Derek Dooley has not caught many breaks in his two seasons as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. For the second straight season, the Vols enter its final two games with a record of 4-6. Tennessee must beat Vanderbilt and Kentucky to salvage a disappointing season and attain a bowl bid. The Vols have yet to win a conference game, and are being outscored by SEC foes by an average of 22 points per game.
Last season, Tennessee won its final four games and reached a bowl game after a 2-6 start. But this final stretch will be more challenging, mostly because in-state rival Vanderbilt is vastly improved this season.
Vanderbilt enters this Saturday’s contest at Neyland Stadium as a 1-point favorite over the Vols. The Commodores are one win away from bowl eligibility, and already have two victories in conference. Vanderbilt has been more competitive in SEC competition this season than Tennessee. The Commodores had narrow losses to Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia and routed Kentucky by a score of 38-8 last weekend.
Not only do the Vols need to defeat intrastate rival Vanderbilt this weekend, but they must also defeat Kentucky on the road next weekend. Vanderbilt will be the tougher matchup for the Vols, as Kentucky is not as strong as in previous seasons.
Quarterback Tyler Bray was cleared this week to return to the field for the Vols. Coach Dooley has not announced whether or not Bray will actually play against Vanderbilt. Bray injured his thumb back on October 8 against Georgia. He has missed the last five games.
In all fairness, Tennessee had to deal with the toughest conference schedule of all SEC teams this season. The Vols drew Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU out of the SEC West, the top three teams from that division. Not to mention those three teams are all ranked in the Top 10 nationally. Auburn, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss were all absent from Tennessee’s schedule, the three weakest teams from the SEC West.
Tennessee’s biggest problem has been its inability to compete for four full quarters this season. Tennessee has not scored a single point in the second half in its last five games. The Vols have shown an ability to compete in the first half against the best teams from the SEC, but the second half has been a different story. Against rival Alabama, the Vols and Crimson Tide were tied 6-6 at halftime. Alabama scored 31 points in the second half to cruise to a 37-6 victory. Arkansas scored 28 points in the second half last week against Tennessee en route to a 49-7 victory. Arkansas led 21-7 at the half of that game.
The 2011-12 season started with promise for the Vols after a 45-23 rout of the Cincinnati Bearcats during week two. But now the Vols stand at 0-6 in conference play, and 4-6 overall. If the Vols win its remaining two games, then they have a shot at the BBVA Compass Bowl or the Liberty Bowl. Those bowls certainly do not meet Tennessee expectations, but they would provide some consolation for a disappointing season. If the Vols fail to win both of its remaining games, then Tennessee will suffer its fourth losing season since 2005.