Vanderbilt hasn’t had a great season, but it has the opportunity to end it with its first winning streak of the year.

And Commodores head coach Derek Mason is optimistic that a strong finish to a season can bring good fortune in the future.

“The way you end the chapter is sometimes how you start the next,” Mason said during his Tuesday press conference.

On Saturday, Vanderbilt travels to Tennessee to end the season with a rivalry matchup. As the Commodores have struggled, going 1-6 in SEC play, the Vols have improved of late. They’ve won four straight games, including a trio of SEC games that has bettered their record in conference play to 4-3.

Mason is preparing to face a strong Tennessee pass defense, one of its reasons for its recent better play.

“Elite pass rushers,” Mason told the media. “Once the chemistry kicks in it can lead to something special.”

Vanderbilt has some momentum coming of its 38-0 win over East Tennessee State. And the Commodores have dominated the series vs. the Vols in recent years, winning three straight meetings between the two teams and five of the last seven.

“We’re looking for our best game Saturday. Coming off the win I think these guys have confidence,” Mason said. “It’s one of those games where emotions run high. You’ve got to work hard to stay in the middle. You can’t get caught up in your emotions.”

The Commodores and Vols are set to kick off on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET on SEC Network.