Postgame Notes: #21 Tennessee 48, Vanderbilt 24

November 25, 2023 | Football

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Nov. 25, 2023 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 21 Tennessee 48, Vanderbilt 24

General Notes

Neyland Stadium was sold out (101,915) for the 13th consecutive game dating back to the 2022 season. The Vols sold out all seven home games this season.
Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 875-414-53 with Saturday's win. (NCAA record: 864-414-53).
Tennessee finished the regular season 8-4 overall with a 4-4 mark in Southeastern Conference games. The Vols finished .500 or better in SEC play under head coach Josh Heupel for the third straight season, achieving that feat for the first time since doing it 16 straight seasons from 1989-2004.
- The Vols were 4-4 in SEC play in Heupel's first season in 2021 and 6-2 last season.
Saturday's game marked the Vols' final SEC East contest before the league expands to a 16-team format without divisions next season. Under the current format, Tennessee completed a 143-108 on-field SEC record since divisions began in 1992.
Saturday marked the 117th meeting between Tennessee and Vanderbilt on the gridiron. The series dates back to 1892, and the two teams have played every year since 1945.
- Tennessee improved to 80-32-5 on the field and 78-32-5 in terms of NCAA record.
  - Note: The wins in 2019 and 2020 during Jeremy Pruitt's tenure were vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions ruling in July 2023.
- Tennessee has captured 35 of the last 41 meetings on the field, including five in a row.
- UT's 80 on-field wins and 78 NCAA wins mark the second most in program history over one opponent, only behind Kentucky - 84, 83.
- Head coach Josh Heupel is 3-0 vs. the Commodores at Tennessee, outscoring them 149-45.
- The Vols and Commodores met during the final week of the regular season for the 64th time. Tennessee is 55-8-1 on the field in those meetings.
Tennessee has won 18 regular-season games under Josh Heupel over the last two years, its most since also winning 18 with back-to-back 9-3 regular seasons in 2006 and 2007.
Tennessee is 18-4 at home in three seasons under Josh Heupel, outscoring opponents 961-451. The Vols have defeated 13 straight unranked teams at home and own a 14-1 record vs. unranked foes in Neyland Stadium under Heupel (L vs. Pitt, 2021).
- The Vols have won at least five home games for the third straight season (6 in 2023, 7 in 2022, 5 in 2021) - a first for the program since 1995-2001.
- Saturday's win was Tennessee's 13th at home over the past two seasons, representing the most since winning 13 from 1998-99.
A total of 36 seniors participated in a pregame Senior Day ceremony: LB Will Albright^, OL Parker Ball^, DE Tyler Baron*, LB Aaron Beasley, WR Michael Bittner^, CB Warren Burrell*, PK Charles Campbell, OL John Campbell Jr.*, OL Jeremiah Crawford, DT Kurott Garland, LB Kwauze Garland*, DT Isaac Green^, CB Kamal Hadden, DE Roman Harrison, WR Jack Jancek^, CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally*, WR Ramel Keyton, OL Braeden Krivosh^, OL Ollie Lane, DE Austin Lewis^, TE McCallan Castles, S Jaylen McCollough, WR Bru McCoy*, S Tamarion McDonald*, QB Joe Milton III, QB Gaston Moore^, DT Omarr Norman-Lott*, TE Hunter Salmon^, DL Elijah Simmons*, RB Jabari Small*, LS Alton Stephens^, DT Omari Thomas*, CB Brandon Turnage*, S Wesley Walker*, TE Jacob Warren and RS/WR Dee Williams.
- ^ - denotes walk on; * - denotes has COVID year of eligibility still remaining

Vol Captains/Coin Toss

Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: DL Tyler Baron, OL Ollie Lane, DB Jaylen McCollough, TE Jacob Warren
Vanderbilt won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Tennessee received the opening kickoff, and Vanderbilt defended the south end zone.

Starters

DB Will Brooks (STAR) and OL Jackson Lampley (RG) made their first career starts in Saturday's game. A total of 14 players have made their first career Tennessee starts this season, including six on offense and eight on defense.
With Jackson Lampley (RG) starting Saturday's game at right guard, it was the fifth different offensive line combination that the Vols have started this season.
S Jaylen McCollough made his 50th career start, which tied him for the UT career record in starts with CB Jonathan Hefney, who started 50 from 2004-07.

Team Offensive Notes

Tennessee scored on its third offensive play from scrimmage with a 56-yard touchdown pass from QB Joe Milton III to WR Ramel Keyton. It was UT's third-longest pass play of the season and ninth offensive play of 50-plus yards in 2023.
- The Vols have scored a touchdown on their opening drive in nine of 12 games this season, including five of their seven at home.
- Tennessee scored within the first minute in four of their seven home games, logging first-snap touchdowns against UTSA and Georgia, a second-snap touchdown versus UConn and a third-snap touchdown against Vanderbilt.
McCallan Castles' 10-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter and Jacob Warren's 34-yard score in the second quarter gave Vol tight ends their seventh and eighth receiving touchdowns this season. That is the most by a Tennessee tight end unit since 2007 when that group hauled in nine receiving scores.
- For Warren, the touchdown was his fourth of the season, marking a new career high to surpass his prior top mark of three in 2021.
Tennessee's 449 passing yards marked its most of the season, eclipsing the prior high of 375 against UConn on Nov. 4.
- The 449 yards through the air were the third-highest passing output of the Josh Heupel era (2021-present). Prior to Heupel's arrival, the Vols put up more than 440 passing yards in only one game since 2000.
- The Volunteers' 31 completions and 46 passing attempts also set season highs, surpassing the previous top marks of 28 and 41, respectively, both at Alabama on Oct. 21.
Tennessee recorded 31 first downs to set a season best, moving past the prior high of 29 against Virginia in Nashville on Sept. 2.
The Vols finished Saturday's game with 617 yards of total offense, marking the seventh game of the Heupel era and second time this season UT eclipsed 600 total yards.

Individual Offensive Notes

RB Jaylen Wright eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark with a 14-yard run in the third quarter. Wright became the 19th 1,000-yard rusher in a season in UT history and the first since Jalen Hurd had 1,288 on 277 carries in 2015.
- Wright finished with 11 carries for 75 yards, giving him 137 for 1,013, respectively, on the season.
QB Joe Milton III finished Saturday's game completing 22-of-32 passes for a career-high 383 yards and four passing touchdowns. The redshirt senior added a pair of two-yard rushing scores in his Neyland Stadium finale.
- Milton's six touchdowns responsible for were the most in a single game by a Vol since Jonathan Crompton had six (five passing, one rushing) on Nov. 7, 2009 vs. Memphis. He was the first Vol to accomplish the feat in an SEC game since Erik Ainge had seven passing TDs against Kentucky in a triple-overtime game on Nov. 24, 2007.
  - Milton is the only Vol this century with six total touchdowns in a regulation SEC game, as well as the only Vol with four-plus passing touchdowns and multiple rushing touchdowns in any game since 2000.
- Milton logged his first 300-yard game as a Vol, and his 383 passing yards and four touchdown passes both set new career-highs. He joined Hendon Hooker (five vs. Alabama in 2022) and Joshua Dobbs (four vs. Florida in 2016) as the only Tennessee QBs in the past decade with four TD passes against an SEC opponent.
- With a trio of touchdown tosses in the first half, Milton was Tennessee's first quarterback with three TD passes in a half since Hendon Hooker had three in the second half against Alabama on Oct. 15, 2022.
- Milton closed the first half with a two-yard rushing touchdown and plodded into the end zone from two yards again in the third quarter, marking his sixth and seventh rushing scores of the 2023 campaign. His seven rushing TDs are the most by a Tennessee quarterback since Joshua Dobbs had 12 in 2016.
- Milton senior surpassed 5,000 career passing yards during Saturday's game. His career total stands at 5,353 (1,194 at Michigan; 4,159 at Tennessee).
TE McCallan Castles pulled in his fourth touchdown of the season with a 10-yard grab in the first quarter, while TE Jacob Warren hauled in his fourth receiving score with a 34-yard catch. The duo's eight receiving touchdowns this season are the most by a Tennessee TE unit since having nine in 2007.
- Warren had not logged a catch against Vanderbilt in three previous appearances against the Commodores. The redshirt senior finished Saturday's game with a career-high 82 yards on three catches with one touchdown.
WR Ramel Keyton cracked 100 yards receiving for the first time in his career, tallying four receptions for a game-high and career-best 122 yards with two touchdowns. He was the first Vol with multiple receiving touchdowns in a game this season and matched his career-high of two receiving TDs set against UT Martin on Oct. 22, 2022.
WR Squirrel White went over the century mark receiving for the third time this season, reeling in a career-high tying 10 catches for 110 yards.
- Saturday's game marked the first time this season the Vols have had multiple 100-yard receivers in a single game. UT last accomplished the feat against Missouri in 2022 (J. Hyatt, 146; B. McCoy, 111).

Team Defensive Notes

With two sacks in Saturday's game, Tennessee improved its season total to 36 - representing the ninth-most team sacks in a single season in program history and the most since logging a school record 50 sacks in 2000.
- The Vols have logged at least one sack in 16 consecutive games dating back to the 2022 season.
With seven tackles for loss in Saturday's game, Tennessee improved its season total to 93 - representing the 12th-most team TFLs in a single season.
The Vols limited the Commodores to 78 yards on the ground, registering their seventh game holding an opponent under 100 rushing yards this season.
- The seven games with less than 100 yards rushing is the most by a Vol defense in a season since the 2005 defense did it nine times.
- Tennessee is 7-0 this season when holding opponents to under 100 yards rushing. They have won their last 10 games when holding an opponent to less than 100 yards rushing dating back to 2021.

Individual Defensive Notes

DB Will Brooks led the defensive unit with a career-high eight total tackles and also collected his first career TFL.
DL James Pearce Jr. led the defense with 1.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries for Tennessee. The sophomore has posted more than one TFL in more than six games this season, including five SEC contests.

Special Teams Notes

PK Charles Campbell converted a 24-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter and a 27-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, improving his tally to 18 field goals on the season. The redshirt senior is a perfect 15-for-15 this season on kicks from inside 40 yards.
- His 18 made field goals are the most by a Vol in a single season since Brent Cimaglia made 23 during the 2019 campaign.
LB Kalib Perry logged the second blocked kick of his career, getting a hand on a punt late in the first quarter. It was Tennessee's fourth blocked kick this season and eighth of the Josh Heupel era.

Career Highs

The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:

Offense

TE McCallan Castles
- 1 receiving touchdown (ties FBS career high)
QB Nico Iamaleava
- 9 pass completions
- 12 pass attempts
WR Ramel Keyton
- 2 touchdowns (ties career high)
- 122 receiving yards
QB Joe Milton III
- 4 passing touchdowns
- 2 rushing touchdowns (ties career high)
- 6 touchdowns responsible for (prior career high was 4 on Sept. 2, 2023, against Virginia)
- 383 passing yards (prior career high was 344 on Nov. 7, 2020, at Indiana)
TE Hunter Salmon
- 2 receptions
- 21 receiving yards
- 14-yard long reception
TE Jacob Warren
- 82 receiving yards
- 1 touchdown (ties career high)
WR Squirrel White
- 10 receptions (ties career high)