Following a commercial break, the SEC Network on ESPN broadcast booth of Jordan Rodgers and Tom Hart began by discussing the University of Tennessee’s Body Farm. The University of Tennessee’s Anthropological Research Facility, or Forensic Anthropology Center, has studied the patterns of decomposition in certain elements. It essentially formed the basis of all the actual science shown in the TV show Bones, where characters would calculate the time of death by maggot growth, or whether injuries were induced pre- or post-mortem. This was important to the game, because the Tennessee Volunteers were beating a dead horse in their game against Kent State. When the clock struck zero, the score at Neyland Stadium in front of just under 102,000 attendees was 37-0.
Wait. That was when the clock ran out in the first quarter!
The Big Orange, one of the highest flying offenses in the FBS this season and ranked 7th in the nation, was up against the lowest ranked team in the visiting Golden Flashes. Tennessee set a school record for most points scored in a single quarter by piling up those five touchdowns and a safety. Kent State’s first four 3rd downs resulted in 5-yard loss, 25-yard loss for a safety, gain of 2 yards on a 3rd and 10, 21-yard loss. Their average 3rd down attempt was more than a 12-yard loss.
But as good as the defense was playing, it didn’t seem to be enough for Head Coach Josh Heupel. After a one play drive for a touchdown, he opted for an onside kick, which UT recovered. Tennessee’s aggressiveness showed with Tennessee going for it on three 4th downs, despite the lopsided score (they converted their first three, falling short inside the ten with two minutes to play on their fourth attempt). Despite being aggressive, a large portion of the third string team was playing the entire second half.
Dylan Sampson (RB, Jr) and DeSean Bishop (RB, rFr) were nearly unstoppable in the first half. They combined for six scores and well over 200 yards on only 20 carries. Bishop had a pair of scores on two of his first three runs which covered 100 yards between the two of them. Sampson went over 100 yards at over 7 yards per attempt and four trips into the endzone. Nico Iamaleava (QB, rFr) did not have his sharpest night, but he hit transfer Chris Brazzell II (WR, rSo) for a touchdown from over 50 yards out. Mike Matthews (WR, Fr) caught his first UT touchdown from Gaston Moore (QB, rSr), who went 4 for 4 passing with a pair of scores.
On defense, the no-touchdown streak kept alive, even with the above stated substitutes playing. Keenan Pili (LB, rSr) was in the backfield of Kent State early and often, contributing to the absolute failures of the Flashes on those early 3rd downs. James Pearce Jr. (DL, Jr) was getting pressure on the Kent QBs despite being held and doubled. The whole defensive front was frequently pushing the opposing offensive line back, and the pressure caused nearly a half dozen snaps over the head of the visiting QBs.
The success wasn’t limited to the starters. Peyton Lewis (RB, Fr) led the rushing attack in the second half, and Jake Merklinger (QB, Fr) even gave way for Navy Shuler (QB, rSr) and Ryan Damron (QB, rFr) to take the field after leading the Vols to a couple scoring drives. Boo Carter (DB, Fr) continued to impress more as a blitzing option than his coverage, but contributed to one of the big third down stops in the first quarter. And despite giving up some yards on a QB keeper run in the 4th quarter, the backups on the UT defense clamped back down and held Kent State to a 51-yard field goal attempt. The kick was high and straight, but fell just short of the posts, preserving a shutout.
The only real questions headed into this game was if Tennessee would stay healthy, and how much they would win by. To start, they stayed healthy. The lopsided nature of the game dictated a much-abridged showing for most of the starters to ensure they would be ready and fresh for their away game against a ranked team, but such is the nature of blowouts. And as far as the margin of victory, Kent State’s loss to an FCS team did not bode well for them. Tennessee scored early and often in the first quarter, but only scored 34 more points the rest of the game. Since Vanderbilt scored a pair of touchdowns against UT to close out the 2023 regular season, no other team has found the endzone against defensive coordinator Tim Banks defense, and it shut down the Golden Flashes in a 71-0 thrashing.
Next week, the #7 Tennessee Volunteers (3-0) will travel to play the #15 Oklahoma Sooners (3-0) in Norman, OK, who are coming off a pair of closer than expected wins over Houston and Tulane.