THE DAY AFTER: VANDERBILT
After getting the wind knocked out of them early in Nashville, the Vols get up off the mat, crush Candy, and now...we ALL can exhale! Next Stop: The College Football Playoffs!
TCB...take care of business. That was the battle cry for the Vols heading into the last weekend of the regular season. No need to worry about other teams around the country faltering at the finish line...it’s too late for that, and frankly, there was enough chaos around the country last weekend to set the table for Tennessee to have the least complicated scenario imaginable: just go beat Vanderbilt in the season finale, and then you can kick back and prepare for a College Football Playoff berth. If the Vols can’t take care of that business in Nashville, then they don’t deserve to be in the Field of 12 anyway. Simple proposition...so let’s go do it!
Photo Credit: UT Athletics
Well...
The first 5 minutes of Saturday’s game in Nashville’s West End couldn’t have gone worse. Vandy takes the opening kickoff and returns it 100 yards for a touchdown. Then, on Tennessee’s second play from scrimmage, Dylan Sampson fumbles, Vandy recovers deep in Tennessee territory, and then 6 plays later, the Commodores punch it into the end zone. So with over 10 minutes left in THE FIRST QUARTER, Vanderbilt leads 14-0. Suffice to say, the social media feeds of many Vol fans were poppin’...all hope was lost, “this is the team we’ve been all season...can’t win when it matters”, “Heupel has lost control of this team...something has to change”, “we’re just not a playoff team”...you know, the same stuff we’ve heard and/or felt at various points of this entire season. We’ve all been there! But, suffice to say this too: What comes next was not only the most important 20-25 minutes of game time for this particular game...it was going to be what defined the entire season...and potential off-season for the Vols...including the coaching staff! Even after Tennessee countered with a pretty efficient touchdown drive of their own, Vandy kept coming...going for the throat. A team with nothing to lose. Not us...the other guys. But THAT is what WE needed from our guys...THAT is how a team with a Playoff spot on the line should be playing!
And that...well that is when things pivoted. If Butch Jones was coaching this team on Saturday, Tennessee would’ve lost...possibly by a lot. But thankfully, we have Josh Heupel at the wheel...and the response from Josh’s team...our team, was impressive!
After cutting the Vandy lead to 14-7, and then allowing a Commodore field goal to move the score to 17-7, Tennessee went on a roll, outscoring Vanderbilt 29-0. Most impressive was the last 7 minutes of the half, after a Max Gilbert FG, when Tennessee got the ball back and saw Nico Iamaleava connect with Donte Thornton on a picture-perfect 86 yard touchdown strike. Game tied at 17. Then, the Vols get the ball back on their own 4-yard line with a little over two and half minutes left in the half. Nico then conducts a quarterbacking master class, taking Tennessee down the field, and capping off a two-minute, 96 yard drive with a beautiful dime over the middle to Miles Kitselman for a touchdown. Vols up at halftime 24-17, AND they get the ball back to start the second half! How the Vols would open that second half now becomes the newest, most important drive in this season.
Well, Nico decided that his “master class” was far from over! Nico started to really cook...and why shouldn’t he?!? The Vanderbilt pass rush was non-existent, so what do the good ones do? They exploit the weaknesses, and man, did #8 ever do that! First with his legs...doing his best Diego Pavia impersonation, then with precision passing, the play-action felt like we were watching a video game. Great mix of pace...none of this “scoring in two minutes” stuff...it wasn’t necessary. What was necessary was the Vols choking the Commodores out, and in a 6 plus minute drive, that’s exactly what happened, culminated by Nico threading the needle to Mike Matthews on a 14 yard touchdown pass, and the Vols go up 31-17. Crisis averted...Tennessee had now gained complete control of this game. 31-17 becomes 36-17 before Vandy can score a touchdown with 6 minutes left in the game. Tennessee gets the ball back and grinds the clock out...ballgame, and by doing the necessary work, gets to put a “reserved” sign on one of the 12 tables in Café CFP...the Vols are 10-2 and by all accounts, they are IN the Playoffs!
Photo Credit: RTI
So by now, when it comes to who shined individually for the Vols, you get the gist...other than an early interception, Nico delivered a virtuoso performance. Never mind the fact that Vandy applied little to no pressure on #8, he delivered like he should in that type of circumstance...like we’ve believed he can deliver regularly. 257 yards passing, 4 TD passes, 42 yards rushing, a QBR of 195, a PFF Grade solidly in the high 70’s...Nico is beginning to look like the “different” QB we all envisioned. If we get this version of Nico in December and January, there’s no telling how far this team can go! And of course, let’s not forget the heartbeat of the team...Dylan Sampson. No touchdown on Saturday, but 178 yards rushing on 25 carries. Again, if Nico can produce like he did on Saturday, and Sampson keeps being the productive workhorse we’ve seen all season long...well, watch out! Thornton was also sublime...3 catches for 118 yards, and 2 TD’s...no question at this point about who WR1 is on this team! Let’s just hope that this 3 week break allows Donte and others to get healthy...the Vols are really banged up, so this opportunity to take a break and then still have a chance to win it all is such well-timed, good fortune!
Josh Heupel spoke post-game about the “competitive composure” this team has. He’s not wrong...this team has been through a lot, and here they are...heading to the first 12 team College Football Playoff, and I’d say they still haven’t played a great game from beginning to end! There are things to work on...most notably, curtailing the silly penalties, but get that right, get healthy, and get performances like the one we saw on offense Saturday from Nico & Co., and...factor in that we know the defense is going to be there! I’ve talked about “the climb” all season long...well, we’ve finished the initial 14 week phase of that climb...the mission to make it to the Field of 12 has been accomplished. The next phase of the climb awaits, and is the most difficult, but also has the most rewards waiting. We’re about to see truly how far this team can go, and whether that opening game is at home, or on the road, this rarified air is where the Vols belong...let’s exhale for a minute and enjoy it!
