Postgame Notes: #15 Tennessee 69, Chattanooga 3

TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Aug. 31, 2024 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 15 Tennessee 69, Chattanooga 3

Normal Notes

• Saturday’s attendance at Neyland Stadium: 101,915 (bought out)
  • The competition marked Tennessee’s 14th consecutive sellout in Neyland Stadium.
• Tennessee’s all-time on-field document improved to 877-414-53 with Saturday’s win (NCAA document: 866-414-53).
• The Vols improved to 96-26-6 on the sphere (95-26-6 NCAA document) in season openers all-time. Josh Heupel is 7-0 in season openers as a head coach, outscoring opponents 382-70 — together with 215-32 at Tennessee.
• Saturday marked Heupel’s fortieth sport as head coach at Tennessee, enhancing his document with the Massive Orange to 28-12. His 28 victories are the fourth-most by a UT head coach by his first 40 video games, trailing solely Normal Robert Neyland (36-1-3), Invoice Battle (35-5) and Phillip Fulmer (33-7).
• Tennessee earned its fortieth win on the sphere over the Mocs, enhancing its document to 40-2-2 within the collection.
• The Vols improved to 7-0 in opposition to in-state foes beneath Heupel. All seven of these wins have come by 17 factors or extra.
• Tennessee owns a 19-4 document in Neyland Stadium beneath Heupel and has received 14 of its final 15 video games within the venue.
• Tennessee secured its eleventh straight victory over a non-conference opponent, representing its longest streak in opposition to non-conference foes since successful 12 straight from 2015-17.
• Since 2021, the Vols are 14-2 in non-conference play beneath Heupel. Tennessee has outscored non-SEC foes 772-236 throughout that stretch.
• Tennessee’s 69 factors had been the second-most factors scored within the trendy period (1937-present), and the 66-point margin of victory was the third-highest of the fashionable period.
  • The 66-point margin of victory was the very best for Tennessee in a season opener since defeating Carson-Newman 101-0 on Sept. 25, 1915. 
• Tennessee improved to 6-1 in Nike Smokey Gray uniforms, donning its new model coined “The Volunteer State” jersey.

First-Time Starters

Vol Captains/Coin Toss

• Tennessee’s staff captains for Saturday’s sport: WR Bru McCoy, LB Keenan Pili, LS Matthew Salansky and DL Omari Thomas.
• Chattanooga received the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Tennessee obtained the opening kickoff and Chattanooga defended the south finish zone.

Tennessee Debuts

• Thirty-seven gamers made their Tennessee debuts throughout Saturday’s season opener, together with 19 true freshmen: DB Kaleb Beasley, DB Colin Brazzell, DB Boo Carter, DB Edrees Farooq, DL Carson Light, OL Gage Ginther, DB Marcus Goree Jr., TE Cole Harrison, DL Isaiah Inge, RB Peyton Lewis, DL Kellen Lindstrom, DB Jackson Mathews, QB Jake Merklinger, OL Jesse Perry, DL Jordan Ross, OL William Satterwhite, LB Ryan Scott, LB Grier Quick and OL Bennett Warren.
• Twelve transfers noticed their first motion as Vols on Saturday: DL Mike Bethea II (FBS debut), WR Chris Brazzell II, OL Lance Heard, TE Miles Kitselman, DB Jermod McCoy, DB Jalen McMurray, DL Jaxson Moi, LB Eli Purcell (FBS debut), TE Holden Staes, DB Jakobe Thomas, DL Jamal Wallace (FBS debut) and WR Tommy Winton III.
• Moreover, 5 redshirt freshmen made their collegiate debuts in opposition to the Mocs: RB DeSean Bishop, OL Ayden Bussell, PK Max Gilbert, WR Nate Spillman and DL Tyree Weathersby.
• Redshirt junior defensive linemen Tim Amet rounded out UT’s 36 gamers to make their debut on Saturday.

Group Offensive Notes

• Tennessee completed with 718 yards of whole offense, tied for the second-most in a single sport in class historical past.
  • Three of the highest 4 offensive totals this system has ever recorded have come within the final three seasons beneath Josh Heupel’s course, together with two over 700 yards.
• UT’s 69 factors had been essentially the most in a single sport of the Heupel period. His groups have scored 60-plus factors six occasions at Tennessee.
• Saturday marked the seventh time beneath Heupel the Volunteers had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver, as RB Dylan Sampson had 124 on the bottom and WR Dont’e Thornton Jr., logged 105 by the air.
• The Volunteers opened the season with an 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive in 3:43, capped with a 1-yard landing rush by Sampson in his first dwelling begin.
• Tennessee jumped out to a 24-0 lead by the primary quarter. Below Heupel, the Vols have outscored opponents 465-169 within the opening stanza since 2021.
• The Volunteers scored on every of their first seven drives–six touchdowns, one subject aim–by simply 23:17 of motion, totaling 461 yards (282 passing, 179 speeding) in that point, with QB Nico Iamaleava then 19-of-22 on passing makes an attempt.
• Tennessee capped the primary half with 45 factors, seven shy of its program document for a half, and 503 whole yards (314 passing, 189 speeding).

Particular person Offensive Notes

• In his first common season begin and first beginning nod at Neyland Stadium, QB Nico Iamaleava completed Saturday’s sport finishing 22-of-28 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions – all within the first half.
  • His 314 yards by the air broke the college document for passing yards in a half, beforehand held by Tyler Bray who logged 313 earlier than the intermission in opposition to Troy on Nov. 3, 2012. It marked the fourth 300-yard passing whole in a half in Tennessee historical past.
  • Iamaleava opened the sport 10-of-10 for 159 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to led the Volunteers into the tip zone on every of its preliminary three drives within the first 6:42.
• TE Ethan Davis scored the primary landing of his faculty profession on a 4-yard seize with 8:34 left within the opening quarter.
• WR Dont’e Thornton Jr., notched his first landing at Neyland Stadium with 7:18 remaining within the first quarter, finishing a 36-yard catch-and-run. He added a 10-yard rating with 10:14 on the second-quarter clock, giving him his first collegiate multiple-touchdown efficiency.
• RB Dylan Sampson amassed his fourth-career outing with a number of speeding touchdowns, doing so inside the first 16 minutes of the competition, after which tied his profession greatest with a 3rd speeding rating with 6:43 to go within the first half.
  • Aided by a private two-play, 61-yard landing drive halfway by the second quarter Sampson compiled his fourth 100-yard speeding sport as a collegian.
• RB DeSean Bishop scored Tennessee’s first landing of the second half on a 22-yard rush with 1:13 left within the third quarter, marking his first rating as a collegian.
• QB Jake Merklinger accomplished all 4 of his move makes an attempt in his faculty debut, totaling 31 yards.

Group Defensive Notes

• Tennessee compelled a turnover on its first defensive possession of 2024, as DL Tyre West jarred unfastened a fumble that DL Joshua Josephs recovered on the Chattanooga 37-yard-line with 9:37 on the clock within the first quarter.
• Twenty-eight gamers registered a sort out on the day, with 18 logging a number of tackles.
  • Eighteen totally different Vols recorded a first-half sort out, together with 10 gamers posting at the very least two.
• Tennessee didn’t concede some extent till the Mocs related on a 43-yard-line subject aim with 10:10 remaining on the third-quarter clock.
• Chattanooga grew to become the 18th opponent the Volunteers have held beneath 100 speeding yards beneath head coach Josh Heupel and defensive coordinator Tim Banks.

Particular person Defensive Notes

• DL Tyre West logged his first-career compelled fumble, with DL Joshua Josephs falling on it for his first-career fumble restoration.
• DB Will Brooks paced the Volunteers with 5 tackles within the victory.

Particular Groups Notes

• On its first punt return alternative of the 12 months, Tennessee bought a 20-yard return from WR Squirrel White out to its personal 41-yard-line.
• PK Max Gilbert drilled a 36-yard-field aim on the 3:32 mark of the opening quarter, the primary try and first make of his profession.
• Tennessee notched its ninth blocked kick of the Josh Heupel period, together with its sixth on a punt.
  • DL Jordan Ross, in his faculty debut, logged the primary punt block and landing of his profession on the play, registering a 49-yard return to cap the sport’s scoring with 1:07 to go within the contest.

Profession Highs

The next gamers set or tied profession highs within the respective statistical classes listed under:

Offense

Protection/Particular Groups