Vanderbilt @ Tennessee preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 17, 2012 ) Tennessee 18, Vanderbilt 41

Vanderbilt notched its sixth win of the season last week, disposing of Kentucky 22-6 to become bowl eligible for the third straight year. The Commodores look to improve their bowl resume when they visit Tennessee in an SEC contest on Saturday. The desperate Volunteers have dominated the series, winning 28 of the last 30 meetings.

Tennessee needs to sweep its last two games to earn a bowl bid. The Volunteers have dropped three straight, all against top 10 teams, and all by lopsided scores. Overall, Tennessee has struggled against its brutal schedule, playing seven ranked teams with its lone win, a 23-21 decision at home against South Carolina.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Tennessee -2.5

ABOUT VANDERBILT (6-4, 3-4 SEC): Wide receiver Jordan Matthews paced the Commodores to the second straight win with 12 catches for 141 yards against the Wildcats last week. Matthews is first in the SEC in receptions (83) and second in the league in receiving yards (1,076) and the only receiver in SEC history to post two seasons of 80 or more catches. Vanderbilt can get to get to nine wins for the second straight season if it can win out over Tennessee, Wake Forest and its bowl opponent.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (4-6, 1-5): The Volunteers are 4-2 at home this season and have won 27 of their last 28 Senior Day games at Neyland Stadium. While history is on their side, the Vols will need more out of freshman quarterback Josh Dobbs, who has yet to throw a touchdown pass in three appearances but looked sharp, going 26-for-42 against Missouri in his first career start. However, Dobbs helped Tennessee to only three points against the Tigers and threw for just 128 yards last week in a defeat at Auburn.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Volunteers were routed by Auburn 55-23 last week.

2. Vanderbilt QB Austyn Carta-Samuels, who did not play in the Commodores' win at Florida, returned to action last week wearing a brace on his left knee and went 19-for-24 passing for 184 yards.

3. Dobbs is the third quarterback to start a game this season for the Vols, who rank 108th nationally in passing at 172.7 yards a game.

PREDICTION: Vanderbilt 27, Tennessee 24