KNOXVILLE — Tennessee coach Derek Dooley’s message to his defense last week as the Volunteers prepared to face Vanderbilt was easy to understand.
“He told us we needed to force some turnovers,” said senior defensive tackle Malik Jackson. “And Coach [Lance] Thompson hounded us all week about rushing the passer. We had to get pressure on the passer.
“It worked tonight.”
Did it ever. Pressuring Commodores quarterback Jordan Rodgers — his brother is Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers — from the first snap forward, the Vols made off with three interceptions and one fumble recovery to stop Vandy 27-21 in overtime Saturday night.
In fact, defensive back Eric Gordon’s overtime pickoff ended the contest, his 90-yard return sealing the Vols’ first Southeastern Conference win of the year after they started 0-6 in the league for the first time in school history.
“When [Eric] ran it back, my heart dropped,” said UT sophomore wideout Da’Rick Rogers, whose tying touchdown grab in regulation no doubt caused a lot of Commodores heads to drop.
“I thought, ‘We’re about to play Kentucky and go to a bowl game.'”
Actually, they’re about to play UK inside the Wildcats’ Commonwealth Stadium at 12:21 this coming Saturday afternoon for a chance to finish 6-6 overall and earn the school its third straight bowl berth.
Given that the Wildcats lost 38-7 at Vanderbilt the week before the Vols and Commodores played, Rogers can be forgiven his confidence. Then again, Kentucky did stubbornly fall at SEC East champ Georgia by a 19-10 score Saturday.
“They’d run the same route a little earlier, but I’d broken my coverage a little bit,” said Gordon, who has spent much of the season going in and out of Dooley’s doghouse.
“I thought, ‘This can’t be happening.’ I just knew I was heading to the house with it.”
Dooley just knew he was glad Gordon was in the game on the third-down play as a nickel back.
“Eric’s always been a risk taker,” Dooley said. “And that can be good and bad at cornerback. But in the nickel package that’s not such a big deal. I know I was glad he went for it tonight.”
Said Gordon, a Nashville native: “I’m a playmaker. I need to make plays. Tonight I needed to make a big play.”
Said Dooley, all the biggest plays finally going his team’s way: “There was a lot of grit and toughness out there tonight. They got 21 points, but 14 came on offensive turnovers. You could see it in our guys’ eyes. It was a little different out there.”
It was different than it had been all season against the SEC. Thanks to the defense, it ended in the win column.