In the final week of the regular season, Tennessee ended with a bang.
On a rainy night in Nashville, the No. 10 Vols (10-2, 6-2 SEC) throttled Vanderbilt (5-7, 2-6) 56-0 to continue the program's dominance over its in-state rival.
Let's dive into the intricacies of the matchup.
Scoring
1Q:
Vols TD - Small 3-yard run (7-0)
Vols TD - Fant 1-yard run (14-0)
2Q:
Vols TD - Williams 73-yard punt return (21-0)
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3Q:
Vols TD - Small 52-yard run (28-0)
Vols TD - Wright 50-yard run (35-0)
Vols TD - Merrill 7-yard reception from Milton (42-0)
4Q:
Vols TD - Wright 83-yard run (49-0)
Vols TD - Sampson 80-yard run (56-0)
MVPs
Offense: Jaylen Wright
On a night where the weather was less than ideal to pass, Tennessee dominated on the ground. While three backs recorded a touchdown run of more than 50 yards, the one that stood out the most was Jaylen Wright.
The second-string back only toted the ball five times but finished with two touchdowns and 160 yards. This high mark on a low amount of carries resulted in an average of 32 yards per rush.
Both of his explosive runs came in the second half. He scampered for a 50-yard and an 83-yard score to fully put the game out of reach and put an exclamation mark on the season.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Volunteer Rewind: Tennessee stomps out Missouri on Senior Day
Defense: Roman Harrison
On the defensive end, the team refused to allow Vanderbilt into the end zone. The Commodores finished with just 107 yards through the air and 147 on the ground.
A key piece of the Vols' only shutout of the year was LEO Roman Harrison. The edge rusher recorded four tackles, two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.
This ability to blow up the run game, set the edge and pressure the quarterback was crucial in holding Vanderbilt. While it took the whole team, Harrison stood out above the rest.
What it meant
With the win, Tennessee's football program reached the double-digit win mark for the first time since 2007. It was the first time hitting it in the regular season since 2003.
This impressive season landed the Vols in a New Years Six bowl for the first time since 2004, as well. This set up Tennessee for a matchup with Clemson in the Orange Bowl.
Possibly the best news, though, was that the Vols got it done without star quarterback Hendon Hooker. Although the game was primarily controlled through a heavy dose of rushes, many were skeptical of Tennessee's ability to win without its star signal caller.
Instead, Joe Milton did what was asked of him and hit on some big plays to get the momentum rolling early.
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