University of Tennessee Athletics
Five Things To Know: The Win vs. Vanderbilt
November 26, 2023 | Football
The No. 21 Tennessee Volunteers welcomed the Vanderbilt Commodores in Neyland Stadium for the final home game of the season, finishing off the regular season with a 48-24 victory.
The Vols improved to 8-4 in 2023 and 4-4 in Southeastern Conference action. Here are five things to know about the win:
1. Jump Starting The Offense
Tennessee entered Saturday's game having scored just two touchdowns the previous two weeks combined, but it didn't take long for them to get started against the visiting Commodores. The Vols scored on their third offensive play from a 56-yard touchdown pass from redshirt senior Joe Milton III to redshirt senior Ramel Keyton.
It was UT's third-longest pass play of the season and ninth offensive play of 50-plus yards this season. The Vols have been able to score a touchdown on their opening drive in nine of 12 games. Tennessee scored within the first minute in four of its seven home games, logging first-snap touchdowns against UTSA and Georgia, a second-snap touchdown versus UConn and a third-snap touchdown against Vanderbilt.
The second and third score of the game came from McCallan Castles' 10-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter and Jacob Warren's 34-yard strike in the second quarter which gave the tight end duo their seventh and eighth receiving touchdowns this season. It was the most receiving scores by a Tennessee tight end unit since 2007 when that group hauled in nine receiving scores.Â
Tennessee's 449 passing yards marked its most of the season, the prior being 375 against UConn on Nov. 4. 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. The Vols kept going with 31 first downs to set another season best all the way from week one with 28 against Virginia in Nashville, Tenn.
2. Signing Off From Rocky TopÂ
With it being the last home game of the season, the Vols also celebrated senior day as those departing had one more chance to put on a show for the home crowd that has supported them through their UT career.Â
Two of those seniors are the elite tight end duo that has become a staple of this Tennessee offense. Castles' 10-yard touchdown catch in the opening quarter gave him four on the season. Warren, who is wrapping up his sixth season in Knoxville, finished Saturday's game with a career-high 82 yards on three catches with one touchdown.
Another sixth-year man had a career day with Keyton recording his first 100-yard receiving game, and ending the night with a career-high 122 yards. His two touchdown strikes also matched his previous career best thanks to Milton who had career highs in yards and touchdowns on Saturday.
Capping off his one and only season on Rocky Top, PK Charles Campbell converted a 24-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter and a 17-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter, tallying 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.
3. Wrighting His Name in Record Books
Coming into the game, junior running back Jaylen Wright led all FBS running backs with 7.44 yards per carry. Saturday he passed the 1,000-yard rushing mark on the first offensive snap of the second half with a 14-yard run in the third quarter. Wright became the 19th 1,000-yard rusher in a season in program 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 carries for 1,013 yards, respectively, on the season.
4. Rocket Joe Takes Off
Milton showed up and showed out Saturday, completing 22-of-32 passes for 383 yards and four passing touchdowns. He earned a brace off two-yard rushing scores in his Neyland Stadium finale. Milton's six total touchdowns were the most in a single game by a Vol since Jonathan Crompton had six (five passing, one rushing) against Memphis on Nov. 7, 2009. 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. It doesn't stop there, as 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.Â
Milton recorded his first 300-yard passing game while wearing Orange, and his 383 passing yards and four touchdown passes both set new career highs. He joins great company with Hendon Hooker (five vs. Alabama in 2022) and Joshua Dobbs (four vs. Florida in 2016) being the only Tennessee QBs in the past decade with four TD passes against an SEC foe.Â
Milton ended the second quarter with a two-yard rushing touchdown and made his way back into the end zone from two yards out again in the third frame, giving him seven rushing scores in 2023 which is the most by a Tennessee quarterback since Joshua Dobbs had 12 in 2016. For the cherry on top, Milton 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).
5. Strong Up Front Â
The Vols defense held up their end of the bargain with two sacks in Saturday's game, improving the season total to 36 which is the ninth-most team sacks in a single season in program history and the most since logging a school record 50 sacks in 2000. Tennessee has logged at least one sack in 16 consecutive games dating back to the 2022 season.Â
They also tackled Vanderbilt behind the line of scrimmage seven times as the Vols improved their season TFL total to 93. That is good enough for the 12th-most team tackles for loss in a single season.
The Volunteers limited the Commodores to 78 yards on the ground, registering their seventh game holding an opponent under 100 rushing yards this season. That is the most by a Vol defense in a season since the 2005 defense held their opponents under 100 yards rushing nine times, the Orange and White are 7-0 this season when accomplishing the feat. Tennessee has won its last 10 games when holding an opponent to less than 100 yards rushing dating back to 2021.
Making his first career start at STAR, Will Brooks led the defensive unit with a career-high eight total tackles and also made his first career TFL while James Pearce Jr. led the defense with 1.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. Pearce has posted more than one TFL in six games this season, including five SEC contests.
Players Mentioned
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