Tennessee Volunteers vs Vanderbilt Commodores Match Player Stats On Nov 26, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Nov 26, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Quarterback Kyle Shurmur threw for a career-high 416 yards and running back Ralph Webb celebrated a record-breaking day with two touchdowns as Vanderbilt defeated in-state rival and 17th-ranked Tennessee 45-34 at Vanderbilt Stadium on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the Commodores' defense, gashed repeatedly by Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs and running back Alvin Kamara in the first half, held the Volunteers to three second-half points.

Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5 SEC) snapped a three-game losing streak against Tennessee (8-4, 4-4) and scored its most points in an SEC game since 1971.

Webb rushed for 114 yards, giving him a school-record 3,231 for his career and breaking the old mark of 3,143 set by Zac Stacy from 2009-12.

After Volunteers kicker Aaron Medley hit a 25-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 34-24 lead in the third quarter, Shurmur hit wide receiver Trent Sherfield for 32, setting up Khari Blasingame's 12-yard scoring run with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.

Commodores linebacker Zach Cunningham forced Dobbs to fumble, which safety Arnold Tarpley recovered at the Volunteers' 49 and ran into the end zone. The play was originally ruled not to be a fumble on the field and overturned on replay, so the Commodores got the ball there.

Seven plays later, Vanderbilt got its touchdown when running back Darrius Sims scooted around the left end for a 3-yard score to make it 38-34.

The Commodores got a stop after Tennessee drove to the Vanderbilt 12, when Medley hit a 37-yard field goal attempt off the right upright.

Vanderbilt, which had trouble running the ball to that point, gashed the Volunteers' defense with a 39-yard run by running back Dallas Rivers and a 28-yard scamper by Webb down the left sideline that completed the scoring.

A wildly-entertaining first two quarters saw Vanderbilt post its best total half of offense for the season (340 yards), but the Commodores trailed 31-24 at the break because of three touchdowns from Kamara, and a 17-of-18, 206-yard passing performance from Dobbs.

Kamara had a 14-yard scoring run on Tennessee's first possession and caught a 21-yard scoring yard from Dobbs on its next.

An interception by safety Micah Abernathy led to a third -- a 1-yard run 1:01 into the second quarter.

But the Volunteers couldn't stop Shurmur, who threw for 289 yards and a pair of first-half touchdown passes -- one to fullback Bailey McElwain and the other to tight end Sam Dobbs.

Midway through the second quarter, a 76-yard throw from Shurmur to Sherfield put Vanderbilt in business at the Vol 4. After a penalty, Webb raced through a hole on the left side for an easy 9-yard score to the game at 24.

The teams traded field goals before Dobbs hit wide-open wide receiver Josh Malone with a 26-yard scoring strike 54 seconds before the half ended.

NOTES: Vanderbilt OLB Landon Stokes limped off the field with an injury at the 4:02 mark of the first quarter. ... Tennessee DE Derek Barnett tied Reggie White's career school sack record, picking up the 32nd of his career on the last snap of the first half.