Key developments: Tennessee beat up Vanderbilt … poise prevailed over panic … defense drained Commodore enthusiasm … season achievement exceeded expectations … surely Vols earned a place in the playoff.

Numbers, one spelled out: The warrior, Dylan Sampson, ran for 178 yards and broke another record … Nico threw four touchdown passes …Vols are now No. 6 in the AP and coaches’ polls … UT record is 10-2.
Worth repeating: “The better you play, the more you win, the bigger the games get,” Josh Heupel said. “For us, this is the next step in our journey.”

He knows. He’s been there.

In the shock of the season, Vanderbilt’s Junior Sherrill returned the opening kickoff 100 yards untouched. Forty seconds later, Sampson lost a fumble at the UT 26. The Commodores turned the turnover into another touchdown. It was a terrible beginning for Tennessee, the worst start imaginable, a developing disaster.

Thousands of fans in orange were stunned. Most of the home half of the “crowd” (28,934) were undoubtedly amazed at Vanderbilt 14, Tennessee 0. Looks like a typographical error.

Nico Iamaleava cut the deficit in half with a TD pass to Dont’e Thornton but the Vols continued to stagger. Vandy drove for a routine field goal and a 17-7 lead.

The beginning of the end of that foolishness was Max Gilbert’s 50-yard answer, a kick that hit the crossbar and fell across. Nico and Thornton linked up on an 86-yard catch-and-run to tie the score. Dont’e looked much faster than the Vandy secondary.

Next came the dramatic turning point, a convincing 10-play, 96-yard relentless march. Nico threw a perfect TD pass to Miles Kitselman just 22 seconds before halftime.

“Huge,” said Heupel.

Even before that, Tennessee’s defense had started knocking the fire from the cocky Commodores.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea was a witness but seemed uncertain about the cause. He thought he saw “a disappointing effort through the middle to the finish for us.”

He mentioned a clear shift in energy, 29 unanswered points, and the second-half domination when Tennessee ran 44 plays and Vandy had 11.

“I didn’t recognize our team that was on the field, and that’s disappointing.”

That’s one way of saying the Vols indeed overwhelmed Vandy. There was a spectacular interception by Jermod McCoy. A Jackson Ross punt and a hustle play by snapper Matthew Salansky to down the ball at the 4 set up a safety. Tyre West made the two-point end zone tackle. Arion Carter led with seven tackles. Josiah Josephs applied the heat and may have made Diego Pavia just a little bit nervous.

Vols running back Dylan Sampson #6 broke another record Saturday in Nashville. Sampson broke the UT single-season rushing record held by Travis Stephens (1,464 yards in 2001). Sampson has 1,485. (Photo by Andrew Ferguson/ UT Athletics)

The transfer quarterback is a fighter but he lost this fight. He ran 11 times for a net of 45 yards. He completed eight of 17 passes for 104, one TD, the one pick. Nico threw for 257, ran for 42 and told off a chippy Commodore who got in his face.

Teammates applauded Nico’s tough-guy demonstration.

Heupel said Iamaleava played really well. I said amen. He remains a work in progress but his talent is not make-believe. This may have been his best game – decisions, down-the-field throws, scrambles, option execution, no sacks. The losers helped by dropping eight.

Nico had one smelly bad throw, seriously short to Thornton. The interception was easy for corner Martel Hight.

Heupel said he grades quarterbacks on how they respond to critical situations, when things are not going well.

“And our guy is a fierce competitor … he’s just going to continue to get better.”

Heupel said he was proud of the team.

“We talked about finishing the regular season the right way … prepared the right way … sure didn’t start the right way but we had competitive composure … belief in the guys around you … just kept fighting and flipped the game in the second quarter.

“Defensively, we did a great job bottling up the quarterback (Pavia) … special teams, some things we can do better.”

Nobody, not even the coach, knows what to say about the playoff beyond you can’t win it unless you are in it.

“It’s go-time for us,” said Nico. “We have the utmost confidence. We’ll take this team versus anyone.”

The selection committee is not dependably predictable. After conference championship games, it might do anything regarding who goes where in the bracket. Logic may apply.

Four first-round playoff games will be on competitors’ campuses Dec. 20-21. Quarterfinals will be at the Fiesta Bowl Dec. 31 and Peach, Rose and Sugar bowls on Jan. 1. Semifinals are planned for Jan. 9-10 at the Orange and Cotton bowls. The national championship game will be Jan. 20 in Atlanta.

Bits ‘n pieces: Tennessee offense racked up 538 yards (257 passing, 281 rushing), most in a conference game this season. Vols averaged 7.37 yards per play, best against an SEC foe since Vanderbilt last season. Tennessee converted 11-of-15 third downs.

Sampson broke the UT single-season rushing record held by Travis Stephens (1,464 yards in 2001). Sampson has 1,485. This was his 10th 100-yard rushing game this season, second behind Jay Graham (11 in 1995). Sampson already owned the school single-season records for total TDs and rushing TDs (22).

The Vols were again guilty of attempted suicide. They were penalized 102 yards for 13 violations. John Campbell’s personal foul after a play might have been the worst. His thermostat was still stuck on the sideline.

Get well soon: Bru McCoy didn’t play after a hamstring flare-up during warm-ups. Thornton left the game at halftime. Peyton Lewis retired early with an injury. DeSean Bishop reappeared. Squirrel White suffered damage on a late hit that wasn’t flagged. Officials just didn’t see it.

Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmil.com