-yard field goal to narrow the score to 24-16.

Tennessee 31 Vanderbilt 16 0:00: Bryce Brown would snag the loose ball during Vanderbilt's onside kick attempt, landing the Volunteers at the Vanderbilt 42. Vandy would continue to blow timeouts to stop the clock, but Tennessee would move the chains on the ground. Hardesty's first three carries of the drive would gain a first down for the Vols. Vanderbilt used their final timeout with 00:32 remaining and a fourth and three for Tennessee. A pitch to Montario Hardesty would be stopped well behind the first down, setting up a first down for Vanderbilt at their own 30. A wild play would finish the Commodores off, as a Adams throw would be intercepted by Wes Brown, who would return it for a Tennessee touchdown.

FINAL:

On senior night, the seniors certainly shined, but none brighter than Montario Hardesty. The running back would pick up a career high 171 yards on 32 attempts. Jonathan Crompton would finish 20-of-34 for 221 yards and two touchdowns and one interception. Left tackle Wes Brown would get an interception return for a touchdown, only the second by a defensive lineman this season. Without the final touchdown by Brown, the game is much closer than the scoredboard indicates. Vanderbilt stuck around until late in the fourth quarter, putting together many successful drives, most of which were not converted into scores. The Volunteers improved to 6-5, 3-3 in the SEC, which should be their bowl clinching victory. Tennessee travels to Kentucky next week for their season finale. Vanderbilt falls to 2-10, 0-8 in the SEC in their final game of the season.