KNOXVILLE – Perhaps the best sign of Tennessee’s recent football progress is what happened to the Volunteers three years ago.
In the penultimate game of Butch Jones’ first season as head coach, Tennessee lost at home to Vanderbilt, which clinched a losing season with no bowl game for a second straight season.
“I redshirted that year, but that might have been one of the hardest losses I’ve taken in college,” offensive tackle Brett Kendrick from Knoxville said Tuesday. “Growing up in Tennessee, I’ve been a Tennessee fan, and we don’t like to lose to Vanderbilt. That sticks with you the whole year until you play them again the following season.
“We’re going to do our best to not get that feeling again. I definitely hated that one.”
Three years later Tennessee can position itself for a potential Sugar Bowl bid with a win at Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
The Vols moved up two spots to No. 17 in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday night. Tennessee is the fourth-highest SEC team behind top-ranked Alabama and Auburn and Florida at 13th and 15th. The Tigers play at Alabama on Saturday, while the Gators’ remaining games are at Florida State and the SEC title game against the Crimson Tide.
Presuming the SEC champion gets into one of the playoff semifinals, the Sugar Bowl is obligated to take the second-highest ranked SEC team.
The Vols last played in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 1991.
“I just know growing up,” safety Micah Abernathy said, “on video games it was a pretty big bowl to go to.”
Recently Tennessee rarely seems to have an easy time against Vanderbilt in Nashville, even though more than half the crowd is usually in orange.
“It’s always fun to look up and see all the orange in the stadium,” Kendrick said, “but going on the road’s always tough.”
In their last game at Vanderbilt two years ago, the Vols needed a win to clinch the program’s first bowl game since 2010, but the three-win Commodores pushed Tennessee to the final minute.
Cameron Sutton’s punt-return touchdown was the difference as Tennessee grinded out a 24-17 win thanks to quarterback Josh Dobbs, who ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns after running back Jalen Hurd left the game in the first quarter.
“It was definitely a physical football game for 60 minutes, and that’s what we’re expecting on Saturday,” Dobbs said. “We have to be ready to go. It’s going to be cold November football, great conditions for football in Nashville.
“I go back and talk to the young guys just about that game and the mindset coming into the game that we’re going to have to play for 60 minutes to come out with the victory.
“It’s not going to be easy, and we’re going to have to go out and handle our business well.”
The Commodores always get charged up to play the Vols, but Derek Mason’s team has bowl eligibility on the line after hammering Ole Miss 38-17 in Nashville last week.
“Since they’re playing for that, they’re going to be all hyped up and riled up,” Kendrick said. “On top of that it’s their senior night. I think there’s going to be a lot of emotion from them in this game, and we’ve got to withstand their opening punches.”
The 38 points were the most Vanderbilt has scored in an SEC game in three seasons under Mason, and running back Ralph Webb, just 27 yards away from becoming the program’s all-time leading rusher, should have a field day against Tennessee’s ailing defense.
Linebacker Zach Cunningham, a candidate for SEC defensive player of the year, leads Vanderbilt’s defense, which ranks sixth in the league allowing just 21.1 points per game.
“We know there’s a lot at stake for us and for them on Saturday,” Dobbs said. “It’s an away game in the SEC, so any time you go on the road in the SEC, you have to be prepared to play. We know that we’re going to get their best shot, like we do week in and week out with each opponent.”
The SEC East title is off the table, so Tennessee is playing to enhance its bowl position and extend its hopes of winning 10 games in a season for the first time since 2007. The greater pressure for the Vols, though, is not to lose to Vanderbilt. A loss in the 110th meeting between the in-state rivals would cast resounding disappointment on Tennessee’s tumultuous season.
“We’ve got a few rivalries,” Kendrick said, “but this being an in-state rivalry with Tennessee kids on their team and Tennessee kids on our team, I’d say this is probably our biggest rivalry because they’re in state. I think we’re the most hated team they play. It’s always fun to play against Vanderbilt.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.