Did you catch Kane Brown‘s performance on the 2021 American Music Awards?
Kane sang “One Mississippi” from the campus of Tennessee State University.
Watch it here…
Photo Credit: Matthew Berinato
Jimmy’s Blog: Vols don’t overlook underdogs
By Jimmy Hyams / @JimmyHyams
Entering last weekend’s games, 44 unranked teams had defeated ranked teams, including 12 against top 10 teams.
More than a dozen FCS teams have upset FBS teams.
Double digit underdogs have won a surprisingly large number of games.
Some favorites have struggled to get up for lesser opponents.
Tennessee is not one of them.
The Vols’ focus and intensity have been prevalent in every game this season.
That’s reflected in the fact Tennessee has outscored opponents 162-44 in the first quarter, leads the nation in first-quarter scoring and has covered the spread most of the time when favored.
Saturday’s 60-14 victory over South Alabama was another example that the Vols don’t overlook anyone.
Tennessee led 14-0 after the first quarter, scored touchdowns on their first seven full possessions and converted their first six third downs.
Hendon Hooker was again the catalyst. He completed 17 of 20 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns, scrambled for 15 yards on a third-and-11 on the third drive, and moved into the top four in the nation in pass efficiency. His touchdown-to-interception ratio is an eye-popping 24 to 3. Not bad for a guy that started the season as a backup.
Tennessee’s focus was illustrated by receiver/returner Velus Jones, Jr., who had to ask Hooker after the South Alabama win if the Vols were indeed bowl eligible.
Tennessee has proven that if you have an average to below average defense, its offense will demolish you, especially early.
How about these first quarter scores: 28-0 over South Carolina, 28-3 over Missouri, 14-0 over Bowling Green, Tennessee Tech and South Alabama, 10-0 over Pitt.
The Vols even led three ranked opponents after the first quarter: 10-7 over Georgia, 14-7 over Alabama and Kentucky.
Scripting plays has helped. A high-octane attack has helped. Being ready to play has helped.
And having fun has helped. There’s no doubt this team enjoys playing the game more than during the Jeremy Pruitt Era. It’s as obvious as the points on the scoreboard.
While Tennessee is only 5-6 against the spread this season, a deeper dive shows UT isn’t likely to be upset by a lesser opponent.
Tennessee was favored by 37 against Bowling Green and won by 32.
It was favored by 38 against Tennessee Tech and won by 56.
It was favored by 10.5 against South Carolina and won by 25 (and led 38-7 at halftime).
It was favored by 28 against South Alabama and won by 46.
It was a 2.5-point underdog to Missouri and won by 38 (it was 45-10 at halftime).
Tennessee (6-5) is favored by 31 against Vanderbilt (2-9).
There’s no reason to think the Vols won’t get off to a lightning fast start and take care of business against a decided underdog.
They’ve done it all season.
Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all
Highlights/Postgame/Stats/Story: #17 Vols get a win in CT, take down #18 North Carolina, 89-72
Box Score (PDF) | Highlights | Barnes and Zeigler Postgame
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The 17th-ranked Tennessee basketball team controlled the game from start to finish Sunday and closed out the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off with a victory, taking down No. 18 North Carolina, 89-72.
Four Vols scored in double figures during the win, led by freshman Zakai Zeigler, who scored a career-high 18 on 7-for-10 shooting—including 3-for-5 from 3-point range. Zeigler also had five assists and did not commit a turnover in 28 minutes of action.
Junior Santiago Vescovi had a productive outing for the second consecutive game, scoring 17 points and grabbing a career-high nine rebounds. Freshman Kennedy Chandler had his third double-figure scoring output in four games as a Vol, finishing with 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Super-senior John Fulkerson shot 6-for-7 from the field, scoring a season-high 13 points, dishing out a career-high six assists and tallying five rebounds.
As a team, Tennessee (3-1) shot a season-high 54.3 percent (38-for-70) from the field, including 65.6 percent during the second half (21-for-32).
After taking a seven-point lead into halftime, Tennessee came out hot offensively in the second half, hitting nine of its first 10 shots and building its lead to 15 points on an Olivier Nkamhoua jumper in the paint at the 14:30 mark.
From that point forward, North Carolina never drew closer than nine points, while Tennessee extended its lead to as many as 20 points.
Coming out of the gates playing solid on both ends of the floor, Tennessee held a 39-32 lead at the halftime break.
After the teams battled back and forth for the opening eight minutes of the game, the Vols used a 10-2 run to take a 23-16 lead and despite runs by North Carolina, did not trail for the remainder of the period or the rest of the game.
Tennessee used a balanced scoring attack early in the contest, as the Vols’ first 23 points came from eight different players. The Big Orange defense was also swarming during the opening 20 minutes, forcing nine UNC turnovers.
The Tar Heels cut Tennessee’s lead to two and three points on two separate occasions, but the Vols answered with runs of their own both times—eventually capping off the first half with a 6-2 run highlighted by two Fulkerson baskets.
UP NEXT: Tennessee heads back to Knoxville for a pair of home contests, starting with a matchup against Tennessee Tech on Friday. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. on SEC Network+.
POWELL MAKES FIRST START AS A VOL: With Josiah-Jordan James out due to flu-like symptoms, sophomore transfer guard Justin Powell made his first start as a Vol on Sunday against North Carolina, scoring eight points in 22 minutes of action. Through four games this season, Powell is averaging 9.3 points per game and shooting 51.7 percent from the field.
-UT Athletics
Highlights/Postgame/Stats/Photos/Story: Lady Vols Edge #12 Texas, 74-70, In Overtime Thriller
KNOXVILLE – Tying a program-record 15 blocks in a game and overcoming an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit, the No. 16/12 Tennessee women’s basketball team took down No. 12/21 Texas, 74-70, in overtime in front of a raucous crowd of 9,460 on Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Junior Tamari Key’s career day resulted in the fifth triple-double in program history, while classmate Jordan Horston led the offensive charge in the Lady Volunteers’ comeback win.
Key, a 6-foot-6 center, posted the fifth triple-double in program history, scoring 10 points and adding 18 rebounds and 10 blocks in 39 minutes of play. Her rebound total breezed past her previous career high of 12 and she matched her best for blocks, tying for the second-highest tally in UT annals. Key now has two triple-doubles and is the only player in Tennessee’s illustrious history with more than one. She posted her first last season vs. Florida (23 pts., 10 rebs., 10 blks.) on Jan. 31, 2021.
Horston was masterful on the offensive end for the second consecutive game, posting another banner day. The 6-2 guard led all Lady Vol scorers with 28 points, a career high. She also pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds en route to her second double-double of the season and third of her career. Horston is averaging 22 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per contest thus far. After missing the first contest due to injury, Horston has led Tennessee in scoring in the last three outings.
Graduate Alexus Dye came through in the clutch, sinking critical free throws late in the contest and securing 13 points. The 6-0 forward swatted away four shots, a career-best in blocks. Graduate guard Jordan Walker also added 13 points and a team-leading five assists.
Head coach Kellie Harper earned her seventh top-25 win as Tennessee’s head coach, including six the past two seasons. It is the Lady Vols’ second-straight win over a ranked opponent, as they took care of No. 23/22 USF, 52-49, on Nov. 15.
The first quarter was marked by both sides going on long scoring runs. Texas jumped out to a 6-1 lead early in the game, but the Lady Vols battled back, taking a 6-0 run from the 7:44 mark to 3:42. Texas’ offense was stifled during that period, shooting 0-for-8 from the field. The Longhorns offense wouldn’t stay quiet, though, as it rattled off six more points to jump ahead 12-7. Walker caught fire in the last 71 seconds of the period, sinking back-to-back-to-back jumpers, including the first 3-pointer the Lady Vols attempted during the game.
The second half saw back-and-forth scoring efforts. Horston led Tennessee offensively, totaling 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in the period. She added three rebounds to match Key. The Lady Vols did some damage in the paint during the first half, outscoring the Horns 16-10. Tennessee went into the locker room leading, 29-28, after the first two quarters.
Texas came out white-hot to start the third quarter, sinking 5-of-8 from the floor and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. The Longhorns limited Tennessee to 5-of-17 (29.4 percent) shooting and won the quarter, 21-10, leading by as many as 12 with 2:48 remaining in the period before the Lady Vols whittled it to 10 before the quarter ended.
The Big Orange trailed by 10 to open the fourth and was behind by as many as 11 in the stanza. The offense finally kicked into gear, though, going on a 12-2 run in the last 6:26 of the game. Tennessee collected seven points from the charity stripe, and Alexus Dye laid in the game-tying basket with 21 seconds left in the contest to send the battle of UTs into overtime.
The extra frame saw a dominant Tennessee performance on the glass, out-rebounding Texas 7-3 in the final five minutes and moving ahead by five, 66-61, at the 3:26 mark. The Lady Vols were 6-of-8 from the free throw line and 4-of-7 from the floor, as they registered 15 points in the period built their advantage back to six with 18 seconds to go when Horston hit a pair of charity attempts to make it 74-68 before eventually winning by four. Horston capped an incredible performance with seven points and her third assist of the game during the quarter.
Tennessee hits the road for the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will face two more Big 12 foes in Kansas on Nov. 26 and Oklahoma State on Nov. 27. Tip-off against Kansas on Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
DEFENSIVE PROWESS: Tennessee has held each of its opponent this season under 40 percent shooting, including three under 32 percent. Under Harper, the Lady Vols have only allowed 16 teams to shoot better than 40 percent in the 60 games under her coaching.
DOING THAT BOARD WORK: UT out-rebounded Texas by 15, 56-41, claiming an advantage in its fourth straight game this season. It was the third by double digits. During the Kellie Harper era, Tennessee has won the battle of the boards in 50 of 60 contests.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE: The Lady Vols have registered at least one double-double in each game this season (Horston – 2, Key – 2 (1 a triple-double), Dye – 1).
NEVER GIVE UP: Tennessee has staged a fourth quarter comeback in three of its games this season. The 12-point third-quarter deficit was the largest the Lady Vols have erased in a win since a 13-point gap against Missouri on Mar. 5, 2020, at the SEC Tournament.
OUR TIME, OVERTIME: Harper earned her first win in overtime as the Lady Vols’ head coach. It was also the first overtime game in Thompson-Boling Arena since Feb. 23, 2012, when Tennessee bested Middle Tennessee, 88-81. The Lady Volunteers improved to 33-21 in overtime games in program history.
-UT Athletics
Hoops Preview: #17 Tennessee vs. #18 North Carolina
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The 17th-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team plays its second game of the weekend at the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament on Sunday, taking on No. 18 North Carolina at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET at Mohegan Sun Resort.
Fans can catch Sunday’s game on ESPN and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Jon Sciambi (play-by-play) and Fran Fraschilla (analysis) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear John Wilkerson and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
In its opening game of the weekend in Connecticut, Tennessee fell to No. 5 Villanova, 71-53 on Saturday. Junior guard Santiago Vescovi tied a career high in scoring with 23 points, but the Vols shot 33.3 percent from the field as a team and were unable to overcome a 20-point halftime deficit.
Sunday’s matchup is the 12th all-time between Tennessee and North Carolina and the third of the Rick Barnes era. The Vols and Tar Heels played a tightly-contested home-and-home series during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. The Tar Heels won the first game, 73-71, in Chapel Hill, as well as the return trip to Knoxville the following season, 78-73.
After concluding the weekend in Connecticut, Tennessee heads back to Knoxville for a pair of home contests, starting with a matchup against Tennessee Tech on Friday. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee trails its all-time series with North Carolina, 1-10, dating to 1911.
• The Vols’ lone win over the Tar Heels was an 84-56 victory in Knoxville on Jan. 3, 1949.
• Spanning the last two meetings—in 2016 and 2017—Tennessee has led for 68:02 of 80:00 total minutes (85 percent). But the Vols lost both contests, with an average margin of 3.5 points.
• North Carolina has been ranked for each of the last four meetings.
• This will be the sixth time these programs have met at a neutral site. The series has been contested in Atlanta (twice), Austin, Maui and New York City.
• A native of Hickory, North Carolina, Rick Barnes owns a 73-75 head coaching record against current members of the ACC, and he is 6-12 in his career vs. UNC.
SCOUTING REPORT
• After tying his career-high with 23 points Saturday against Villanova, junior guard Santiago Vescovi is now Tennessee’s leading scorer this season, averaging 16.7 ppg.
• In his first year as a starter, junior forward Olivier Nkamhoua is nearly averaging a double-double with 11.3 points and 9.3 rebounds.
• 43 percent of Tennessee’s points this season have been scored by first-year Vols (101 of 237).
• Auburn transfer Justin Powell has given the Vols a solid scoring punch off the bench. He is shooting .500 from 3-point range and is the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 9.7 ppg.
• Tennessee’s 15 first-half points Saturday against No. 5 Villanova stands as UT’s lowest points total in any half during the Barnes era.
• First-year Tennessee assistant coach Justin Gainey regularly faced North Carolina during his collegiate playing career at NC State from 1996-2000.
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee and its fanbase are quite familiar with all three opposing teams in this Hall of Fame Tipoff field. The Vols played Purdue in 2017 and 2019, faced North Carolina in 2016 and 2017, and clashed with Villanova in 2017.
• This weekend’s games mark just the second and third contests the Vols have ever played in the state of Connecticut. UT’s only previous appearance in The Constitution State was a 72-61 loss to eighth-ranked UConn in Hartford on Jan. 22, 2011.
A WIN WOULD…
• Stand as Tennessee’s 15th win over an AP top-25 opponent during the Rick Barnes era.
• Prevent the Vols from owning a win percentage at or below .500 for the first time since the end of the 2016-17 season (16-16).
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA
• North Carolina enters Sunday’s matchup with Tennessee coming off of a 93-84 loss to No. 6 Purdue on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
• Prior to Saturday’s loss to Purdue, North Carolina had racked up wins over Loyola Maryland, Brown and College of Charleston.
• In Roy Williams’ final season as head coach in 2020-21, North Carolina posted an 18-11 (10-6 ACC) record, earning a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• Former Tar Heel player (1988-92) and assistant coach (2012-21) Hubert Davis was selected to replace Williams at the helm of the North Carolina program.
• Like Tennessee, North Carolina has experienced a major roster shift this season, welcoming seven new players to its team.
• Three of those seven new players are Division I transfers—grad student Brady Manek (Oklahoma), sophomore Dawson Garcia (Marquette) and junior Justin McKay (Virginia).
• Manek made 235 threes and scored 1,459 points in four seasons at Oklahoma, while Garcia averaged 13.0 points and 6.6 rebounds an earned Freshman All-Big East Conference honors last season at Marquette.
• Three returning players—junior forward Armando Bacot and sophomore guards RJ Davis and Caleb Love—are North Carolina’s captains. Bacot (first team) and Love (second team) were both preseason All-ACC selections.
• Tennessee and North Carolina played a tightly-contested home-and-home series during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. The Tar Heels won the first game, 73-71, in Chapel Hill, as well as the return trip to Knoxville the following season, 78-73.
LAST MEETING WITH UNC
• 20th-ranked Tennessee came up short against No. 7 North Carolina, 78-73, before a sold-out crowd of 21,678 at Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 17, 2017.
• The Volunteers led for 37:10 of the contest, but a late 11-3 scoring run pushed the defending national champion Tar Heels to the win.
• Eventual (2019) NBA Draft pick Grant Williams led five Vols in double-figure scoring with 15 points. James Daniel III finished with 15, Jordan Bowden had 12 and Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bone chipped in 10 points each.
• After a turnover with 1:25 left, Schofield hustled to force a crucial turnover on the inbounds play by UNC. Tennessee took possession, and Williams got the ball near the free-throw line and drove to the paint for a basket with 1:09 left to give UT a 70-67 lead.
• North Carolina responded by getting to the foul line, converting both free throws and then forcing a UT turnover on the ensuing inbounds attempt. Kenny Williams dropped a massive 3-pointer for the Tar Heels with 32.7 seconds left to give UNC a 72-70 advantage.
• The Vols struggled to find a basket in the second half, shooting just 30 percent (11-36) from the floor. Bowden hit a three to with six seconds remaining to make it a one-possession game, but North Carolina drained a pair of free throws in the final moments to put the game away.
• The Vols had active hands on defense in the opening half, nabbing six steals and forcing 12 turnovers that led to 15 points. Tennessee went into halftime with a 38-32 lead.
• Guard Lamonté Turner led the Vols’ rebounding efforts with a career-high nine boards.
FULKERSON SHINED AT UNC AS A FRESHMAN IN 2016
• Then a true freshman, John Fulkerson shined during Tennessee’s heartbreaking 73-71 loss at seventh-ranked North Carolina on Dec. 11, 2016.
• Making his fourth career start (in his eighth collegiate game), Fulkerson scored eight points on 4-of-4 shooting with four rebounds, one assist, one block and a pair of steals in 24 productive minutes.
• The Vols outshot the Tar Heels (.519 to .397), held an eight-point lead at halftime and led for 30:52.
• Four days later, Fulkerson suffered a season-ending injury (dislocated elbow and fractured right wrist) while attempting to take a charge against Lipscomb. He was later awarded a medical redshirt.
• Fulkerson, played his high school ball at The Christ School in Arden, North Carolina, near Asheville.
BARNES, SMITH SHARED TENSE MOMENT AT 1995 ACC TOURNEY
• Rick Barnes and legendary UNC head coach Dean Smith were central figures in a tense and memorable moment in ACC Tournament history on March 10, 1995.
• During an ACC Tournament quarterfinal game at Greensboro Coliseum, Tar Heels star Jerry Stackhouse was fouled by Clemson’s Iker Iturbe while attempting a layup with 3:10 left to play.
• Smith then pointed at Iturbe and yelled something at him. Barnes, the Clemson head coach at the time, immediately charged toward Smith and had to be restrained by officials. Barnes received a technical.
• Carolina went on to defeat Clemson, 78-62.
• Asked after the game what he said to the officials that led to his technical foul, Barnes said. “‘I want you to bring him down here. I want you to hear what I’m going to say to him.’ I told him, ‘You coach your team and I’ll coach my team. You don’t have any right talking to my players.'”
• Said Smith after the game: “Where I was wrong was to point a finger at a player. I’ve done that three times in my career, but in each instance, I don’t want my player getting hurt because of a hard foul.”
BOOST FROM THE BENCH
• Through three contests, Tennessee’s bench is averaging 27.3 points per game. The Vols’ reserves are outscoring the opponents’ reserves by 16.3 points per game.
• Justin Powell has scored in double figures off the bench in two of UT’s three games.
-UT Athletics
WATCH: Review of Tennessee’s 60-14 rout of South Alabama; bowl possibilities
99.1 THE Sports Animal hosts Jimmy Hyams and Vince Ferrara recapped Tennessee’s 60-14 win over South Alabama that made the Vols bowl eligible.
WATCH Hooker & Jones Jr: Hooker after win over Jaguars on if he’ll take part in Senior Day “I’m not sure yet. Just taking it day-by-day.”
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receiver/return specialist Velus Jones Jr. spoke to the media in the postgame after Tennessee routed South Alabama at home 60-14.
WATCH Butler & Harrison: Butler after the win on S. Alabama’s slow tempo “I’m kind of like in my head, ‘What’s taking so long?'”
Tennessee defensive linemen Matthew Butler and Roman Harrison spoke to the media in the postgame after Tennessee routed South Alabama at home 60-14.
WATCH: Heupel after win over S. Alabama “Proud of our kids. Played assignment sound and took care of business.”
Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel spoke to the media in the postgame after Tennessee routed South Alabama at home 60-14.
Quotes/Notes/Stats/Story: Quick-Strike Vols Race Past Jaguars, 60-14
Final Book (PDF) | Postgame Notes (PDF) | Postgame Quotes (PDF)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee scored in all three phases of the game and put up points in lightning-quick fashion, racing past South Alabama, 60-14, on a chilly Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.
With the win, the Vols (6-5, 3-4 SEC) secured bowl eligibility for the 54th time in program history. That feat ranks as the fifth-most nationally in college football history.
UT needed only 14:59 of possession time to score its first 56 points vs. the Jaguars (5-6, 2-5 Sun Belt). The Big Orange didn’t punt until the 8:17 mark in the fourth quarter and forced USA to punt on six of its 13 possessions, including six of its first eight. It also ended two Jaguar drives on downs and two more via safeties. In total, South Alabama had a 1-for-16 night on third-down conversions, marking the best effort of the season for the Big Orange defense.
Tennessee’s 60-point effort on offense was its highest since rolling up a 63-7 result vs. Missouri in Knoxville on Nov. 19, 2016. The Big Orange accumulated 561 yards of total offense (311 passing/250 rushing) vs. USA, averaging 7.8 yards per play and generating 28 first downs.
Redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker was laser sharp, completing 17 of 20 pass attempts for 273 yards and two touchdowns and added 21 yards and a score on the ground. It marked the 10th straight game he passed for a TD.
Redshirt senior Velus Jones Jr. had a stellar evening, grabbing six passes for 103 yards and returning a kick 96 yards for a score. He finished with a career-high 246 all-purpose yards, including 96 on kickoff returns and 47 on punt returns to go along with his receiving total.
The return was Jones’ second-career kickoff return for a touchdown and his first at Tennessee. His only other previous kickoff return touchdown came while he was playing at Southern Cal (100 yards vs. Fresno State, Aug. 31, 2019).
Redshirt junior Cedric Tillman joined Jones Jr. in the 100-yard receiving club, hitting the century mark on the nose via five catches. A second-quarter scoring catch gave the redshirt junior wideout a touchdown in his fifth straight game.
Defensively, redshirt junior linebacker Jeremy Banks led the Vols with seven tackles. Senior defensive back Theo Jackson, junior defensive end Roman Harrison and senior defensive tackle Matthew Butler had six stops each and registered two, 1.5 and one tackle for a loss, respectively. They contributed to a total of 13 Big Orange TFLs on the night, marking the fifth time this season the team has had 10 or more, which is the first time achieving that feat since the 1996 season.
After forcing a three-and-out on South Alabama’s game-opening drive, Tennessee’s offense needed only two minutes to find the end zone. Hooker connected with three different receivers for 37 yards, and sophomore running back Jabari Small racked up 25 on the ground, including a burst for 10 yards leaving him just short of the goal-line and then the scoring plunge one play later. Senior Chase McGrath’s extra point kick put the Vols up 7-0 with 11:13 left in the first quarter.
Another UT defensive stop, and the Vols were back in the end zone even quicker on their second series, taking only 1:57 off the clock. This time it was freshman running back Jaylen Wright rambling in from 17 yards out. McGrath’s PAT made it 14-0 Big Orange with 6:14 to go in the opening stanza.
The Jaguars were within striking distance early in the second period, but the Tennessee defense kept USA out of the end zone on four plays from the 10 and inside it. Senior safety Trevon Flowers came up with big plays on third and fourth down, getting a quarterback hurry to rush a potential touchdown toss and then his first-career sack, taking down Desmond Trotter to end the threat.
After taking over at their own 13, the Vols marched 87 yards in eight plays, taking 2:38 to go up 21-0. Hooker completed four passes for 62 yards on the drive, including a 27-yard scoring strike to Tillman. He is the first Vol with a TD reception in five consecutive contests since Josh Malone did so over the last five games of 2016. McGrath booted the PAT to make it 21-0 with 10:37 remaining in the second frame.
After Tennessee forced South Alabama to punt for the third time, Jones Jr. set the Vols up for another score with an exciting 33-yard return. UT changed the digits on the scoreboard again in only three plays and 55 total seconds. The decisive blow was a 24-yard toss across the middle to redshirt senior tight end Princeton Fant for six. It was the longest reception of his career and marked his first touchdown of the season and second of his UT tenure. McGrath’s PAT made it 28-0 with 6:41 left in the half.
The Jaguars finally got on the board with 1:36 to go before the half. Tight end Lincoln Sefcik hauled in a three-yard pass from Trotter to cap a 10-play, 75-yard drive and cut the deficit to 28-7 with Diego Guajardo’s PAT tacked on.
UT restored its 28-point advantage in a hurry, though, as Jones Jr. electrified fans by cradling the ensuing kickoff and weaving his way 96 yards to the end zone. McGrath’s extra point made it 35-7 Vols with 1:18 left before intermission. The house call was the first by a Big Orange return man since Ty Chandler took one back 91 yards vs. Indiana State on Sept. 9, 2017.
Small hit pay-dirt for the second time of the evening with 12:06 left in the third. After Tillman hauled in a 43-yard pass from Hooker to move Tennessee into the red zone, the sophomore running back bulldozed the pile three yards into the end zone two plays later. McGrath’s PAT boosted his squad’s lead to 42-7.
The Vols struck again with 7:29 to go in the third period. With the eight-play, 64-yard drive aided by an outstanding 41-yard catch by Jones Jr., Hooker called his own number and scored from six yards out. McGrath’s PAT boosted the lead to 49-7.
Joe Milton III came on at quarterback in the fourth quarter and the Vol offense continued its scoring precision. The redshirt junior marched UT 80 yards in six plays, taking only 2:06 off the clock, with redshirt freshman running back Len’Neth Whitehead bursting into the checkerboard from five yards out. McGrath’s kick pushed the count to 56-7.
USA put its second touchdown on the board with 11:02 left in the contest. Trotter hit Jalen Tolbert with a short pass, and the wide receiver spun around and outraced defenders 62 yards to the end zone. Guajardo added the extra point to cut the gap to 56-14.
Tennessee’s defense completed a home team trifecta with 6:37 remaining, giving the Big Orange points on offense, special teams and defense. Redshirt junior defensive lineman Kurott Garland chased down and collared Trotter in the end zone for a safety and his first-career sack to make the score 58-14.
The Vols halted South Alabama on the next drive and earned points via another safety. The snap to the Jaguar punter sailed over his head and out the back of the end zone with 2:43 remaining for the game’s final points, making it 60-14 UT.
The Vols close out the 2021 regular season next Saturday, as they welcome the Vanderbilt Commodores to Shields-Watkins Field. Kickoff is slated for 3:45 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised by SEC Network and available via the Vol Network statewide on the radio and worldwide through streaming on UTSports.com.
-UT Athletics
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