NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. No. 8 Tennessee closes out its regular season with a high-stakes rivalry game against national foe Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.

The showdown with Volunteer State has major College Football Playoff implications for Big Orange as they look to secure a spot in the 12-team field with a win over the Commodores.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Saturday’s game will feature a national broadcast on ABC with Dave Pasch (PxP), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) and Taylor McGregor (sideline reporter) on the call. Coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET (11:00 AM CT).

Fans can listen to the Official Radio Broadcast of Tennessee on the Vol Network (local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) via 65 stations across the state of Tennessee and the Southeast, SiriusXM (ch. 119 or 191) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 961), as well as the Varsity app. A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app.

Bob Kesling (PxP), VFL Pat Ryan (Analyst) and Brent Hubbs (Analyst) will call in the action, while VFL Jayson Swain will handle side duties for Vol Network’s radio broadcast. The Big Orange Countdown pregame show begins two hours before kickoff at 10 a.m. ET. The pregame show is hosted each week by John Wilkerson, Brent Hubbs, VFL Jayson Swain and a rotating special guest from the VFL. The Vol Network will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2024.

The Spanish broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990 with Carlos Lopez (play-by-play) and VFL Fuad Reveiz on the line. That version is also available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics app.

NEED TO KNOW

Ranked among the best in the country

Tennessee heads to Nashville ranked in the FBS top 10 in nine major categories: kickoff defense (3rd – 13.0), scoring defense (4th – 13.1), third-down defense (5th – 28.8), allowed yards per play (5th – 4.33). ), total defense (6th – 284.3), tackles for loss (6th – 8.0), rushing defense (6th – 98.8), red zone defense (7th – 71.9) and rushing offense (9th – 227 ,5). The Vols lead the SEC in third-down defense, kickoff defense and rushing offense. UT and Army are the only teams in the country with a top 10 rushing offense and rushing defense.

The Big Orange are the only SEC team to hold 10 of their 11 opponents under 20 points this season and have given up the fifth-fewest offensive touchdowns in the FBS this year (16). Opponents have managed just one first-quarter touchdown against Tennessee (Kentucky) this season.

D-Samp, the SEC MVP
Junior walks back Dylan Samson is having one of the most productive seasons in SEC history and is among the top candidates to be named SEC Player of the Year. Sampson has already set three single-season program records and is also closing in on Tennessee’s career rushing touchdown record.

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native enters this weekend’s game with a UT record 22 rushing touchdowns, a mark that leads the Power Four and ranks third nationally and fifth in the SEC history with LSU’s Leonard Fournette (2015). Sampson has found pay at least once in all 11 games this season and has scored multiple touchdowns seven times this year. He ranks second in program history in career rushing scores with 35 and needs just two more to tie Gene McEver’s record of 37 from 1928-31.

Sampson also enters the regular season finale as the conference’s leading rusher with 1,307 yards, a mark that ranks sixth in UT single-season annals. He needs just 158 ​​yards to surpass Travis Stephens’ record of 1,464 yards set in 2001 and become the Vols’ rushing king in a single season.

Shut down defense
Led by defensive coordinator and Broyles Award nominee Tim Banksthe Vols have had one of the best defensive units in the country all year, ranking among the FBS leaders in scoring defense (4th – 13.1), third-down defense (5th – 28.8), allowed yards per play (5th – 4.33), total defense (6th – 284.3), tackles for loss (6th – 8.0), rush defense (6th – 98.8) and red zone defense (7th – 8.0) 71.9).

Tennessee has held opponents to under 20 points in 11 of the last 12 games dating back to last season’s 35-0 Citrus Bowl shutout of Iowa. During that span, the Vols posted three shutouts, including two this season (71-0 vs. Kent State on Sept. 14 and 56-0 vs. UTEP on Nov. 23). It is the first time UT has recorded multiple shutouts in a season since the final two regular season games of 2002 against Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Tennessee is the only SEC team to hold 10 of its 11 opponents under 20 points this season.

Vols in the CFP rankings
Tennessee enters this final weekend of the regular season in a good position to secure a spot in the new twelve-team College Football Playoff. The Vols are ranked No. 8 in the latest CFP rankings released Tuesday night and would all but guarantee themselves a spot in the field with a win Saturday afternoon.

SERIES HISTORY

Tennessee leads series, 78-32-5 (NCAA) | 80-32-5 (on field)

The Vols and Commodores meet for the 118^e time when the two teams will face off Saturday afternoon in Nashville for state bragging rights. The series dates back to 1892 and the two programs have played each other every year since 1945.

Tennessee has won 35 of the last 41 meetings in the series, including five in a row. UT’s 80 wins over Vanderbilt are the second-most among all opponents behind Kentucky (85).

ABOUT VANDERBILT

The Commodores will be bowl eligible for the first time under head coach Clark Lea, who is in his fourth season leading the program. Vanderbilt enters Saturday’s game 6-5 with a 3-4 mark in conference play and has been especially strong at home, with a 4-1 record at FirstBank Stadium this season, including a win over then-top-ranked Alabama.

Fifth-year quarterback Diego Pavia has provided a big spark for Vandy this season after transferring from New Mexico State. A semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and the Davey O’Brien Award, Pavia enters the game with 2,029 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes with just three interceptions. He also leads the team in rushing with 671 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Tight end Eli Stowers was Pavia’s favorite target with a team-high 44 receptions, 568 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Wideouts Junior Sherrill and Quincy Skinner Jr. have also combined for 727 yards and five scores through the air.

Sophomore linebacker Bryan Longwell leads the Commodores defense with 70 tackles to go with 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and an interception. Randon Fontenette leads the team with eight TFLs and eight pass breakups, while Nick Rinaldi and Khordae Sydnor’s four sacks are each tied for the team lead.