Vanderbilt seeks to build on recent success against Vols

Vanderbilt football coach Derek Mason said his program has been "shielded from the hype, because there has never really been a whole bunch of it" surrounding the Commodores. But they're 3-0 this season and host No. 1 Alabama on Saturday.
Vanderbilt football coach Derek Mason said his program has been "shielded from the hype, because there has never really been a whole bunch of it" surrounding the Commodores. But they're 3-0 this season and host No. 1 Alabama on Saturday.

ATLANTA - Derek Mason repeated it twice as he provided a jolt of energy to sleepy crowds of reporters on the final day of SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame on Thursday.

There were "unmet" and "unkept" expectations at Vanderbilt last season when his Commodores finished 5-7, Coach Mason said.

Where Mason has exceeded expectations, however, is a sore spot for Tennessee fans.

A 2016 Vanderbilt victory over the Volunteers cost them a spot in the Sugar Bowl and earned Mason his first bowl berth as a head coach. Last year's Commodores victory gave Tennessee its first eight-loss season in program history and provided Vanderbilt a needed boost after it had lost seven of eight games.

It was Vanderbilt's fourth win in six seasons against the Vols, and though Commodores redshirt senior safety LaDarius Wiley concocted a diplomatic answer about the in-state rivalry Thursday, he did offer a polite reminder of where the series has stood recently.

"As far as UT, we try not to really focus on them or let our emotions get the best of us when it comes to them," Wiley said. "We just go out and handle our business, and we like the results we've had four out of the last six years."

The Vanderbilt game has the potential to be a critical matchup for first-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt in 2018 when the teams meet in Nashville. Again, the game is the last on the Vols' schedule, and the outcome could determine whether they qualify for a bowl game.

The Commodores joined a contingent of three teams the Vols will face in road games this season in the spotlight of Thursday's media days finale.

Auburn's Gus Malzahn called Tennessee "a solid team with a new coach" and added "they've got a lot of energy right now."

South Carolina's Will Muschamp, who is 6-0 against the Vols as a head coach, said he thinks Pruitt will do "an outstanding job" and complimented the staff Pruitt assembled.

But most will project the Vols to lose their matchups at Auburn and South Carolina. It's at the end of the schedule with games against Charlotte, Kentucky, Missouri and in Nashville against Vanderbilt where Tennessee's bowl eligibility could be determined in a series once considered a sure win for the Vols.

Now, Mason referred to it as a game "they talk about that in our state 365 days a year."

"Well, Tennessee is going to be Tennessee in our state," Mason said. "You know, they probably outnumber us fan-wise five to one. Their fan base is their fan base, and it's huge in the state of Tennessee. But for us, we try to make sure we can control the controllables. What happens between the white lines is what matters. I don't care what they say on TV. I don't care what the line is going into the game. You've got to play the game.

"And that's what we've tried to do. We've tried to come out and play the game over the last two years."

Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.

Upcoming Events