Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5) ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown, then forced a fumble on Tennessee's second play from scrimmage, later converting that into a touchdown. But it was mostly Vols for the rest of the first half. Tennessee scored three touchdowns and a field goal, while Vanderbilt got stopped once on fourth down.

Vanderbilt knew they would have their hands full on Saturday when welcoming in Tennessee for this hotly contested rivalry game to close out the regular season. While the Commodores have been upset-minded all year long and the Volunteers haven't played their best football in conference play,

No. 8 Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) defeated Vanderbilt, 36-23, Saturday at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville. Tennessee. The Vols led, 24-17, after trailing by 14 points in the first quarter. With the victory, Tennessee likely earned a spot in the College Football Playoff.