Sedrick Alexander ran for three touchdowns as No. 14 Vanderbilt posted a 45-24 road win over No. 19 Tennessee on Saturday in SEC action from Knoxville, Tenn.
The Commodores outgained the Volunteers 582-382 in the 119th all-time matchup between the schools — and the first ever meeting where both teams were ranked. Vanderbilt, which defeated four ranked teams this season, and Tennessee, which went 0-4 against ranked opponents, each will await their bowl fates.
Diego Pavia went 18-of-28 for 268 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Commodores (10-2, 6-2 SEC), while adding 20 carries for 165 yards and a score. Alexander rushed 10 times for 115 yards, helping Vanderbilt average 8.5 yards per carry as a team.
Joey Aguilar went 29-of-44 for 299 yards and a touchdown for Tennessee (8-4, 4-4). DeSean Bishop fueled the Volunteers’ ground game with 20 carries for 97 yards and two touchdowns.
Tennessee opened the scoring late in the first quarter on Bishop’s 2-yard TD run, but Vanderbilt promptly marched down for a score of its own. Alexander punctuated the drive with a 28-yard TD run, tying the score at 7-7 after one quarter.
Makhilyn Young’s 3-yard TD plunge put Vanderbilt ahead 14-7 early in the second quarter, but Tennessee answered just 65 seconds later on Aguilar’s 52-yard TD bomb to Chris Brazzell II.
The Volunteers kept cooking, as Ty Redmond intercepted Pavia to set up another Tennessee touchdown — a 35-yard run by Bishop in which he hurdled a defender on his way to the end zone.
However, Pavia answered in the waning seconds of the half, finding Tre Richardson for a 6-yard TD to forge a 21-21 tie at intermission.
Vanderbilt accounted for all 10 points in the third quarter, holding Tennessee to 37 total yards in the period. Alexander’s 5-yard touchdown run made it 28-21 before Brock Taylor’s field goal created a double-digit advantage.
The Volunteers closed within 31-24 on Max Gilbert’s 25-yard field goal with 12:31 remaining in the contest. However, Pavia’s 24-yard touchdown run — an untouched sprint to the left — made it 38-24 with 8:55 left.
Tennessee then turned it over on downs, setting the stage for Alexander’s game-clinching 39-yard TD sprint.
–Field Level Media
