“That is the Game”: Vanderbilt Football Ready for Tempo-Filled Game Against Tennessee

NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt could be in for another game on the highway this weekend.

For the final week of the college football regular season, No. 14 Vanderbilt travels to Knoxville to take on No. 19 Tennessee. The Commodores are rolling into Knoxville with plenty of postseason implications to play for.

With the fast-paced offensive style that Tennessee plays under head coach Josh Heupel, it is likely that the rivalry game between Vanderbilt and Tennessee will be tempo-focused. The winner of the game could very well come down to which team controls the tempo of the game more. Can Vanderbilt calm down the speed of the Tennessee offense?

“That is the game,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said. “It's handling that and making sure that we're in position to play Vanderbilt football, that we're not chasing the ball around the field.”

Vanderbilt is going to have to be ready for the Tennessee passing offense. The Volunteers are fourth in college football in passing offense, averaging 307.9 passing yards per game. Tennessee also ranks fourth in the country in total offense with 491 yards of offense per game. In short, Vanderbilt’s defense has to keep Tennessee behind the chains, or it could pay for it in a bad way.

Three weeks ago, Vanderbilt played Auburn and beat the Tigers in an overtime thriller 45-38. That game was one of the few games this season in which Auburn played with a faster pace, and it ended up hurting Vanderbilt defensively. It was the second week in a row that Vanderbilt had surrendered 34 or more points in a game. The biggest adjustment that had to be made between the game against Auburn on Nov. 8 and last week against Kentucky was communication on defense. This week, communication on defense is going to need to be heightened.

“Our defense has to be able to be organized and get the call and have cleats on the ground. They are so effective in both the run game and the perimeter game. As the series goes, getting the ball up over the top when you get on your heels,” Lea said.

But what Vanderbilt may face defensively, it can also do on offense. One of the premier characteristics of the Vanderbilt offense is the ability to control the tempo of the game. The Commodores usually run the offense at a slower pace compared to Tennessee, but in games such as the Auburn game, Vanderbilt proved that it can also run the offense at a quick rate.

When Vanderbilt switched up to what it calls “NASCAR mode” in the second half of the Auburn game, only one of its possessions lasted more than 2:04 between the final two quarters and overtime.

The ability for Vanderbilt to run both a clock-controlled offense or a fast-pace offense is what makes the Vanderbilt offense so difficult to defend. And Vanderbilt might have a matchup a team dreams of when quarterback Diego Pavia leads his offense onto the field of Neyland Stadium.

Vanderbilt ranks 17th in the nation in total offense and ninth in the country in points per game. Tennessee's defense is 75th in the country in total defense. Tennessee’s defense has also given up plenty of points to SEC opponents, allowing 32 points per game in conference play.

Vanderbilt’s ability to change the tempo could certainly come into good use on Saturday. If it is a game where plenty of points are scored, Vanderbilt is comfortable with that. If it becomes a game where defenses on both sides make plays, Vanderbilt is fine running a slow-paced offense as well.

“That's how you become a dangerous team. When you are able to switch the tempo up anytime you want, and then go at a slow pace and take over the game and just hold the ball. Yeah, you become a dangerous team. We can do both,” Vanderbilt wide receiver Junior Sherrill said.

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