Tennessee 71-0 Kent State (Sep 14, 2024) Game Recap

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — — Dylan Sampson rushed for 101 yards and 4 touchdowns — all within the first half — to steer No. 7 Tennessee to a 71-0 victory over Kent State on Saturday evening.

It was Sampson’s fourth straight recreation, courting again to final season’s Citrus Bowl recreation, through which he rushed for over 100 yards.

“(Sampson) has nice imaginative and prescient and nice tempo,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel mentioned. “He presses the road of scrimmage and is elusive in area.”

“You may solely management what you have acquired within the second,” mentioned Sampson. “That is the way in which you discover out who you might be. The (working again) place is all about grit.”

DeSean Bishop added 120 speeding yards and two TDs within the first half for the Volunteers (3-0). They led 65-0 at halftime, the biggest level complete in a single half at school historical past. The 71 factors are essentially the most in modern-era faculty historical past.

The Golden Flashes (0-3) generated simply 23 complete yards within the first half. They have been provided to have a working clock within the second half however declined.

“That’s not who we’re as a group or a tradition,” Kent State coach Kenni Burns mentioned of the clock adjustment. “I talked to the captains about it and so they mentioned completely not.”

Heupel refused to remark in regards to the resolution.

Tennessee rolled up 37 factors within the first quarter, essentially the most in a single quarter at school historical past. In these first quarter-hour, there was a security, two snaps over the Kent State quarterback’s head and an onside kick that the Vols recovered.

“We now have a very younger soccer group,” mentioned Burns. “There was an apparent mismatch in personnel. We didn’t knock the ball down once we had the prospect to.”

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was 10 of 16 for 173 yards and a landing with 31 yards speeding.

“We nonetheless have much more to enhance on,” Iamaleava mentioned. “Day-after-day we need to be 1% higher.”

The Tennessee protection has gone 16 quarters — courting again to the bowl recreation — with out giving up a landing.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kent State: Coach Kenni Burns’ major job this week together with his group might be to maintain the sport with Tennessee and the upcoming matchup with Penn State in perspective. The Golden Flashes are younger. Being overmatched by a Prime 10 group can be utilized as a development alternative, fairly than one thing that may impede progress or trigger frustration.

Tennessee: Final week’s lopsided win over North Carolina State got here with its share of errors. The Vols used the sport with Kent State to wash up these considerations earlier than they’re examined of their first true highway recreation in opposition to No. 15 Oklahoma. Iamaleava threw the primary two interceptions of his profession final week. He was capable of make higher selections in opposition to Kent State.

UP NEXT

Kent State: The Golden Flashes have one of many hardest two-week stretches within the nation. After enduring a really loud and intimidating crowd at Tennessee, they are going to be in one other hostile atmosphere subsequent Saturday at No. 8 Penn State.

Tennessee: After getting by their three tune-ups with flying colours, the Vols will go to coach Josh Heupel’s alma mater No. 15 Oklahoma within the Sooners’ first-ever Southeastern Convention recreation.

——

Get ballot alerts and updates on the AP Prime 25 all through the season. Join right here. AP faculty soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football