KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee's bandage-wrapped and limping football team had enough firepower to beat Vanderbilt Saturday night at Neyland Stadium, chalking up their sixth win of the football season and thus becoming bowl eligible.

The 31-16 victory over the Commodores was not a thing of beauty, but considering the number of second stringers, third teamers and walk-ons that adorned the roster, Coach Lane Kiffin was not disappointed.

"I thought some guys stepped up and some guys were out there (on defense and special teams) who you may not be familiar with," Kiffin said. "We only gave up one touchdown on defense and they moved the ball on us at times, but we were able to play pretty well in the red zone. We would have liked to have played better. As you guys know, we have a long way to go to be a championship team. It was good to see some things today and especially at the end of the day to win and win for our seniors and fans."

It was Senior Night at the stadium, and Wes Brown will leave UT with a special feeling after intercepting a pass near the close of the game and returning it for a touchdown, carrying a Vandy would-be tackler on his back along the way. Brown has been suffering from bad knees all season and his touchdown was especially sweet for Kiffin.

"What a neat way to end the game on the last play for Wes," the coach said. "You can't have a guy that's worked harder since he's been here and been through more things. The guy can hardly make it to practice every day from drill to drill. To see him just shows you that if you want something bad enough, it can happen. The fact that he can intercept that ball, run like that and carry the guy on his back. Just a really neat story."

People were in the game for Tennessee who were not on the roster released to the media, including kicker Devin Mathis. Mathis hit all his extra points and a field goal. He's a walk-on who had been part of the team in the past before studying in Mexico during the spring semester.

The Vols (6-5, 3-4) will close out the season on Saturday at Kentucky, but the victory almost assured Tennessee of making some sort of post-season bowl game. The Vols missed out on the post-season last year after a 5-7 record.

"It's very important because of the practice and to be able to continue to develop our young players and to continue to develop as a staff together," Kiffin said of the possible post-season berth. "The more time we get with our young players, it's very critical for us."

The Vols played well in the first half, scoring just before intermission to take a 24-10 halftime edge. But the offense was almost non-existent in the final two quarters. Vandy kicked a pair of field goals to close to 24-16 before Brown intercepted the late pass and returned it for a score.

Trailing 17-10 with just under a minute to play in the first half, Vandy had a chance to tie the game but a drive stalled when UT stopped the Commodores on a fourth-and-2 at the UT 38. Instead of running out the clock, the Vols went down and scored as Jonathan Crompton hit four straight passes, including a bullet pass to tight end Luke Stocker across the middle for a 16-yd. touchdown. That touchdown proved to be very big.

Crompton finished the day hitting 20-of-34 for 221 yds. and two touchdowns, but he had one interception, and that tipped ball that was picked cost the senior a chance to tie the school record for pass attempts without an interception. The record is 142 and Crompton had thrown 141 straight without a pick.

Senior Montario Hardesty was a workhorse, rushing for 171 yds. on the day in over 30 attempts. He scored the team's first TD in the opening quarter on the team's first possession.

Mathis kicked a 25-yd. field goal on the team's second possession. But Vandy came back to tie the score in the second quarter on a Ryan Fowler field goal and a 2-yd. TD pass from Mackenzi Adams to Ryan van Rensburg.

Tennessee answered the Vandy touchdown with a 72-yd. drive culminated by an 11-yd. TD pass from Crompton to Denarius Moore, then went up by two scores with the TD just before intermission.

The second half was ugly offensively, and Vandy had a chance to pull closer with about six minutes left when they drove down to the UT 3. A controversial pass interference call on Dennis Rogan in the end zone prevented an interception and gave the Commodores a first and goal. Adams was sacked for a 9-yd. loss, and they eventually had to settle for a field goal to close to 24-16.

It stayed that way until Brown came up with the interception and return for a score late in the game.

"It was a dream come true for me," Brown said of the interception and touchdown with the Vandy player futilely riding him into the end zone. "Everybody was saying, 'That might've been the ugliest thing I've ever seen.' I felt them hopping on my back, but I didn't want to be denied. I wanted to score, and I couldn't ask for a better ending."