The Tennessee coaching staff ran through the press box, jumping up and down, pumping their fists.

“We got a break!” screamed offensive coordinator Jim Chaney as he caught an elevator down to the locker room to celebrate. “We finally got a break!”

For the first time in coach Derek Dooley’s time in Knoxville, the Volunteers got one of those wins that could have gone the other way, topping the Vanderbilt Commodores 27-21 in overtime Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

Eric Gordon’s 90-yard interception return clinched the Vols’ first SEC win of the season, but the play was initially in question. Gordon was ruled down at the UT 12-yard line, and the play was whistled dead by an official, meaning it shouldn’t have been reviewed.

It was, and overturned was the call.

Tennessee won.

“I think the luck has turned at Tennessee,” Dooley said. “I don’t care how this happened, but we got one.”

Gordon, who has split time with Byron Moore at nickel for much of the year, recognized the receiver’s route he was covering.

“He did the same route and I was like, ‘This can’t be real right now,’” Gordon said.

Gordon jumped the pass and took off for the end zone with no one in front of him.

“Words can’t describe it,” he said.

The Vols moved to 10-3 all-time in overtime contests (6-0 at home), tied for the most wins in the country with Missouri.

Tennessee (5-6, 1-6 SEC) had lost five of their last six games and had been outscored 87-0 in the second halves of those five contests. It appeared to be a similar story Saturday, as Vanderbilt (5-6, 2-6) had outscored UT 14-0 to take a 21-14 lead with 12:21 remaining in the game.

Tennessee responded, putting together a 16-play drive that ended with Da’Rick Rogers hauling in a one-handed touchdown pass from Tyler Bray on a fade route on fourth down from the 2-yard line to tie the game.

“Charlie Baggitt, my (receivers) coach was telling me, ‘We’re throwing a fade to you,’” Rogers said. “That showed the faith they had in me. So I was like I know I’ve got to make this play for my seniors and for the team.

“As soon as I tipped it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to catch this.’”

Rogers finished the night with 10 catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns, making it the seventh time a Tennessee receiver has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark, with 1,002 yards.

It was Bray’s first game back after he broke his thumb Oct. 8 against Georgia. He passed 16-for-33 for 189 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

“I told you guys he wasn’t going to look like his form from six weeks ago, but he made enough plays to win the game,” Dooley said.

On Senior Day, Tauren Poole logged a touchdown and rushed for a season-high 107 yards on 19 carries, reaching the century mark for the first time since Oct. 1 against Buffalo. He had 45 yards in the fourth quarter.

“It felt incredible,” Poole said. “I’m just excited to get a win and have it go that way instead of against us. Guys fought hard. No one gave up today. They were ready to win and the team thought we would win and we got it done.”

The Vols dropped to 0-6 in conference play for the first time in school history after a 49-7 loss to Arkansas last week.

Dooley and Co. haven’t had the best of luck in games that have come down to the wire. The Vols had initially beaten then No. 12 LSU 14-10 last year before UT was called for having too many players on the field. The Tigers got another play, and scored to win 16-14.

In the Music City Bowl, the Vols lost 30-27 (2OT) to North Carolina when the Tarheels kicked a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation after they were called for having too many men on the field, even though the clock had expired.

It didn’t take long for Tennessee to go up on Vandy, as Malik Jackson forced a fumble on the Commodores’ first drive that Rod Wilks recovered, giving UT the ball on VU’s 21. Poole’s 1-yard run three plays later gave UT a 7-0 lead at the 9:02 mark.

Vanderbilt tied the game 7-7 in the second quarter after Bray threw an interception to Archibald Barnes, which he returned to the UT 6. Zac Stacy rushed it in on the next play.

Rogers’ 17-yard touchdown grab put UT up 14-7 at halftime.

By the 12:21 mark in the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt had scored 14 unanswered points to take a 21-14 lead.

The UT defense forced four turnovers on the night with interceptions from Gordon, Prentiss Waggner and Austin Johnson, and Wilks’ fumble recovery. Johnson became the first UT linebacker since Jackie Walker in 1970 to have four picks.

“We got the breaks tonight,” Dooley said. “We really did. It was like the first time I feel we had a lot of good luck on our side and eventually it’s going to come.”

The Vols travel to Kentucky Saturday to face the Wildcats. If Tennessee wins, they’ll be bowl eligible.