Vanderbilt @ Tennessee preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 24, 2018 ) Tennessee 13, Vanderbilt 38

It has been quite the turnaround for Tennessee, which looks to continue its late season surge from an 0-2 start to bowl eligibility when it hosts in-state rival Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Volunteers have won four in a row and come in following an impressive offensive performance in last week’s 24-20 victory over Missouri, as Tennessee registered a season-high 526 yards of offense and junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano passed for 415 yards.

Guarantano, who started for the first time since Sept. 21, set a career-high for yards passing and became the first Tennessee quarterback since 2012 to pass for more than 400 yards in a game. “I can’t say enough about what kind of grit, determination, character that he has to hang in here, and he’s helped us kind of turn this season around,” Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt told reporters Monday in describing Guarantano, who was benched in midseason. The Commodores snapped a three-game losing streak with a 38-0 victory last week over East Tennessee State, and seek their fourth consecutive victory over Tennessee. “I take pride that this team is going to compete in this ballgame, and that’s what you’ve got to do,” Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason told reporters Monday.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Tennessee -21

ABOUT VANDERBILT (3-8, 1-6 SEC): Senior quarterback Riley Neal completed 16-of-24 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns last week, and senior tight end Jared Pinkney caught both scoring passes while finishing with five receptions for 76 yards. Senior running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yarder early in the third quarter. Vaughn is fifth in the SEC with 1,015 rushing yards and tied for fifth with nine touchdowns.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (6-5, 4-3): Guarantano finished 23-for-40 with two touchdowns on a record-setting day for the Volunteers offense, as three receivers finished with more than 100 yards receiving for the first time in school history. Junior Josh Palmer caught six passes for 124 yards, senior Marquez Callaway finished with six receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown, and senior Jauan Jennings caught five passes for 115 yards and a score. Senior Daniel Bituli finished with 12 tackles and a sack last week and leads the Volunteers with 74 stops on the season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Vanderbilt leads the SEC and is tied for sixth in FBS in least fumbles lost (three).

2. Tennessee senior DB Nigel Warrior is tied for the SEC lead with four interceptions and tied for third in passes defended (11).

3. Volunteers junior LG Trey Smith earned SEC offensive lineman of the week, while Guarantano was named conference offensive player of the week on Monday.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 38, Vanderbilt 17