Here are some quick thoughts on Tennessee’s 53-28 blowout win against Vanderbilt in Knoxville on Saturday evening:

What it means: Tennessee has started a winning streak and a dominant position in this rivalry once again after a few years of weakness. That makes it two in a row for the Vols, which dropped games to the Commodores in consecutive seasons for the first time in a long time back in 2012-13. The Vols have now won five games in a row, and carry a great deal of momentum into a bowl game after winning eight games in a season for the first time since the 2007. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, finishes its season at 4-8, which is a marginal improvement from the 3-9 record Derek Mason posted during his first year at Vanderbilt.

What I liked:

  • Tennessee’s offense came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. For the fourth consecutive game, the Vols scored on their first possession, and in total, had 17 points after the offense’s first three chances.
  • Vanderbilt RB Ralph Webb turned in another very solid performance. The sophomore drug a Tennessee defender down the field on a 50-yard run during the Commodores’ first scoring drive, and then later set a school record for rushing attempts in a season, surpassing Jermaine Johnson’s mark of 268 carries in the 1995 season.
  • Tennessee’s special teams came up big again. This time it was Cam Sutton with an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown during the second quarter. It was the third punt return for a touchdown for the Vols, which makes six return touchdowns for the season when combined with their three kickoff returns. That is the most combined returned touchdowns in FBS this season.
  • Vanderbilt’s Darrius Sims scored a rushing touchdown, the first of his career after a transition to offense at the beginning of this season. He had a second touchdown run called back for holding. While it has been a slow process, the explosive runner has shown glimpses of being able to contribute as an offensive player after spending his first two years on campus as a defensive back/return specialist.
  • Tennessee’s success in the ground game was very impressive. The Vols rushed for 330 yards, with Jalen Hurd (120 yards), Alvin Kamara (99 yards) and Joshua Dobbs (93 yards) all making significant contributions. Vanderbilt allowed just 126.1 yards rushing per game in its first 11 contests.

What I didn’t like:

  • Vanderbilt’s otherwise stellar defense had all kinds of problems stopping the Vols, giving up a season-high 53 points in its final effort of the season. The previous high was 34 points to Houston in Week 9. Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs found running room in the middle of the field, which he utilized effectively to extend drives on third down as well as score points when closer to the goal line.
  • Vanderbilt’s final offensive drive at the end of the first half was a killer for the Commodores. Trailing 27-14 with a few minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Commodores drove the length of the field only to throw an interception on the Vols’ 6-yard line after WR Latevius Rayford slipped, allowing Vols S Todd Kelly Jr. to make a play.
  • In the opening drive of the second half, Vanderbilt missed multiple opportunities to sack Joshua Dobbs went unsuccessful on a third-and-long, allowing him to scamper to the sideline near the first down marker. To make matters worse for the Commodores, Derek Mason challenged the spot and lost a timeout.
  • Facing fourth-and-goal on the Vanderbilt 1 during the opening drive of the second half, Tennessee elected to go for it. Things didn’t end well, as Vols RB Jalen Hurd fumbled on his way into a lunge for the goal line and the Vols were stopped short.
  • Vanderbilt didn’t fare well with the possession following that fourth-down fumble near the goal line, as Commodores QB Kyle Shurmur held the ball entirely too long on a third-down play, allowing Vols DE Derek Barnett to sack him in the end zone for a safety.

Who’s the man: Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs. He made a good Commodores defense look very bad with the combination of his arm and his feet. The junior finished a mostly mistake-free day with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 13 of 21 passing, and ran for 93 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries before giving way to backup Quinten Dormady early in the fourth quarter.

Key play: With the Vols holding a 20-14 advantage in a tight contest with under five minutes remaining in the second quarter, Tennessee DB Cam Sutton struck with a big play on special teams. He returned a Tommy Openshaw punt 85 yards for a Vols touchdown, which extended the Tennessee lead to 27-14.

What’s next: The Commodores have finished their second season under Derek Mason with a second consecutive losing record. It is expected that Mason will return with a mandate to again improve his offensive output in a third season at the helm. Tennessee, on the other hand, is advancing to its second consecutive bowl game in Butch Jones’ third season. The Vols went to the TaxSlayer Bowl last season with a 6-6 record, and may be looking at an even better bid after improved their record to 8-4 this season.