Nov. 23, 2013
Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Howell’s Photos 
| USATSI Photos | Justice’s Photos
Vanderbilt – Tennessee Postgame Notes
November 23, 2013
Neyland Stadium
Pregame Notes
• Vanderbilt is in its 124th year of organized football.
• The Commodores wore black helmets with white jerseys and pants marking the first time this season the Dores wore that combination.
• Vanderbilt won the toss and elected to receive in the first half.
• Attendance was 97,223.
• Vanderbilt captains for the game were Chase Garnham, Walker May, Wesley Johnson and Austyn Carta-Samuels.
Team Notes
• Saturday’s meeting between Vanderbilt and Tennessee was the 108th all time, the most of any VU opponent.
• With Kenny Ladler’s first quarter interception, Vanderbilt has now forced at least one turnover in five straight games.
• Vanderbilt beat Tennessee for the second straight year marking the first time VU has posted back-to-back wins over Tennessee since 1925-26.
• Vandy’s 16 wins over the past two seasons are the most for the Commodores since the 1927-28 seasons.
• The Dores’ nine SEC wins over the last two seasons are the most since the 1934-35 seasons.
• The victory at Tennessee was the first for Vanderbilt since 2005 and marked the Commodores’ fifth road SEC victory in the last two seasons.
Individual Notes
• Wesley Johnson made his 49th career start Saturday night at left tackle to take sole ownership of the Vanderbilt career record for starts. Johnson trails only Georgia’s Aaron Murray in career starts among active players in the SEC.
• Kenny Ladler’s interception in the first quarter was his fifth of the season and marked the fourth straight game with an interception. The takeaway was the 17th for VU in the last five games.
• Jordan Matthews’ has now caught at least one pass in 32 straight games – the longest active streak in the SEC.
• Jerron Seymour’s four-yard rushing TD in the first quarter was his team-best 13th of the season.
• Jordan Matthews’ four-yard catch in the first quarter broke former Commodore Earl Bennett’s SEC record for career receptions giving him 237 catches in his career.
• Kenny Ladler forced his fourth fumble in his last six games knocking the ball loose on a play late in the first quarter.
• Paris Head picked off his second pass of the season and has one interception in two straight games.
• Darrius Sims’ 71-yard return in the third quarter set a new career-long for Sims and is the longest kick return by a Commodore this season.
• Paris Head picked off his second pass of the night on a fake field goal attempt in the fourth quarter making him the first Commodore this season to pick off two passes in a game.
• Jordan Matthews established a new career-high with 13 receptions in the game for 133 yards – his seventh 100-yard game of the season and SEC record 17th of his career.
• Chase Garnham registered a season-best 10 tackles in the game, his fourth career 10-tackle game.
• Karl Butler and Andrew Hal each had two tackles for loss.
Offensive Notes
• Jerron Seymour’s four-yard rushing score in the first quarter was Vanderbilt’s 32nd red zone TD this season.
• Vanderbilt led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, marking the third straight game the Commodores led after one quarter of play.
• The Commodores completed 24 passes on the night with 13 going to Jordan Matthews.
Defensive Notes
• Kenny Ladler’s interception in the first quarter was his fifth of the season and marked the fourth straight game with an interception. The takeaway was the 17th for VU in the last five games.
• With Kenny Ladler’s first quarter interception, Vanderbilt has now forced at least one turnover in five straight games.
• Paris Head picked off his second pass of the night on a fake field goal attempt in the fourth quarter making him the first Commodore this season to pick off two passes in a game.
• The defense held Tennessee to 53 yards passing on the night with two interceptions.
• The Commodores forced three turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble recovery) in the game to run their total to 19 takeaways over the last five games.
• Vanderbilt held Tennessee to 10 points – the fewest since 1968 and the fewest in a win since a 14-0 victory in 1959.
Special Teams Notes
• Adam Butler blocked Tennessee’s first field goal attempt of the game after blocking a Kentucky PAT last week.
• Darrius Sims’ 71-yard return in the third quarter set a new career-long for Sims and is the longest kick return by a Commodore this season.