NASHVILLE – Vanderbilt closes the regular season against Tennessee on Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
To preview the matchup, Commodores head coach Derek Mason met with the media for his weekly press conference on Tuesday. He was joined by seniors Bruno Reagan, Kyle Shurmur, Josh Smith and LaDarius Wiley.
Here’s what the Dores had to say:
• Mason said a season’s worth of hard work culminates on Saturday. "You’ve grinded through 11 weeks of the season. There’s been some good, some bad. Now what you have the opportunity to do is seize the moment."
• Mason praised Tennessee for its two top-20 wins over Auburn and Kentucky this season. "Jeremy Pruitt, an extremely good coach. He’s gotten those guys to believe in what they do and who they are."
• Mason on keys to the game for Vanderbilt: "This game is going to be about who can make the least amount of mistakes, which team is going to control the line of scrimmage and, at the end of the day, who puts it in the end zone."
• Mason said he expects Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano to line up at quarterback despite his injury last week against Missouri. The coach also said Tennessee’s receivers are dangerous. "All those guys are capable of taking the top off a defense."
• Vanderbilt has won four of the past six matchups with Tennessee, but Mason said each season is a different story. "Every year stands on its own merit. This Tennessee football team this year, not teams in the past, but the team this year has beaten two top-20 opponents."
• Mason acknowledged the winner of Saturday’s game will clinch bowl eligibility, but he also said Vanderbilt is not harping on the postseason. "Right now, we’ve got to be about getting everything we can grab today. After the game on Saturday, we can talk about that. But right now I’ve got to talk about Tennessee and being in the Tennessee moment."
• Mason implored fans to fill the stadium to honor Vanderbilt’s seniors versus Tennessee. "It’s their last opportunity in this stadium. Why not send them out with a bang? Why not make it great? Not good – great."
• Reagan on the potential of playing in a bowl game: "Getting to a bowl game would mean winning this week. Our full focus is on winning this week. If we take care of business, obviously that would be huge."
• Smith said the Commodores approach the Tennessee game like any game on their schedule. "It’s the same thing every week. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We’ve got to be the best team we can be."
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
