Tennessee football at Vanderbilt: 10 keys for Vols and Commodores
![FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 7: Harrison Bailey #15 hands off the ball to Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on November 7, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Volunteers 24-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 7: Harrison Bailey #15 hands off the ball to Eric Gray #3 of the Tennessee Volunteers during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on November 7, 2020 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Volunteers 24-13. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/610440a11a5c4ef189b8e555a1eef4c0313e47b33e10e346014f6734253d3cea.jpg)
7. Place kicking
The Vanderbilt Commodores have been the story here. Sarah Fuller became the first female place kicker in Power Five play two weeks ago, but as Vandy was shut out 41-0 by the Missouri Tigers in Derek Mason’s final game, she never got a chance to attempt a field goal or an extra point. Only Vandy could mess up this chance at history.
Fuller is still in contention to start at kicker on Saturday, but Pierson Cooke, who has made only three of seven field goals, is the other guy who could start. Either way, from a performance perspective, there is a ton of uncertainty surrounding this team here.
It’s no different for Tennessee football. Brent Cimaglia has decided to opt out of the final two games of this season after seeing a major regression this year, apparently due to an injury that he had been playing through. Either way, the Vols have nobody else who has even attempted a field goal on their roster.
Punter Paxton Brooks is the backup, so he’ll likely handle the duties. However, we have no idea how that would shake out. As a result, the uncertainty on its own could make this a huge factor in the game.