Live Updates: No. 12 Vanderbilt 45, No. 18 Tennessee 24 (Final)

Tennessee Football is back home for one more time this season, hosting Vanderbilt on Senior Day at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff in the regular-season finale is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.

The Vols (8-3, 4-3 SEC) won 31-11 at Florida last week while Vandy (9-2, 5-2) beat Kentucky 45-17 in Nashville. Tennessee got down 14-0 in Nashville last season, then rallied for a 36-23 win. The Vols haven’t lost to Vandy since 2018 in Nashville.

Follow along for live updates before, during and after today’s game on.The General’s Quarters

First Quarter

Tennessee 7, Vanderbilt 0 (3:49): Edrees Farooq made a play and Tennessee’s offense didn’t waste the opportunity that followed. Farooq picked off Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia at the 6-yard line and the Vols followed with a 12-play scoring drive, with DeSean Bishop starting the day with a 2-yard touchdown run. 

Tennessee 7, Vanderbilt 7 (0:58): Vanderbilt matched Tennessee’s 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive of its own to tie the game. Sedrick Alexander ran 28 yards for the game-tying touchdown. Vandy had a gain of 23 on the second snap of the drive, then another 24-yarder on the play before the touchdown.

Second Quarter

Vanderbilt 14, Tennessee 7 (11:39): Vanderbilt forced a Tennessee punt after sacking Joey Aguilar and the ‘Dores quickly went to work on offense. Vandy went for 32 yards on first down, then 37 yards on the next snap. Makhilyn Young scored on a 3-yard run to give his team the lead after the four-play, 78-yard touchdown drive.

Tennessee 14, Vanderbilt 14 (10:34): Just 65 seconds later, Tennessee had its answer. Aguilar threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell II after Brazzell got open behind the Vanderbilt defense. Mike Matthews moved the chains on the second play of the drive with a 15-yard gain. The Vols 75 yards in four plays for the game-tying score.

Tennessee 21, Vanderbilt 14 (7:51): Tennessee’s defense picked off Diego Pavia for a second time and the Vols again turned the turnover into a touchdown. This time DeSean Bishop ran 35 yards for touchdown to cap a seven-play, 63-yard touchdown drive after the Vols picked off Pavia on the first play of the previous Vandy possession.

Tennessee 21, Vanderbilt 21 (0:12): Vanderbilt tied the game again with 12 seconds left in the first half after a costly mistake by the Tennessee defense. Jalen McMurray was called for roughing the quarterback after an incomplete pass on third-and-goal, giving Vandy new life on the drive. Diego Pavia threw a 6-yard touchdown on the next snap to tie the game.

Third Quarter

Vanderbilt 28, Tennessee 21 (8:25): Vanderbilt took the lead back with an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to start the second half. Sedrick Alexander ran in from 5 yards out for the go-ahead score, giving Vandy 14 unanswered points.

Vanderbilt 31, Tennessee 21 (2:12): Tennessee went three-and-out and Vandy went back to work. Diego Pavia ran for 41 yards on first down, then for 15 more two plays later. The Vols got off the field without giving up another touchdown, but Vandy made it a 10-point lead on Brock Taylor’s 35-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

Fourth Quarter

Vanderbilt 31, Tennessee 24 (12:32): Max Gilbert kicked a 25-yard field goal to get Tennessee back within a touchdown after a 15-play, 68-yard drive. It looked like the possession was going to end in the end zone, but Mike Matthews dropped what would have been a walk-in touchdown on third-and-three at the Vandy 2-yard line. 

Vanderbilt 38, Tennessee 24 (8:55): Vanderbilt went back down the field and got the lead back to 14 on a 24-yard run from Diego Pavia. The drive went 70 yards in six plays and put Vandy 500 total yards on the day, with 506 for the Commodores to 302 for the Vols.

Vanderbilt 45, Tennessee 24 (8:55): Vanderbilt made a long night even longer when Sedrick Alexander ran 39 yards for a touchdown to make it a three-touchdown lead after Vandy had outscored Tennessee 24-3 in the second half. The Vols were stopped on the previous possession after throwing a 8-yard pass on fourth-and-14.