NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vanderbilt running back Ralph Webb wasn't sure how the bowling ball got into the Vanderbilt locker room, but he knew what it meant.

On a historic day for him, it was symbolic of something much more important. For the first time since the 2012-13 season, the Commodores are going bowling after beating No. 17 Tennessee 45-34 on Saturday.

On a night during which he set Vanderbilt's career rushing record, Webb's 28-yard scamper accounted for the clinching points, capping a 114-yard, two-touchdown day.

Afterward, that win was, first and foremost, on the junior's mind.

"We're going bowling. That's all that needs to be said," Webb remarked, moments after being carried off the field on the shoulders of his teammates.

Quarterback Kyle Shurmur was also huge, throwing for a career-high 416 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the Commodores' defense, gashed repeatedly by Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs and running back Alvin Kamara in the first half, held the Volunteers to three second-half points.

Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5 SEC) snapped a three-game losing streak against Tennessee (8-4, 4-4) and scored its most points in an SEC game since 1971.

It was a moment to savor for Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason, whose hold on his job seemed precarious with the Commodores at 4-6 just eight days ago.

"I thought (Dobbs) was a tenacious competitor, but tonight, the Commodores were the better team," Mason said.

Webb rushed for 114 yards, giving him a school-record 3,231 for his career and breaking the mark of 3,143 set by Zac Stacy from 2009 to 2012.

After kicker Aaron Medley booted a 25-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 34-24 lead in the third quarter, Shurmur hit wide receiver Trent Sherfield for 32 yards, setting up Khari Blasingame's 12-yard scoring run with 49 seconds left in the third quarter.

Commodores linebacker Zach Cunningham forced Dobbs to fumble, which safety Arnold Tarpley recovered at the Tennesseee 49 and ran into the end zone. The play was originally ruled not to be a fumble on the field and overturned on replay, so the Commodores got the ball there.

Seven plays later, Vanderbilt got its touchdown when running back Darrius Sims scooted around the left end for a 3-yard score to make it 38-34.

Vanderbilt got a stop after Tennessee drove to the Vanderbilt 12, when Medley kicked a 37-yard field goal attempt off the right upright.

Vanderbilt, which had trouble running the ball to that point, gashed the Tennessee defense with a 39-yard run by running back Dallas Rivers and a 28-yard scamper by Webb down the left sideline that completed the scoring.

Meanwhile, a Vols team that accumulated a combined 167 points in the three games leading up to Saturday, couldn't keep up in the second half.

"They just out-executed us. We had big plays in the first half and we weren't able to get those plays. I thought they were able to apply pressure and Josh had to escape the pocket," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said.

A wildly entertaining first two quarters saw Vanderbilt post its best total half of offense for the season (340 yards), but the Commodores trailed 31-24 at the break because of three touchdowns from Kamara and a 17-of-18, 206-yard passing performance from Dobbs.

It was a bitterly disappointing end of the season for Tennessee, once 5-0 and ranked in the top 10.

Last week, Florida's win at LSU knocked Tennessee out of the SEC title game. This one likely knocked Tennessee out of the Sugar Bowl.

But Jones, out of answers for a regular season that fell well short of expectations, seemed to think his team was focused.

"Our goal never changes to be 1-0," Jones said. "That wasn't even our through process. It was about Vanderbilt. Obviously, that locker room is a very disappointed locker room and you expect it that."

NOTES: Vanderbilt OLB Landon Stokes limped off the field with an injury with 4:02 left in the first quarter. ... Tennessee DE Derek Barnett tied Reggie White's career school sack record, picking up the 32nd of his career on the last snap of the first half. ... ILB Zach Cunningham, the SEC's leading tackler, tied safety Ryan White with a game-high 10 stops. Cunningham also forced a fumble and recovered one. Earlier in the week, Cunningham was named one of the five finalists for the Butkus Award. ... White, who was in street clothes with an injury as the Commodores beat Ole Miss last week, drew the start and also added a tackle for loss. ... Tennessee QB Josh Dobbs, who has rushed for 713 yards, broke his previous record of rushing yards in a season for a Volts quarterback.