per carry. Webb is the SECs fourth-leading rusher with 1,058 yards and has five 100-yard games this season.STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH: Tennessee has scored at least 49 points in each of its last three gam

EUGENE, Ore. -- One one-hundredth of a second.After receiving a kidney transplant last September and going through a second kidney surgery in October, after going through months of recovery, training and daily medication, Aries Merritt missed making the U.S. Olympic team Saturday by just one one-hundredth of a second.Racing in the 110-meter hurdles final at the U.S. Olympics trials, Merritt thought he crossed the line in second or third place. But after an agonizing delay, his place was shown as fourth with a time of 13.22, just behind third-place finisher Jeff Porter (13.21).Merritt was obviously disappointed, but he said he had come to grips with it. After all, he has a gold medal in the event from the 2012 Olympics and is still competing against the worlds best despite once thinking he could never run again because of his failing kidneys. Not making the Olympics is far better than being hooked to a dialysis machine for the rest of your life.Nothing can be worse than being told you can never run again, even if you come up a little short here, he said. Ive been to the Olympics, I won the Olympics. Ive broken the world record. So, I mean, someone else can have a turn.Even though Merritt will not compete in Rio, he should still be an inspiration to everyone. While you watch Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Usain Bolt this August, also keep Merritt and what he overcame prominently in mind.After winning gold in 2012, his kidneys began to fail in 2013. Even with his kidney function no higher than 15 percent, he finished third at the world championships in Beijing late last August. He then underwent a transplant just days later in Arizona, receiving a kidney from his older sister, LaToya Hubbard.And he was only one one-hundredth of a second from making the Olympics again the following summer.It hasnt even been a year since the transplant, only 10 months, Hubbard said. For him to put his heart on the line and just miss at the team, I dont look at it as a failure or coming up short. Hes still on top. Hes still an Olympic gold medalist and still the world-record holder. He may not be able to defend that title, but nobody can take away what he did.No, nobody can take that away. But what should they take away from what he has done and overcome?People should just know that no matter what youre going through in life, if you keep your mind focused on something you want to accomplish, anything is possible, Merritt said. At world championships last year in Beijing, I had roughly no kidney function -- under 15 percent -- and I was still able to do amazing things.This time was a little different because I was compromised by the surgery. Me being sliced open, and my muscles shifted and putting a new organ in and me getting adjusted to the meds, its a lot to comprehend. People dont understand the severity of what Ive been through. Despite the fact Im still out here doing the best I can.Merritts kidney doctor, Les Thomas, says that not only should people look to the hurdler for inspiration -- a way to say no matter how dark it may be, there is always a brighter spot -- they should look to his sister as a hero, as well. She demonstrated extraordinary altruism, giving him a kidney.Thomas also says people should take this story as a reason to consider organ donations. Donating a kidney is not that risky -- you only need one -- but the waiting list can be many years for a transplant.They may not have anyone in their lives who can give them a kidney and they will wait and wait and wait because there is a huge demand for kidney transplants, Thomas said. And sometimes they will pass away with no kidney ever coming to them. ... If [more people donated], we would have a lot less people on the waiting list and less people would die.Hubbard, who gave birth to her daughter the previous year, said she never worried about any risk in giving up her kidney. She simply asked her brother for the phone number of the Mayo Clinic so she could schedule a time.Let me go through this process and get on a table and help my brother out, she said. He had something in his body that was dying and I have something that was living.She gave it to him. And because she did, Merritt is alive and healthy and competing. And inspiring.This is still just a beginning, Hubbard said. 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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vanderbilt center Barrett Gouger knows how hed like to see Ralph Webb become the Commodores all-time leading rusher: Break off a 28-yard run and get it over with quickly.The way No. 24 Tennessee has defended the run lately, that could come on Webbs first carry. Not that the Commodores are taking that for granted no matter how the Vols have struggled.That doesnt necessarily mean its just like an automatic thing for everyone, Gouger said.The only certainty Saturday night is that in-state rivals Tennessee and Vanderbilt will play the final game of the regular season with very different stakes on the line for each. The Volunteers (8-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference, No. 17 CFP) wants to win its fourth straight and get some help to possibly earn a trip to the Sugar Bowl, while the Commodores (5-6, 2-5) can become bowl eligible if they beat Tennessee for the third time in five seasons.Theres one thing left, Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said. Its rivalry week. Its Tennessee, two teams battling for bragging rights in this state, and thats part of it. Ralph cares more about winning in this game than really setting the record.Tennessee offensive tackle Brett Kendrick said the Vols know theres pressure to perform with so much on the line . The added incentive of trying to deny Vanderbilt a bowl berth is nice too.We just think that since theyre playing for that, theyre going to be all hyped up and riled up, Kendrick said. And then on top of that, its their Senior Night. I think theres going to be a lot of emotion from them this game, and weve got to withstand their opening punches.This could be an offensive show with Tennessee averaging 55.7 points per game over the last three games, including a 63-37 win over Missouri last week. Vanderbilt beat Mississippi 38-17 with its most points against an SEC team in Masons three seasons.This is as good of a defense as weve faced all year, Tennessee coach Butch Jones said.---Some other things to know about Tennessee and Vanderbilt:DEFENSIVE STALWARTS: This game features two of the top defensive players in the nation.dddddddddddd Vanderbilt linebacker Zach Cunningham is a Butkus Award finalist who has an SEC-best 109 tackles. Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett leads the SEC with 11 sacks. Barnett, the only SEC player ever to post at least 10 sacks in three seasons, has 31 career sacks to put him one away from Reggie Whites school record. Barnett also has an SEC-leading 17 tackles for loss, while Cunningham is second with 16 +.RUN DEFENSE WOES: Tennessee has allowed 400-plus yards rushing in each of its last two games. In its last five games against Football Bowl Subdivision foes, the Vols have allowed 356.6 yards rushing per game and 6.6 yards per carry. Webb is the SECs fourth-leading rusher with 1,058 yards and has five 100-yard games this season.STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH: Tennessee has scored at least 49 points in each of its last three games and has totaled 167 points over that span. That represents Tennessees highest point total for a three-game stretch since 1915. Vanderbilt is allowing just 18.3 points per game in SEC competition.CONTAINING DOBBS: Vanderbilts chances of pulling the upset depend on whether the Commodores can slow down Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs, who has thrown three touchdown passes and has run for two more scores in each of his last two games. Dobbs has rushed for 337 yards during that stretch, and Mason came close to comparing him with Cam Newton. Man, what he did last week was pretty impressive, Mason said.SHOOPS RETURN: Tennessee defensive coordinator Bob Shoop filled the same role at Vanderbilt on James Franklins staff from 2011-13. Shoop coached or recruited many of Vanderbilts seniors. Vanderbilt linebackers coach Chris Marve and graduate assistant Javon Marshall both played for Shoop at Vanderbilt.---AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee contributed to this report.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '