Vols Lose to Vanderbilt, 42-24, in Season Finale
The Tennessee Volunteers
concluded the 2017 football season Saturday with a 42-24 loss to
Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in front of a crowd of 83,117.
After
a close start, Vanderbilt (5-7, 1-7 SEC) took a 21-14 lead shortly
before halftime with a touchdown. While Tennessee (4-8, 0-8) came
within four points on a 49-yard field goal by Aaron Medley, the
Commodores pulled away and eventually out-gained Tennessee 529 to 238
yards.
Vanderbilt quarterback Kyle Shurmur completed 20-of-31
passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns, and running back Ralph Webb
rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
Redshirt freshman
quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 14-of-22 passes for 183 yards
and two touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Brandon Johnson recorded
107 receiving yards, his second career game with at least 100 yards.
The
Vols honored their 22 seniors before their final home game at Neyland
Stadium. This year's senior class combined for 29 wins over their past
four seasons and three-consecutive bowl game victories for the first
time in program history.
The Vols wasted no time getting on
the scoreboard, marching 85 yards down the field and finishing with a
touchdown on the first possession. Guarantano found Marquez Callaway in
the corner of the end zone with 10:06 on the clock.
Vanderbilt
answered on its first possession, a 75-yard drive capped by a nine-yard
connection from Shurmur to C.J. Duncan to tie the game 7-7.
John
Kelly pushed across the goal line on a one-yard gain for his ninth
touchdown of the year on the next Tennessee drive with 2:50 left in the
first to put the Vols ahead, 14-7, after the extra point by Medley.
The
Commodores converted on the following six-minute, 75-yard drive to tie
the game again with Webb spinning over the defense and into the end
zone.
After the Vols went scoreless on a drive, Vanderbilt
took the lead for the first time. Shurmur found Kalija Lipscomb in open
space down the right side for a 30-yard touchdown to give the
Commodores a 21-14 lead with 2:37 left in the first half. Vanderbilt
had a touchdown called back for an ineligible receiver in its next
possession, and the score remained the same at halftime.
Tennessee
chipped away Vanderbilt's lead to 21-17 as Medley hit a career-long
49-yard field goal with 5:22 left in the third quarter, ending a
30-yard drive that began when Tennessee's defense foiled a Vanderbilt
fourth down attempt.
Vanderbilt tallied 21 points in the
fourth quarter. Shurmur connected with Trent Sherfield for a 20-yard
touchdown and added another touchdown on a 1-yard connection from
Shurmur to Sherfield again. Webb rushed for a 20-yard touchdown, his
second of the night, with 5:59 remaining to put Vanderbil up, 42-17.
The
Vols scored their first touchdown of the second half when Guarantano
hit Ethan Wolf with a 20-yard pass, making the score 42-24 with 4:27
remaining.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker Daniel Bituli led
the Vols with 12 tackles, and junior defensive back Micah Abernathy
added 11 tackles.
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