The No. 9 University of Tennessee Volunteers (9-2, 5-2 SEC) and Vanderbilt University Commodores (5-6, 2-5 SEC) face off Saturday at FirstBank Stadium for their regular season finales. The Volunteers are 14-point favorites, and the total is 64.
Tennessee is coming off a deflating 63-38 loss against South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium last Saturday. Hendon Hooker was 25 of 42 for 247 yards and three touchdowns. Jabari Small ran 11 times for 80 yards and a touchdown. Squirrel White caught five passes for 96 yards.
Vanderbilt beat Florida 31-24 at FirstBank Stadium last Saturday. Mike Wright threw for 108 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Ray Davis carried 30 times for 122 yards. Ben Bresnahan scored once. He caught one reception for 28 yards.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Volunteers won the only meeting between the teams last season, a 45-21 victory in November, their third straight win against Vanderbilt. Hendon Hooker threw two touchdowns for Tennessee, as Cedric Tillman scored twice.
TALE OF THE TAPE
The Volunteers are averaging 46.6 points per game for the season, best in FBS, and they are facing a Commodores defense that has surrendered 34.2 PPG (118th). Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has scored 26.8 points a game this season, 78th in the nation, and Tennessee is allowing 25.6 PPG (61st).
The Volunteers rank as one of the nation’s top teams in passing yards per game (348.8, 2nd), while they are 35th in rushing yards (191.6). They have an advantageous matchup through the air, as the Commodores are 130th in the country in passing yards allowed per game (303.2).
Against the run, Vanderbilt is 75th (153.5).Vanderbilt is 106th in the country in passing yards per game (194.6) and 59th in rushing (161.1). Tennessee’s defense will prove challenging on the ground, as the Volunteers are 18th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game (109.0). Against the pass, the Volunteers are 129th (303.0).
TOP PERFORMERS
Through 11 games, Hendon Hooker has thrown for 27 touchdowns (2 INT) and 285.0 yards per game to lead Tennessee in passing. In four away games this season, he has seven TDs (1 INT) and an average of 251.5 yards passing.
Jaylen Wright leads the team in rushing with an average of 56.9 yards a game over 11 games. He has eight touchdowns on the ground and four through the air.
Jalin Hyatt is the Volunteers’ leading receiver with 107.4 yards a game and 15 TDs. AJ Swann has 10 passing touchdowns (2 INT) with 149.4 yards per game through eight games to lead Vanderbilt. In three home games this season, he has thrown for six TDs (1 INT) and an average of 184.7 yards.
Ray Davis has been the home team’s leading performer on the ground, averaging 89.3 yards a game through 11 games. He has eight total touchdowns, five rushing and three receiving. Will Sheppard has been a key target in the Commodores’ aerial attack. He has nine touchdowns and a 66.2 yard per game average through 11 appearances.
SportsTips’ College Football Pick:
Tennessee -14 (-110)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
