This past weekend Kenny Chesney went back to college!
The country superstar returned to East Tennessee State University to honor the man who taught him how to play guitar in college, Dr. Jack Tottle.
Kenny Chesney joins ETSU President Brian Noland (R) to honor Dr. Jack Tottle (L) | Photo Courtesy of ETSU
Dr. Tottle founded the Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies Program, which is internationally acclaimed and has graduated GRAMMY, International Bluegrass Music Association, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Awards winners.
Kenny says, “Jack Tottle taught me how to dream, or inspired me to have the ability to dream enough to believe I could do this. He showed me that music could make connections beyond what we see, that it could communicate beyond language or location. He took us – the ETSU Bluegrass Band – to Russia as part of a cultural exchange and made that idea real.”
While Kenny was a surprise guest at the ceremony celebrating the program’s 40th Anniversary as part of the University’s Homecoming Weekend, it turns out there was a surprise in store for Kenny as well.
ETSU President Brian Noland presented Kenny with an honorary doctorate of letters.
Kenny Chesney is presented with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by ETSU Provost Kimberly McCorkle and President Brian Noland | Photo Courtesy of ETSU
After the current ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band performed “Me & You,” President Noland explained to the audience, “He (Kenny) is a paradigm-shifting artist who helped define country music in the 21st Century, selling out stadiums across the world… He is an inspiration, reminding the world — through his art and the example he sets — to live life with joy, humor, passion, and soul. Here at ETSU, we have issued a challenge to our faculty, staff and students to ‘go beyond.’ Mr. Chesney, soon to be Dr. Chesney, you exemplify that ideal. You have gone beyond genres, unifying people through your art and your work. You have gone beyond borders, sharing your amazing talent all over the world. And you have gone beyond yourself, using your voice to uplift others and give back to communities.”
Kenny Chesney speaks during the ETSU 40th Anniversary of Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies | Photo Courtesy of ETSU
Deeply moved by the presentation, Kenny addressed the audience, “To say I wouldn’t dream this is an understatement. I was spending most of my time at Chucky’s Trading Post, the Downhome, Quarterback’s BBQ and in the rooms at the music building, practicing my guitar. All I wanted was to get a song on the radio, write some things I could be proud of and get out on the road and have some fun. My tour manager and a couple of my friends from back here are still out there with me, but I don’t think any of us would’ve seen this coming. But that’s why no matter what you dream, you have to just keep dreaming and believing.”
Kenny later joked that things are going to change on tour next year as his crew will now have to refer to him as “Dr. Chesney.”
While on campus, Kenny also spent some time with the current members of the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band.
Kenny Chesney poses with current members of the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band. Photo Courtesy of ETSU
Kenny Chesney’s current single at country radio included his frequent touring buddies, Old Dominion.
Check out the music video for their song “Beer With My Friends” right here…
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The third-ranked Tennessee Volunteers returned to Anderson Training Center Monday morning and kicked off the week of practice with a prime-time battle against No. 19/17 Kentucky looming on Saturday, October 29, at Neyland Stadium.
It was a team effort for the Volunteers (7-0, 3-0 SEC) in their last game against UT Martin. Eighty-six different student-athletes took the field for the Big Orange while six freshmen made their collegiate debuts against the Skyhawks. The record-breaking offense did what it does best: break records, shattering the record for points scored in a half in the modern era (1933-present) with 52 in the first two quarters.
Hendon Hooker set a record himself, passing for a touchdown in his 19th consecutive game, surpassing Heath Shuler’s previous high-water mark of 18 in a row from 1992-1994. Hooker spoke to local media Monday afternoon and discussed what has allowed the passing attack to be so dynamic this season.
“Battling through different adversities, being on the same page and having chemistry and gelling, all that comes into play through the time we spent this offseason,” Hooker said, speaking about how he has connected so well with each of his receivers this season. “How much more work we have put in this offseason, knowing and being more comfortable in this offense and knowing what the coaches want to see in different situations has definitely benefited us.”
Head coach Josh Heupel also stepped up to the podium and discussed how his group has been able to lean on its leaders to continue the daily growth and preparation the Tennessee ball coach has emphasized day-in and day-out.
“We’re still in the beginning stages of this journey, really the halfway point,” Heupel said. “For us, the preparation, being real with each other, competing every day is going to be critical. It’s critical today, this morning. It’s critical tomorrow when we get back out on the grass. So far, these guys have handled it the right way. There are still things that we pointed out today, not just on the field performance, but in our preparation that can be better. Accountability to one another in this program is going to be important as we keep going.”
Being at Tennessee, Heupel has been able to see the passion and excitement the fan base has towards every single game. In the Southeastern Conference, every game means something, if not more. Each game has a different meaning to a different person, and that makes each week exciting, the stakes that are on the line each and every game.
“You talk to different generations of Tennessee fans, and you’re going to get a different answer as far as what the big game is,” Heupel said, discussing this week’s showdown with Kentucky. “Certainly, neighboring states here, this is a big football game. I think it’s unique that there are so many of them that get circled by the fanbase. It’s a great thing about being here, is that you’re going to play in a bunch of big games.”
The Vols will be back at it tomorrow at Haslam Field. Tennessee and Kentucky (5-2, 2-2 SEC) are set to square off at 7 p.m. ET inside of Neyland Stadium on ESPN. Tickets to the contest are sold out.
A full transcript of coach Josh Heupel and redshirt-senior quarterback Hendon Hooker can be found below.
Opening statement… “Good afternoon, hope everybody is doing great. Big ball game this Saturday, really good opponent. They play well in all three phases of the game. The next part of this journey for us is a big one. Got started with our preparation this morning. Unique in this one that they (Kentucky) have had two weeks of preparation. Our players got to have a real sense of urgency here this week and get prepared to go play our best football. Obviously, coming off of Saturday’s performance, there were a lot of really good things. There are some things we have to clean up, too. Our players got a chance to see that and talk through it this morning, in particular, our young guys that got action in the second half just continuing to grow as go through this and being ready to play when their opportunity comes.”
On last year’s win over Kentucky and if teams have a psychological hurdle they need to clean to be successful in big games… “I don’t believe that there was a psychological hurdle that our program had to get over. It was a preparation/performance hurdle that we had to get over. That was a big win for us as a program to be able to go do that on the road. You saw the excitement from our players at the end of that ball game just as we were beginning that journey last year. It was one of the steps, one of the hurdles for us to prepare the right way, practice the right way and then go out and execute. It led us to play the way we did on the back half of the season.”
On the status of Cedric Tillman and Jaylen McCollough…. “Cedric (Tillman), we’ll continue to evaluate here as he goes through practices this week. Jaylen (McCollough), you guys saw that the campus part of his process is complete and so now it is just the other part of the process.”
On if he’s been surprised by his team’s ability to stay focused and block out the outside noise when they’ve never been in this position… “Up until this point, absolutely. We’re still in the beginning stages of this journey, really the halfway point. For us, the preparation, being real with each other, competing every day is going to be critical. It’s critical today, this morning. It’s critical tomorrow when we get back out on the grass. So far, these guys have handled it the right way. There are still things that we pointed out today, not just on the field performance, but in our preparation that can be better. Accountability to one another in this program is going to be important as we keep going.”
On team leaders being even keeled and if that’s led to success in big games this season… “Well, I just think the leadership from our football team and the guys that we have that have grown since we’ve gotten here over the last 20 months – their ability to put in work, see that work pays off, the ability to reset, is an area that when we got here, we had to grow in, one that we have grown in. You guys have heard me say this a bunch. The leadership within your locker room is really, really important and for those guys to grab ahold and not be satisfied with where we are, what we have done, but in sports it’s all about your next performance. That determines who you are and what you’re about. We are excited for this one on Saturday.”
On if any younger players gained more of his trust after playing on Saturday … “There were a lot of guys that did a lot of positive things. I wouldn’t want to just point at one guy. On offense, defense, special teams, guys that had opportunities that performed well. The challenge is still to continue to grow, and you’ve heard me say this, good teams get better individually. That’s the challenge too. For us this week, looking back on last season’s performance, you see guys out there and it’s dramatic to see the improvement. And that can be from Hendon Hooker, it can be from Jalin Hyatt, from guys on your defensive line, Omari Thomas, just continuing to push and get better. Then when you get your opportunity, you take advantage of it.”
On how the coaching staff applies analytics to their game strategy… “For us during our gameday meetings – as a staff, offense, defense, special teams, understanding the game plan. How we see things possibly unfolding, situations that we would potentially be in, trying to talk through those things. Analytics is a part of the game. I think there’s still a feel, an eb and flow to every football game too, that for me, is important to have a feel for during the course of it.”
On what he sees from Chris Rodriguez and what he’s added to Kentucky’s offense since returning… “(He’s) dynamic and (has) the ability to do a really good job with the ball in his hands. For them offensively, I think it’s unique in that the tempo of play is so dramatic between the two offenses. It’s a different style of football game. Understanding that (there will be) limited opportunities for us, and I’m saying that just the number of possessions that will be in this football game. So, it’s something that as a football program we’ve got to understand going into this one too.”
On what the biggest difference is between this year and last years’ offensive line… “Just a year within what we’re doing. We’ve had consistency at the offensive line position. We’ve had a couple of guys who have been in and out, but everybody has been playing their natural position as far as what they trained in during training camp and spring ball, continuity up front, a year of growth and understanding of what we’re doing from Coach (Glen) Elarbee and their communication. They continue to get better fundamentally and that’s allowed them to play at a really high level. That’s pass protection, obviously, trying to keep Hendon (Hooker) clean and then what we’re doing running the football.”
On Jerome Carvin’s growth as well as the entire offensive line … “A ton of growth for him. Just continuing to physically change his body, allowing him to play in a better football position consistently, which allows him to play with better technique for an entire football game. He’s one of the great leaders inside of that room. It’s a group that’s really tight. They like being around each other, like hanging out together. They compete well together. They push each other during the course of practice. That group, just another year of maturity in what we’re doing. From Coop (Cooper Mays) to Jerome (Carvin) to Darnell (Wright), (Javontez) Spraggins, they’ve all taken huge strides.”
On wearing Summitt Blue accessories last weekend… “Just the unique opportunity. 50th anniversary of Title IX and all the opportunities that’s afforded young women. I’m a dad and got a daughter and want her to have every opportunity to do everything that she dreams of. And certainly here, on the University of Tennessee campus, Pat Summitt’s influence and what she accomplished and achieved – her legacy that still lives on in women’s sports, but certainly here on campus from what she meant to Tennessee fans all over the country – it was just an opportunity to celebrate those things.”
On if there is an update on QB Tayven Jackson’s injury… “Tayven (Jackson) won’t be available this week. He’ll be out.”
On the challenges Kentucky QB Will Levis presents… “Smart, understands offensively what they’re doing. Really good decision maker. Ability to push the ball vertically and horizontally. Accurate with the football. Mature player, he’s played a bunch of football. Everything kind of runs through him. He does a lot of checks at the line of scrimmage, I think in their run game too, and puts them in the right position.”
On the offensive line’s confidence in short-yardage situations… “We have been successful. You don’t ever take that for granted here, as we continue on the back half of the season. It’s a sense of pride for those guys. They want to be able to run the football. Obviously, a majority of the time, that’s what you end up doing in those situations. You have to create movement and win on single blocks, but double teams too. Those guys have been really good in that situation here.”
On Elijah Simmons’ injury status… “We’ll see throughout the course of the week, but I think he’ll be available.”
On what Kentucky does defensively to create problems… “They’re really good. Top-15 (total) defense, top-10 scoring (defense). They are multiple in their fronts, multiple in their coverages. For all those reasons, you have to have great communication in your pass protection and your run game. As a quarterback, you have to do a great job of seeing rotations. We have to do a great job of winning up front, and then go out on the outside and win some one-on-ones too. That’ll be important throughout the course of the game.”
On position groups that have been most improved… “I wouldn’t single out one or two position groups. I think as a football team we continue to get better week by week.”
On Kamal Hadden’s availability… “All the guys that were nicked up, we’ll find out their availability here on the back end of the week. Should have just said that at the beginning.”
On importance of being physical against a Mark Stoops coached team… “The line of scrimmage is something that we talk about winning every single week. Both sides of the line of scrimmage, defensively and offensively. Certainly, important in this one too. They are a physical football team style of play. Multiple personnel groupings, getting into heavy sets, heavy run game and heavy play action off of it to create a bunch of big plays. I think they’re second in the league in big plays through the air. Something that we have to do a great job of handling. You can’t let them be efficient on early downs and play from ahead of the sticks.”
On uniqueness of Tennessee having so many rivalry games… “It is (unique). You talk to different generations of Tennessee fans, and you’re going to get a different answer as far as what the big game is. Certainly, neighboring states here, this is a big football game. I think it’s unique that there are so many of them that get circled by the fanbase. It’s a great thing about being here, is that you’re going to play in a bunch of big games.”
On facing a highly touted quarterback on the other sideline… “Yeah, the quarterback community is worldwide. It is always cool to interact with the quarterbacks in the pregame or postgame, whatever it may be and kind of chop it up with them and see what they are thinking and vice versa. It is always a blessing to just be a part of the quarterback community.”
On whether he has seen other defenses change what they do with him and his receivers… “Yeah, many times we come out, for example this past weekend, they came out and ran a lot of Cover 0 and mixed in some Cover 2 in there. We were not really expecting that, but we were expecting a lot of pressure. There have been plenty of times that we come out and there are looks we don’t expect, and we just go out there and play our game. We come back to the sideline and communicate with the coaches up top and watch our game plan and move on from there.”
On what he has seen from Kentucky defensively so far… “Yeah, they look good up front. They have some young guys up there but are very fast at the back end. They have some experience with corners and safeties. You know, usually we see them kind of drop out in a lot of coverage, in previous years, but they are bringing more pressure this year. So, excited to go out there and compete at a high level.”
On how much more complex they are on the passing game this year… “I think just us having some processes that we have been through this past year, and we have encountered this year that we known how to handle. Battling through different adversities, being on the same page and having chemistry and gelling, all that comes into play through the time we spent this offseason. How much more work we have put in this offseason knowing and being more comfortable in this offense and knowing what the coaches want to see in different situations has definitely benefited us.”
On how the pressure mounts how do they use that to their advantage… “Just keeping the main thing the main thing, and that is winning ballgames. How we win ballgames is how we prepare. Preparing at a high level and being able to come into the meeting room and lock in and be able to communicate with coaches and players about the looks we are getting and how we want to accomplish different plays. It is something that we and pride ourselves in. If we are being perfect – you will never be perfect but getting close to that is what we strive to do.”
OKLAHOMA CITY – Tennessee senior safety Trevon Flowers has been tabbed as one of the 12 semifinalists for the 2022 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, as announced by the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame on Monday afternoon.
The Jim Thorpe Award is presented annually to the top defensive back in college football. The honor is based on on-field performance, athletic ability and character.
Flowers is one of four semifinalists from the Southeastern Conference, joining Mississippi State’s Emmanuel Forbes, Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson and Georgia’s Christopher Smith.
A complete list of Thorpe Award semifinalists can be found HERE.
The Atlanta native is the seventh player in program history to be named a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, joining an impressive list of former Vols that includes Eric Berry (finalist in 2008, winner in 2009), Jason Allen (semifinalist in 2004), Andre Lott (semifinalist in 2000), Dwayne Goodrich (semifinalist in 1999), Deon Grant (finalist in 1999) and Dale Carter (finalist in 1991).
Flowers is one of UT’s top defensive players and leaders on that side of the ball, ranking first on the team with 40 total tackles (24 solo) and two interceptions to go along with a sack and a forced fumble. The preseason All-SEC selection has served as a team captain this season and represented the Big Orange at SEC Media Days back in July.
The award’s selection committee will reconvene on the Sunday following Thanksgiving to select three finalists, who will be announced as part of a special presentation by ESPN on Tuesday, Nov. 29. The award recipient is selected from the three finalists by the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award National Selection Committee, which boasts members of the NCFAA, an Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in-house award committee, former Paycom Jim Thorpe Award recipients, as well as sportswriters and college football journalists throughout the country.
The winner will be announced Thursday, Dec. 8, live on The Home Depot College Football Awards show, which will be televised on ESPN.
Tipoff set for 9 p.m. ET Friday live on pay-per-view via iNDEMAND and PPV.COM
FRISCO, Texas—Powerhouse college basketball programs Gonzaga and Tennessee, both of whom have high expectations as the 2022-23 season draws near, will play in the inaugural Legends of Basketball Classic, a charity exhibition game on Friday at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The game is set for 8 p.m. CT and iNDEMAND – the largest distributor of PPV and on demand programming in North America – will serve as the exclusive streaming and TV distributor of the event. Proceeds from the event will benefit the McLendon Foundation.
iNDEMAND will carry the game in the U.S. and Canada through cable, satellite, and telco PPV providers and will also make the event available worldwide on its streaming service PPV.COM, the first PPV streaming service to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports events. Customers can also order the event on TV through their cable, satellite, or telco providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, DirecTV, Contour, Dish, Verizon Fios, Altice, and other leading providers. The suggested retail price is $9.99 on all PPV platforms.
“Not only is this a chance to see two outstanding college basketball teams and Final Four contenders, Gonzaga and Tennessee, early in the year, but the game is also being played for a great cause,” said Fran Fraschilla, longtime college basketball analyst and former head coach who will work the telecast. “This game will recognize many of the incredible contributions that Hall of Fame coach John McLendon has made to the game of basketball and will directly benefit the McLendon Foundation.”
Fraschilla is part of the broadcast trio calling Friday’s game, which also includes longtime Gonzaga radio play-by-play voice Tom Hudson and former Tennessee standout and current college basketball analyst Dane Bradshaw. Throughout the game, veteran reporter Andy Katz will host an interactive live chat with viewers exclusively on PPV.COM. Viewers who purchase the event on PPV.COM will also be able to post fan-react videos during the game.
Tennessee returns four of its top-five scorers from last season’s team that finished 27-8 overall, won the SEC Tournament and made a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The AP preseason poll has the Volunteers ranked No. 11 in the country.
The McLendon Foundation was established in 1999 by National Association of Collegiate Directors of America (NACDA) to honor the legacy of Hall of Fame coach John McLendon who was a pioneer in the field of athletics, the game of basketball, and the civil rights arena. The McLendon Foundation’s mission is to empower and develop minorities who aspire to be principled leaders in athletics administration by providing educational resources and access to a life-long community of mentors. All organizational planning for the Foundation directly aligns with the values of Coach McLendon: Integrity, Education, Leadership and Mentorship. More information can be found at www.minorityleaders.org.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After Tennessee’s lights-out offensive performance on Homecoming against UT Martin, the Southeastern Conference office announced Monday afternoon that Tennessee senior guard Jerome Carvin has been named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
The Memphis native started at left guard and saw action on 48 offensive snaps in the 65-24 victory over the Skyhawks. Carvin did not allow sack, quarterback hit or hurry as the Vols piled up a Heupel-era high 696 yards of total offense—which stands as the second highest single-game total in school history.
Standing 6-5 and weighing 321 pounds, Carvin’s blocking helped the Vols rush for 201 yards on the afternoon, representing the fifth game this season with UT accumulating more than 200 yards on the ground. The senior also protected the pocket as Tennessee posted 495 yards through the air, its most since racking up 530 against Troy in 2012.
Paving the way for the nation’s No. 1 offense in terms of scoring (50.1) and total offense (571.7), Glen Elarbee‘s offensive line has been well recognized for its efforts on the gridiron. The unit was tabbed to the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll last week, and Tennessee is the only program in the conference with three different players that have been named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week this season. Carvin joins Javontez Spraggins (Week 4 vs. Florida) and Darnell Wright (Week 7 vs. Alabama) as weekly conference honorees for the Big Orange offensive line room this fall.
Through the first eight weeks of the season, the Vols have earned 10 SEC weekly honors—the most of any team in the conference. UT’s 10 SEC weekly awards this year are its most in a single season since having 11 in 2004, which is the program record.
The No. 3/3 Vols look ahead to a ranked SEC East clash with No. 19/17 Kentucky Saturday night inside a sold-out Neyland Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, with the game televised nationally on ESPN.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the second consecutive week, the Tennessee Volunteers held the No. 3 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25. In the AFCA Coaches Poll, UT moved up a spot, rising from No. 4 to No. 3, on the charts.
Tennessee’s second-consecutive week at No. 3 in the AP poll came with 13 first-place votes. The Vols also earned two first-place votes in the Coaches’ poll.
With its fifth ranked matchup of the season on the docket, Tennessee prepares to welcome No. 19/17 Kentucky to Rocky Top for a 7 p.m. ET Saturday kickoff on ESPN. It marks just the third time in the series history that Tennessee and Kentucky are both ranked at the time of the matchup. The last time the two sides were both ranked in the game was on Nov. 24, 1951, when the top-ranked Vols won 28-0 over the No. 9 Wildcats in Lexington. The other occurred a year prior in Knoxville on Nov. 25, 1950, as No. 9 Tennessee defeated No. 3 Kentucky, 7-0.
The full AP Top 25, along with the AFCA Coaches Poll, can be found below.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After scoring a program-record 52 points in the first half, the No. 3/4 Tennessee Volunteers cruised to a 65-24 win over UT Martin on Homecoming in front of a sold-out crowd of 101,915 in Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Vols (7-0, 3-0 SEC) amassed 696 yards of total offense—the second-most in program history—and scored nine touchdowns. Tennessee’s 65 points were the most since the Vols put up a modern-era, program-record 70 points against Louisiana Monroe on Sept. 23, 2000. It was the second time this season in which the Big Orange eclipsed the 60-point margin as well as the 600-yards of total offense mark.
Tennessee finished with 495 yards and five scores through the air, while adding 201 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Six different Vols found the checkerboards against UT Martin (4-3).
Redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker etched his name into the record books on a beautiful day on Rocky Top, as the Greensboro, North Carolina, native recorded a touchdown pass in his 19th straight game, setting a new program-record by passing VFL Heath Shuler’s previous record of 18 (1992-94). Hooker finished the day with 276 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-24 passing. He added 28 yards on the ground for 304 total yards of offense. Redshirt senior Joe Milton III chipped in 135 yards and a scoring toss on 4-of-7 passing.
Reigning National Player of the Week Jalin Hyatt posted another big-time performance, hauling in seven catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns—highlighted by a 66-yard scoring reception late in the second quarter from Princeton Fant on a double-pass. The Biletnikoff Award candidate improved his nation-best marks in receiving touchdowns (12) and 40-plus yard receiving plays (8) on the day. He also recorded his third game with triple-digit receiving yards and has hauled in multiple touchdown passes in four different games this season.
Hyatt wasn’t the only receiver to eclipse the century mark on the day, as freshman Squirrel White finished with 122 yards and a touchdown on five receptions—all of which were career highs. White, who hauled in a 64-yard score from Milton in the fourth quarter for his first career touchdown, became the first Vol freshman receiver to eclipse the 100-yard mark since Marquez North on Oct. 19, 2013. Senior Ramel Keyton also brought in a career-best two scoring catches to go with 77 yards on five receptions.
Redshirt senior tight end Princeton Fant had a career day in multiple facets, accounting for a personal-best three touchdowns in the first half. The Nashville, Tennessee, native housed a pair of scores on the ground, coming from one-yard and 11-yards out, before throwing a 66-yard touchdown to Hyatt. Fant ended the day with 95 yards of combined offense (66 yards passing, 17 yards receiving, 12 yards rushing).
On the ground, freshman Dylan Sampson led the way with 62 yards and a score on 13 carries. Junior Jabari Small finished with 11 carries for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Tennessee forced multiple turnovers for the fifth time this season, finishing with one interception and one fumble recovery, both of which turned into touchdowns on the offense end. The Big Orange defense did not allow a single third-down conversion in the first half, standing up the Skyhawks on all seven third down tries. UT Martin was just 3-of-13 on third down for the game and failed both of its fourth-down-conversion attempts.
Tennessee jumped out to an early 21-7 lead after the first quarter. A 44-yard reception by Hyatt from Hooker set up a 1-yard rush by Small for the Vols’ first score of the game. For the second week in a row, Fant plowed his way into the checkerboards from the fullback position, diving in from a yard out. Then, William Wright’s first-career interception halted the Skyhawk offense and was followed by an 8-yard connection from Hooker to Keyton on an slant route for the score.
The Big Orange quickly extended its lead by 10 more points less than five minutes into the second stanza thanks to a three-and-out and a turnover forced by the Tennessee defense. Redshirt senior Chase McGrath sailed one through the uprights with a 40-yard field goal. On the first play of the ensuing possession, senior Trevon Flowers forced a fumble that was recovered by senior Aaron Beasley. Hyatt found his way into the end zone for the first time in the game after taking a screen pass from Hooker 22 yards to the house to make it 31-7.
Firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, Tennessee extended its advantage to 52-7 at the end of the first half. Hooker added his third scoring toss of the game, and second to Keyton, on a 17-yard completion. Fant’s career day continued when he took a handoff 11 yards into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the day. The tight end then found Hyatt for a 66-yard scoring toss on a trick play to break the program record for points in a half.
The Vols cruised to their seventh victory of the season with a pair of scores in the second half. The Big Orange capped off a five-play, 75-yard drive out of the break with a touchdown rush by Sampson from one yard out. During the fourth quarter, Milton connected with White on a deep ball for a 64-yard score.
Tennessee is home again next week, as the Vols host No. 19/18 Kentucky for a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN. The game is sold out. Season tickets for 2023 are on sale now and can be purchased at AllVols.com.
