The Tennessee Volunteers haven’t won a football game since Oct. 3.
Vanderbilt hasn’t prevailed since Oct. 19 of last year.
A state championship and some late-season pride are at stake Saturday afternoon in Nashville when the 2-6 Vols visit the 0-8 Commodores. The number of television viewers outside the Volunteer State may be microscopic for this one – the 4 p.m. Eastern game is on the SEC Network – but it’s nothing short of the Super Bowl in the eyes of some of the participants.
“We go into every game and expect to compete, but playing Tennessee definitely means a little bit more,” Vanderbilt senior receiver Chris Pierce, who has five touchdown catches in his past five games, said this week. “I would be lying if I said it didn’t. This is a game that everyone on both sides really wants to win.”
Tennessee freshman linebacker Tyler Baron agrees: “This is a great rivalry. I know Vanderbilt is going to come ready to play, and we are going to do the same. It’s going to be a lot of fun playing against a few guys that I played against in high school.”
The Tennessee-Vanderbilt game is a historical mismatch, with the Vols having built a sizable 76-32-5 series advantage. Yet the Commodores have won five of the past eight meetings, including two consecutive triumphs under former coach James Franklin in 2012-13 and three in a row under former coach Derek Mason in 2016-18.
Mason became a former Commodores coach on Nov. 29, when he was fired the day after a 41-0 loss at Missouri.
Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch was elevated to replace Mason on an interim basis, but he has yet to guide the Commodores in a contest. Last week’s game at Georgia had to be postponed due to coronavirus-related issues within Vanderbilt’s program, which followed the Southeastern Conference rearranging its Nov. 28 schedule that originally had the Vols and Commodores playing.
“When this game got postponed two weeks ago, you could feel a little bit of a letdown,” Fitch said. “The air kind of went out of the balloon a little bit because this game is so fun for our players. We have a lot of crossover with in-state guys, so while every game has a different meaning, this game means a little bit more.”
Vanderbilt has endured more than 10 players opting out this year, the most of any SEC team. The latest such case occurred earlier this week, when senior defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo revealed he would start focusing on the 2021 NFL draft.
The Commodores had a competitive three-game stretch against Mississippi State, Kentucky and Florida before floundering at Mizzou, and they are confident entering their state rivalry despite the depleted roster. The Tennessean reported Friday that Vanderbilt may have as few as 45 scholarship players available.
“When it comes down to it, all we need is 11 on offense and 11 on defense, and we’ve got it,” Pierce said. “I trust that the guys we have here are going to go out there and compete, and I trust the coaching staff that they’re going to put a great team out there.”
Added Vanderbilt senior linebacker Andre Mintze: “Regardless of everything that has happened this year, we have an opportunity to play football.”
Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt has experienced two very different results against Vanderbilt. His first team in 2018 defeated two ranked opponents – Auburn and Kentucky – but had run out of fuel by the season finale and got crushed 38-13 in Nashville.
Last season, however, Eric Gray provided the fuel by rushing for 246 yards as a freshman in Tennessee’s 28-10 triumph in Neyland Stadium. Given that both teams have experienced disappointing seasons this time around, perhaps there will be a nothing to lose element that could make this showdown of programs with a combined 2-14 record at least a little intriguing.
“I think that’s probably the case with both teams,” Pruitt said. “These kids work extremely hard, and we know that our opportunities are running out. I think both sides will be aggressive and try to do everything that they can to play at the best of their ability.
“We continue to improve every week, but the bottom line is you want to win football games. That’s the bottom line.”
Waived bonuses
Should Tennessee play in a bowl game this season, a scenario that is likely with a victory in Nashville and with LSU’s recent self-imposed postseason ban, Vols assistant coaches have elected to waive their bowl bonuses in an effort to limit the athletic department’s financial losses during this pandemic.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported that the athletic department will save $324,870 as a result.
Every Tennessee assistant except running backs coach Jay Graham and receivers coach Tee Martin, the two former Vols players on Pruitt’s full-time staff, declined to take a pay cut in October when it was offered.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.