ETSU 3 Tennessee 59
Tennessee defeated ETSU 59-3 on Saturday, dominating the Buccaneers in nearly every imaginable way. The win marks Jeremy Pruitt's first win as the head coach of the Vols and the 23rd win in the past 24 home-openers for Tennessee. There were 96,464 fans packed into Neyland Stadium for Pruitt's home debut.
ETSU began the game with 4 consecutive 3-and-outs, a presage of how the game would play out for them. Tennessee's first possession consisted of 8 plays, including a 51-yard pass from Jarrett Guarantano to Josh Palmer. Brent Cimaglia's 26-yard field goal gave the Vols an early 3-0 lead. On the Buccaneers' third drive of the day, Marquill Osborne blocked a punt and strolled into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown. This was Tennessee's first touchdown inside of Neyland Stadium in 2018. With 12:01 remaining in the second quarter, the game was temporarily suspended, due to a weather delay. This was the second weather delay in as many games for Tennessee this season. The delay lasted less than an hour.
After play resumed, Tennessee came out rejuvenated, as Jeremy Banks powerfully ran for a 15-yard gain on the first play. Just 3 plays later, Guarantano connected with Marquez Callaway for a 51-yard completion, setting the Vols up at the 1-yard line. Banks would find the end zone, putting Tennessee up 17-0. On ETSU's next play, Tennessee true freshman, Bryce Thompson intercepted a pass and returned it 21 yards to the ETSU 3-yard line. It took Banks just 1 play to punch it into the checkerboards for the second time in 2 plays. Tennessee held a 24-0 lead at this point. On the ensuing possession for the Buccaneers, Darrin Kirkland Jr. intercepted a pass and returned it to the checkerboards for a 33-yard pick-6. Later, Tim Jordan began a Tennessee drive with runs of 12 and 16 yards on consecutive plays. The drive was capped off with a 20-yard touchdown run by Josh Palmer. Tennessee led 38-0 at halftime.
Tennessee began the second half with a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive which resulted in a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Madre London. The drive was highlighted by London's 34-yard rush. ETSU responded by getting in the board with a 39-yard field goal. Early in the fourth quarter, Keller Chryst completed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Murphy. Later, ETSU muffed a punt and Micah Abernathy immediately recovered it at the ETSU 20-yard line. Madre London would capitalize on another scoring opportunity, scoring from 4-yards out, making the final score 59-3, in favor of the Vols.
Tim Jordan carried the ball 15 times for 65 yards. Marquez Callaway hauled in 5 passes for 78 yards, while Jordan Murphy's 3 receptions totaled 75 yards and 1 touchdown. Tennessee's offense gained 414 total yards, with 224 coming through the air. Additionally, the Vols picked up 19 first downs on the day.
5 Takeaways
1. Tennessee's defense was impressive: After some mental lapses and missed tackles last week against West Virginia, the Vols' defense was dominant against ETSU. Bryce Thompson and Darrin Kirkland Jr. each had an interception in the win. Emmitt Gooden led the team with 8 tackles, including 3 tackles-for-loss (TFLs). Will Ignont made 5 tackles, while Nigel Warrior, Bryce Thompson, Darrin Kirkland Jr., Micah Abernathy and Alexis Johnson Jr. each recorded 4 tackles. It was very encouraging to see multiple players make significant impacts on Tennessee's defense. Additionally, it is important to note that the Vols' defense held the Buccaneers to just 3 points and 194 total yards, while forcing 3 turnovers.
2. Jeremy Banks and Madre London had terrific games: After Tim Jordan made a name for himself last week, it was Banks' time to shine this week. He carried the ball 13 times for 62 yards and 2 touchdowns. The powerful runner showed that he can run for tough yards up the middle this season. Also, Madre London totaled 47 yards on 8 carries and scored 2 touchdowns. After averaging 5.9 yards per carry, London showed that he is another lethal weapon in the Tennessee backfield.
3. Tennessee's quarterback play was encouraging: Although the numbers were not necessarily flashy, both Jarrett Guarantano and Keller Chryst were efficient on Saturday. Guarantano completed 8-13 passes for 154 yards, including a pair of 51-yard completions. Chryst completed each of his 3 pass attempts, for a total of 70 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown pass. While it looks as if Guarantano is set to be the starter for the remainder of the season, Chryst is a valuable asset should Pruitt put him into the starting role.
4. Many young players got involved: 5 different Vols scored their first career touchdown on Saturday. Marquill Osborne, Jeremy Banks, Darrin Kirkland Jr., Josh Palmer and Jordan Murphy each found the checkerboards for the first time. Tennessee fans should be excited that young, talented players are stepping up and positively impacting the team early in the season. If Tennessee wants to be successful this season, young players will need to continue to play at a high level.
5. A win is a win: While ETSU is obviously not the greatest team, it became evident that the Tennessee coaching staff knows what they are doing and that there are many talented athletes on the Vols' roster. The running back core is very versatile and the defense showed that it can be suffocating. If the offensive line can get themselves cleaned up, Tennessee has a shot at exceeding expectations this season. Overall, the program is heading in the right direction.
