Column: Another Vols victory, with just a few twists

By DAVID CLIMER

Stop me if you've heard this one before ...

Tennessee beat Vanderbilt on Saturday night.

Yes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The Vols have owned Vanderbilt in football since the Reagan administration. The Commodores have beaten UT only once in the last 27 meetings - a 28-24 decision at Neyland Stadium in 2005.

Even last season, when the Vols went 5-7 and Phillip Fulmer was fired as coach, the Commodores lost to UT 20-10.

Earlier in the week, Vanderbilt Coach Bobby Johnson acknowledged that UT "has dominated the series in the last 30 years."

This was more of the same, albeit with some interesting turns along the way. With UT leading 24-13 deep in the fourth quarter, the Commodores drove to the Vols' 2 before having to settle for a field goal that pulled them within eight points at the 2:54 mark.

UT freshman Bryce Brown fielded the ensuing onside kick, and the Vols were able to run the clock down. Senior defensive tackle Wes Brown capped things by picking off a hurried pass by Vanderbilt's Mackenzi Adams and returning it 25 yards for a touchdown with three seconds remaining.

It was a fitting finish. Wes Brown is a fifth-year senior and a survivor. He has played through the pain of recurring knee injuries this season.

"I'm not used to intercepting balls and running with them, so it was a dream come true for me," he said. "You couldn't write a better ending than that."

With the 31-16 victory, the Vols ran their record to 6-5 and achieved bowl eligibility.

If they beat Kentucky next Saturday night in Lexington, the Vols could be bound for either the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Fla., or the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. A loss to Kentucky would put UT into the mix for the Music City Bowl, among other possibilities.

While bowl trips used to be taken for granted at UT - the Vols went to 16 straight from 1989-2004 and won a national championship in '98 - this was far from a sure thing. The Vols started the season 1-2 and were 3-4 after the narrow loss at Alabama on Oct. 24.

"We have a long ways to go to be a championship team, but we saw some good things along the way," said first-year UT Coach Lane Kiffin.

Both teams want more

The game ended a forgettable season for Vanderbilt. One year removed from a 7-6 season and the school's first bowl victory since 1955, the Commodores limped in at 2-10 overall and 0-for-Southeastern Conference. They ended the season on an eight-game losing streak.

The last time Vanderbilt went winless in the SEC was 2002, Johnson's first season as coach.

Johnson said he believes the program has improved in the last seven years, "but the conference is a lot better than in '02."

Clearly, neither program is where it hopes to be. Eleven years after its national championship season, Tennessee is struggling to reclaim market share in the SEC Eastern Division.

Likewise, Vanderbilt's bowl run last year increased expectations. This season is considered a step in the wrong direction.

Johnson's eighth Vanderbilt team was hamstrung by a lack of offense. The Commodores arrived at kickoff ranked dead last in the SEC in three key offensive categories - scoring, total yardage and passing yardage. They scored only five offensive touchdowns against eight conference opponents this season.

Meanwhile, Tennessee football appears to be on an uptick under Kiffin. He has talked repeatedly this season about building for the future, so a bowl bid is a step in the right direction.

"It's huge for us," Kiffin said.

It has not been smooth sailing, however. In the wee hours of Nov. 12, two days before UT's game at Ole Miss, three Vols freshmen were arrested on attempted armed robbery charges after an incident outside a convenience store near campus.

Two of the players, Nu'Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards, have been dismissed from the team. The other, Janzen Jackson, is under indefinite suspension while university officials look into his role.

As for the on-field performance, this UT team has been a mixed bag. In addition to a dominating 45-19 victory over Georgia in mid-October, the Vols played well in losses at Florida and Alabama.

But the 42-17 blowout defeat at Ole Miss last week and the second-half struggle against Vanderbilt served as reminders that much work still remains.