Series snapshot: Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt played a critical role in Tennessee bringing in its greatest football coach in program history more than 95 years ago.

Given the Vols' dominance in the series against their in-state foe in Nashville, it may seem hard to believe that the early years of the series were controlled by the Commodores.

Tennessee and Vanderbilt began playing each other in 1892 and – with a few exceptions – have met every year since 1900. The Commodores won every meeting until the Vols' first win in the series in 1914, but victories were few and far between for Tennessee as Vanderbilt held an 18-2-2 edge in the first 22 matchups.

Tennessee's administrators wanted to turn the tide, so they hired Robert Reese Neyland – a West Point graduate that was serving in France during World War I just a few years before his arrival in Knoxville – as the head coach.

Neyland completely changed the Vols' standing in its rivalry with Vanderbilt. He also changed the trajectory of the football program, winning 173 games and four national championships in three different stints at Tennessee.

Since Neyland took over, Tennessee has a 56-14-3 lead against Vanderbilt, which includes several long, dominating streaks in the Vols' favor – but it's been a pretty evenly-matched series since 2012.

Over the last 10 games, both teams are tied at 5-5, but Tennessee will look to pass that mark on Saturday night at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville at 7:30 p.m. ET (SEC Network).

Tennessee put a stamp on an impressive turnaround season in head coach Josh Heupel's inaugural campaign with 45-21 win over Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium.

Hendon Hooker passed for 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns and ran for another 75 yards as running backs Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small each rushed for more than 100 yards.

Defensive back Theo Jackson set the tone for the Vols, intercepting Vanderbilt quarterback Mike Wright on the Commodores' opening drive and returning it for a touchdown.

Cedric Tillman caught six passes for a 106 yards and two scores, and Tennessee finished the regular season at 7-5 – a year removed from winning just three games.

Tennessee entered the game on a six-game losing skid, but managed to beat Vanderbilt, 42-17, for its third win of the 2020 season.

In his second start, quarterback Harrison Bailey passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns, and backup J.T. Shrout tossed two more scores.

Velus Jones Jr. totaled 125 yards and two touchdowns on six catches and Ty Chandler rushed for 74 yards on 13 carries.

Nov. 17, 2007: Tennessee's SEC title game hopes were nearly dashed by Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium.

The Commodores took a 24-9 lead in the third quarter, but the Vols responded with a big fourth-quarter behind quarterback Erik Ainge.

Ainge passed for two scores in the final 15 minutes – including a five-yard pass to Austin Rogers – to pull Tennessee within two with 7:14 left, and kicker Daniel Lincoln completed the comeback with a 33-yard boot with less than three minutes remaining to secure a 25-24 win.

The Vols clinched the SEC East the following week with another thrilling win over Kentucky – the program's last division crown.

Nov. 25, 2000: Tennessee had won 17 straight games in the series before the two teams met at a neutral site at The Coliseum (now Nissan Stadium) in Nashville.

The Vols led 21-6 but Vanderbilt stormed back with a 20-point fourth quarter. After Casey Clausen hit Cedrick Wilson on a 15-yard score, the Commodores responded with a scoring drive that was capped by a one-yard Jared McGrath run to make it 28-26.

Looking to hold on, Tennessee put the ball in the hands of star running back Travis Henry. On a day where Henry rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns, he managed to put the game away with a few first-down runs.

Tennessee finished the regular season 8-3 but lost to Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl.

Nov. 29, 1980: As far as Tennessee-Vanderbilt games between 1976 and 1981 went, this game was fairly routine.

The Vols dominated in a 51-13 win in Nashville, but a single play from Willie Gault was a memorable moment in the series thanks to the radio call from the Vol Network's John Ward.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, Gault hauled in the ball around the six-yard line and raced 94 yards to the end zone to provide an indelible highlight in the history of the series.

"Yes sir!," Ward exclaimed on the airwaves as Gault got out in front of the Vanderbilt kick return defense around the 25-yard line. "Willie Gault, ladies and gentlemen, is running all the way to the state capital! Give him six!"

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