Tempers flare and benches clear in Tennessee and Vanderbilt

The bad blood was sparked by a couple of late shots to Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann.  With Vanderbilt facing third-and-14 at the Tennessee 40 with 3:15 left in the second quarter, the play was blown dead for a Vandy false start.  However, Tyler Baron still knocked down Swann pretty hard.  It's not clear whether a whistle was timely blown, as there was no audible whistle on the broadcast.  However, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea was incensed that a flag wasn't thrown for a late hit, and a couple of Vandy linemen were visibly irked.  

On third-and-19, Swann was pursued and sacked in what appeared to be a live play.  However, there was apparently a late flag for a delay of game.  At that point, pushing and shoving broke out between the players briefly before the officials regained control.  

Being irate at his quarterback getting hit on two dead ball plays, Lea earned the equivalent of a technical foul by drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct flag, which honestly was questionable because the basis of his argument was absolutely correct and justified.  The officials undoubtedly should have ended both plays immediately and decisively, but it didn't appear that they did.  

Then, after the following play on third-and-39, melees and scrums broke out across the field when Baron and Vanderbilt offensive linemen Xavier Castillo continued to drive and push each other towards the Tennessee sideline well after the play ended.  Vanderbilt players left the bench and took off toward the Tennessee sideline, with flags flying. It looked like perhaps the start of a Miami-FIU brawl from 2006 when players were swinging both fists and helmets.  Fortunately, before it reached that boiling point, the players were separated and returned to their sidelines.  

After all was said and done, Baron and Dominic Bailey earned unsportsmanlike conduct fouls for Tennessee, and Castillo did for Vanderbilt.  

The Vols lead the Commodores 38-10 in the third quarter.