College Football
Preview
Vanderbilt at Tennessee
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, November 25, 2023
Where: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee

No. 21 Tennessee aims to continue its domination of Vanderbilt when the in-state rivals close out the Southeastern Conference season on Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Volunteers have won the last four games in the rivalry by a combined score of 171-48, including last year's 56-0 pasting of the Commodores in Nashville.

Tennessee (7-4, 3-4) comes off a lopsided 36-7 loss at Missouri followed by last week's 38-10 home setback against Georgia. The Vols allowed 530 yards to the Tigers and 472 to the Bulldogs.

Those results sparked a call for change at quarterback, where Joe Milton has not met expectations in SEC play with eight touchdown passes and five interceptions.

Fans may be clamoring to see No. 1 recruit Nico Iamaleava replace Milton, but head coach Josh Heupel isn't likely to change signal-callers.

Iamaleava has completed 7 of 14 throws for 97 yards this season, all coming in garbage time of lopsided wins over UConn, UTSA and Virginia.

Heupel said before the season that he hadn't planned to redshirt Iamaleava, one of two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. However, not playing him the past two weeks has preserved that redshirt.

Heupel also hinted at additional reasons for that decision.

Last Saturday, Tennessee played against Georgia without a pair of starting offensive linemen in tackle John Campbell Jr. and guard Anrej Karic. Starting lineman Javontez Spraggins also suffered a season-ending injury during the game, while a banged-up Gerald Mincey (the Vols' other starting tackle) came in late.

"Well, at this point, just because there's only one regular-season (game left), you know, I mean?" Heupel said. "There's a lot of variables that are taking place outside on that field (Saturday). And what type of situation you want to put (Iamaleava in)."

The Commodores (2-9, 0-7), losers of nine straight, were off last week. They looked disinterested in the second half of a 47-6 shellacking at South Carolina two weeks ago.

"I'm still disgusted and I still feel like it was gross. ... What I felt is, the team collapsed there," coach Clark Lea said this week, reflecting on how Vanderbilt played against the Gamecocks.

Lea, a Nashville native and Vanderbilt alumnus who has played against the Vols, hopes his team will end 2023 on a better note.

"We've had a good two days (of practice), which we need to have in order to play better on Saturday," Lea said on Tuesday.

Vanderbilt's defense is last in the SEC in scoring defense (35.1) and total defense (440.2 yards). Health has been an issue in the secondary, where Lea said defensive backs Martel Hight, Marlen Sewell and Savion Riley are questionable this week.

Lea added that the flu had spread throughout the roster this week. Safety CJ Taylor was among those infected before returning to practice.

Lea declined to name a starting quarterback this week. Vanderbilt lists starters Ken Seals and Walter Taylor as co-starters this week, with AJ Swann the No. 3.

Seals and Swann have split time as starters, with Seals starting the last six contests.

Taylor has played against Ole Miss, Auburn and South Carolina. He didn't attempt a pass against the Gamecocks but ran six times for 38 yards on a rain-soaked day.

--Field Level Media

Stats and Records
Team Comparison
  W‑L Strk PF PA Home Away Grass Turf Conf
Vanderbilt 2-9 L9 22.7 35.1 2-4 0-5 0-4 0-0 0-7
Tennessee 7-4 L2 30.0 21.8 6-1 1-3 7-3 0-0 3-4
Last Meeting
Vanderbilt Tennessee
Date Away Home Tot Rus Pas Tot Rus Pas
11/26/22 TENN 56 VAN 0 254 147 107 513 362 151
Player Stats
Previous Matchup
Passing Player COMP % YDS TD INT
Vanderbilt A. Swann 64.7 79 0 0
Tennessee J. Milton III 52.4 147 1 0
Rushing Player CAR YDS AVG TD
Vanderbilt R. Davis 21 60 2.9 0
Tennessee J. Wright 5 160 32.0 2
Receiving Player REC YDS AVG TD
Vanderbilt W. Sheppard 6 48 8.0 0
Tennessee J. Hyatt 3 86 28.7 0
Touchdowns Player TD
Vanderbilt D. Agu 0
Tennessee J. Small 2
Season
Passing Player COMP % YDS TD INT
Vanderbilt A. Swann 53.8 1290 11 7
Tennessee J. Milton III 64.6 2431 16 5
Rushing Player CAR YDS AVG TD
Vanderbilt S. Alexander 85 323 3.8 4
Tennessee J. Wright 126 938 7.4 4
Receiving Player REC YDS AVG TD
Vanderbilt W. Sheppard 45 640 14.2 8
Tennessee S. White 55 655 11.9 2
Touchdowns Player TD
Vanderbilt W. Sheppard 8
Tennessee D. Sampson 8
Quickchart Matchup
Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Off vs  Tennessee Tennessee Def
Vanderbilt 319.7 yards
Tennessee 352.5 yards
Vanderbilt 3.3 yards/rush
Tennessee 3.2 yards/rush
Vanderbilt 6.8 yards/attempt
Tennessee 7.3 yards/attempt
Tennessee Tennessee Off vs  Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Def
Tennessee 438.6 yards
Vanderbilt 440.2 yards
Tennessee 5.6 yards/rush
Vanderbilt 5.1 yards/rush
Tennessee 7.5 yards/attempt
Vanderbilt 7.8 yards/attempt