Remembering Lane Kiffin’s victories as Vols’ head coach: Tennessee 31, Vanderbilt 16
When Tennessee hosts Ole Miss Saturday at Neyland Stadium, it will mark Lane Kiffin’s return to Rocky Top as a head coach.
Kiffin, who is in his second year with the Rebels, served as Tennessee’s head coach in 2009.
He guided the Vols to a 7-6 record, including a 4-4 mark in the Southeastern Conference.
Kiffin’s last game with the Vols was a 37-14 loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31, 2009.
On Jan. 12, 2010, Kiffin left Tennessee to become USC’s head coach.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, Vols Wire will look at each of Kiffin’s victories as Tennessee’s head coach.
This installment will revisit Tennessee’s 31-16 victory over Vanderbilt on Nov. 21, 2009.
The Commodores paid a visit to Knoxville in UT’s home finale and the Vols darted out to a fast start as Montario Hardesty had a 5-yard touchdown and Devin Mathis kicked a 25-yard field goal to help the Big Orange open a 10-0 lead with 5 minutes, 41 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The Commodores would, however, respond with 10 consecutive points as Ryan Fowler kicked a field goal and Mackenzi Adams threw a touchdown pass as Vanderbilt pulled even, knotting the score, 10-10, with 8:30 left in the second stanza.
Tennessee would regain the upper hand late in the frame as Jonathan Crompton had a pair of scoring strikes late in the first half.
Crompton went 20-of-34 for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He connected with Denarius Moore from 11 yards out to make it 17-10 with 3:16 left in the second frame.
UT extended its advantage to 24-10 when Crompton found Luke Stocker on a 16-yarder with five seconds remaining before halftime.
The Commodores would add add a pair of field goals by Fowler to pull to within 21-16 by the 2:54 mark of the fourth quarter.
Vanderbilt would engineer a potential game-tying drive late, but the Vols’ Wes Brown ended the Commodores’ last gasp when he had a 25-yard interception return with three seconds left in the game.
Hardesty was Tennessee’s leading rusher, amassing 171 yards on 32 carries.
