Tennessee sent the seniors out in style.
The Volunteers rolled to a 48-24 victory over Vanderbilt on Senior Day inside Neyland Stadium to close out the regular season.
“Senior Day – we’re proud of this group,” Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel said. “A lot of them were here when I first got here and chose to stay here through some uncertainty. They bought into our vision of what the program can and would be about. It’s a phenomenal group.”
The Vols finished the 2023 regular season at 8-4 (4-4 in SEC play) and now await their bowl destination.
Tennessee rolled to 617 yards in total offense, and Joe Milton scored six total touchdowns in his final game inside Neyland.
“I’m proud of his resiliency,” Heupel said of Milton. “He continued to prepare to fight and compete extremely well. He was really good throughout the course of the football game. He was decisive, in the right spot, and recognized coverage. He did some really good things.”
Milton ended the game 22-of-33 with 383 yards and four touchdowns through the air while adding two touchdowns on the ground.
Ramel Keyton had 122 yards on seven catches, while Squirrel White had 10 catches for 110 yards.
Jaylen Wright was the leading rusher for the Vols as he had 75 yards on 11 carries. The running back surpassed 1,000 yards on the year – the first Tennessee running back to eclipse the century mark since Jalen Hurd did it in 2015.
Tennessee opened the game with a quick scoring drive as Milton found Keyton for a 56-yard touchdown pass on the game’s third play from scrimmage.
Vanderbilt answered on their first offensive drive as AJ Swann hit Junior Sherrill for a 19-yard touchdown.
Tennessee broke the stalemate late in the quarter as McCallan Castles caught a 10-yard pass from Milton for a score as the Vols held a 14-7 lead after a quarter of play.
Tennessee took control in the second by outscoring Vanderbilt 17-3 -including touchdowns when Jacob Warren scored on a 34-yard pass from Milton and a two-yard touchdown run from Milton.
That allowed Tennessee to take a 31-10 halftime lead.
Keyton and Milton connected in the third quarter for a 46-yard touchdown, while Milton added a two-yard run.
Charles Campbell had a 27-yard field goal in the fourth to account for the final Tennessee score.
Premium suggestions
1
All suggestions
