The Vols started slowly but pulled away with authority to pick up win number nine of the season.
The Tennessee Vols got back in the win column in emphatic fashion on Senior Day in Knoxville, thrashing the UTEP Miners 56-0 to improve to 9-2 on the season.
Nico Iamaleava finished 17/23 passing for 209 yards with 4 touchdowns. Dylan Sampson had 11 carries for 77 yards with a score. Bru McCoy led all pass catchers with 4 catches for 37 yards and 2 touchdowns.
It was a slow start for Tennessee, pretty much on both sides of the ball. Tennessee went 3 and out on 2 of their first three drives, while UTEP went on a 9-play drive that ultimately didn’t end with points.
However, after Tennessee finally finished playing with their food, they got serious in the second quarter, going on four touchdown drives in the frame of 68, 36, 19, and 54 yards. Sampson reached the record books on the first of those scores, notching the school’s single-season record for most touchdowns in a season on a 14-yard run.
The record breaker for @dylans21527
SECN+
https://t.co/cXOhKcNsxA pic.twitter.com/05kDMfymph— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 23, 2024
Alone at the top.
No player in Tennessee history has scored more touchdowns in a single season than Dylan Sampson. pic.twitter.com/WxcNcw3lUU
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 23, 2024
After Squirrel White and Ethan Davis turned in touchdown catches to push the Vols ahead 21-0 late in the first half, McCoy turned what was a solid mark on the scoreboard to a convincing one with a nifty toe-tap touchdown with 8 seconds left to put Tennessee up 28-0 going into the locker room.
McCoy pushed the Vols’ margin to 35-0 on the first drive of the second half, hauling in a 7-yard score that was Nico’s last touchdown for the day. But there, Josh Heupel leaned on his running game, which ended up with 249 yards on the day. Freshman Peyton Lewis scored his first career touchdown, bowling into the end zone from 6 yards to put Tennessee up 49-0.
Defensively, James Pearce, Jr. showed why he’s a first round draft pick. The Vols’ star defensive end had 2 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, being – as usual – a menace in the backfield for most of the game. The secondary also came away with 2 interceptions, one by Jermod McCoy in the first quarter and the other by John Slaughter in the fourth quarter.
Now, with Ole Miss losing to Florida and Indiana getting blown out by Ohio State, the Vols are in position to make the college football playoff with a win next week against Vanderbilt in Nashville.
A good day on Rocky Top, indeed.