KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee will head into its bowl game with the type of momentum it hasn't enjoyed in several years.
Joshua Dobbs threw two touchdown passes to Von Pearson and ran for a third score Saturday as Tennessee trounced Vanderbilt 53-28 to end the regular season with its first five-game winning streak since 2007. This also marks the first time Tennessee (8-4, 5-3 SEC) has won at least eight games in a season since the 2007 team finished 10-4.
"I believe we're one of the best teams in the country, and our players believe that," Tennessee Coach Butch Jones said. "There's a lot of positive energy surrounding our program."
Tennessee's Jalen Hurd rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, and Cameron Sutton scored on an 85-yard punt return. Vanderbilt stayed close for most of the first half before Tennessee reeled off 33 consecutive points, turning a 20-14 game into a 53-14 runaway.
Ralph Webb rushed for 149 yards and Kyle Shurmur threw three touchdown passes for Vanderbilt (4-8, 2-6).
"We were our own worst enemy tonight," Vanderbilt Coach Derek Mason said. "I thought we hadn't done anything any different just in terms of game plan and execution. We looked at these guys. We knew who they were, and they weren't any different than what we thought. We just needed to tackle better, we needed to get off the field on third down and just do a better job overall of just playing the game."
Tennessee beat Vanderbilt for a second consecutive year after losing to its in-state rival in 2012 and 2013. Tennessee has won 31 of its last 34 meetings with Vanderbilt overall.
The Volunteers put up their highest point total against a Southeastern Conference opponent since a 59-21 victory over Mississippi State in 2003 to continue their remarkable turnaround from a 3-4 start.
"There's no quit in us," Sutton said. "Our hunger grows week in and week out. Adversity's going to hit a team, and it hit us early, but we put it upon the leaders of the team to step up, embrace it and make a change. We did that and came together."
Tennessee trounced Vanderbilt with a well-rounded attack. Tennessee rushed for 331 yards, the defense produced a safety when Derek Barnett sacked Shurmur in the end zone and Aaron Medley kicked three field goals. Alvin Kamara rushed for 99 yards, and Dobbs ran for 93 yards while throwing for 140 yards.
Sutton arguably delivered the biggest play of all.
Vanderbilt was only trailing 20-14 late in the second quarter before Sutton's punt return helped Tennessee seize control of the game. Sutton stumbled initially, but he regained his footing and headed toward the right sideline before sprinting into the end zone.
This marked the second consecutive year Sutton has scored on a punt return against Vanderbilt, as he had a 76-yarder to open the scoring last season in Tennessee's 24-17 victory. Sutton, who scored on an 84-yard return against Kentucky last month, is the first Tennessee player to score two touchdowns on punt returns in one season since Terry Fair in 1996. Sutton has 467 yards in punt returns this season, breaking Bobby Majors' 46-year-old school record.
"It's a blessing," Sutton said. "It's amazing."
Tennessee has scored on a total of six returns this season. Evan Berry has three touchdowns on kickoff returns and Kamara scored one touchdown on a punt return.
According to STATS, Tennessee has the most combined touchdowns on punt and kickoff returns in one season by any Football Bowl Subdivision program since North Carolina had seven in 2013. North Carolina scored on five punt returns and two kickoff returns that season.
Sutton's touchdown turned the momentum in Tennessee's favor for good after Vanderbilt hung around for the first 25 minutes.
NO. 19 MISSISSIPPI 38,
MISSISSIPPI STATE 27
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Chad Kelly threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead No. 19 Mississippi over No. 23 Mississippi State 38-27 on Saturday night.
Ole Miss (9-3, 6-2 Southeastern Conference, No. 18 CFP) jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead and was never in serious trouble during the second half. Kelly threw two touchdown passes — both to Damore’ea Stringfellow — and ran for another while Tony Bridges returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown.
It’s just the second time the road team has won the Egg Bowl in 12 years.
Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4, No. 21) struggled in quarterback Dak Prescott’s final home game at Davis Wade Stadium.
Prescott completed 31 of 42 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked seven times and rarely looked comfortable in the pocket.
Ole Miss finished its second straight nine-win regular season.
LSU 19, TEXAS A&M 7
BATON ROUGE, La. — If coach Les Miles is indeed done roaming the home sideline at LSU’s Death Valley, he’ll have gone out a winner, carried off on his players shoulders while fans serenaded him.
Leonard Fournette ran for 159 yards, Derrius Guice had a 50-yard scoring run and a touchdown and LSU beat Texas A&M 19-7 on Saturday night. Guice had 73 yards rushing and also had a 75-yard kickoff return for LSU (8-3, 5-3 Southeastern Conference), which ended a three-game skid that had raised questions about Miles’ job security. LSU’s administration has declined comment on Miles’ status, fueling speculation that his days roaming Death Valley’s home sideline are ending after 11 seasons.
But as the game ended, fans chanted, “Keep Les Miles! Keep Les Miles!”
Fournette, who was one of Miles’ prized 2014 recruits, finished the game owning LSU’s single-season rushing record at 1,741 yards, surpassing the mark of 1,686 yards set by Charles Alexander in 1977.
Kyle Allen passed for 161 yards and one touchdown for the Aggies (8-4, 4-4), but had a pass intercepted by Donte Jackson inside the final 2 minutes, all but sealing LSU’s victory.
NO. 14 FLORIDA STATE 27,
NO. 10 FLORIDA 2
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida State made history in the Swamp on Saturday night.
Dalvin Cook ran for 183 yards and two touchdowns, Roberto Aguayo kicked two long field goals and the No. 14 Seminoles upended 10th-ranked Florida 27-2.
Florida State won its third consecutive game at Florida Field — the first time that’s happened in the storied rivalry — and ended any chance the Gators (10-2) had of making the College Football Playoff in which it was ranked 12th.
Florida avoided its first shutout in the Swamp since 1988 when FSU quarterback Sean Maguire recovered a fumble in the end zone for a safety with 8:58 remaining.
It was little consolation for the Gators, who will be huge underdogs next week for the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta against second-ranked Alabama.
Florida State (10-2, No. 13 CFP), which didn’t make the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, awaits its bowl assignment. The Seminoles probably locked up a spot in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 31 in Atlanta.
Sports on 11/29/2015