UTEP quarterback Skyler Locklear (9) is tackled by Tennessee defensive lineman Joshua Josephs (19) during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn.

No. 11 Tennessee crushes UTEP to enhance CFP chances

Nico Iamaleava passed for four touchdowns and Dylan Sampson rushed for 77 yards and set a school-record for TDs as No. 11 Tennessee rolled to a 56-0 victory over UTEP on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tenn.

Sampson scored on a 14-yard TD run early in the second quarter for the game’s first points to deliver his 22nd TD of tje season to break the Tennessee single-season mark set by Gene McEvers in 1929.

Iamaleava was 15 of 20 for 173 yards for Tennessee (9-2), while Bru McCoy caught a pair of TD passes and Squirrel White and Ethan Davis each had a TD reception.

Tennessee moved its all-time record to 2-0 against the Miners, also having blanked the Conference USA school 24-0 in 2018.

Jermod McCoy and John Slaughter had interceptions for the Volunteers, while Dominic Bailey recovered a fumble to set up a score.

Skyler Locklear was 10-of-19 passing for 50 yards with an interception for UTEP (2-9), while rushing for 37 yards on eight carries. JP Pickles also had a turn at QB for the Miners and was 10 of 15 for 72 yards. Kenny Odom had eight receptions for 70 yards.

Both defenses set the tone in the first quarter. The UTEP defense allowed just one first down to the Southeastern Conference team in three ugly series in the opening quarter and only 22 yards.

In the second quarter, Sampson ended a 68-yard drive by dashing up the middle for 14 yards for the record-setting score to take a 7-0 lead with 13:22 remaining before halftime.

After Bailey’s fumble recovery, Iamaleava flipped a screen pass that White took 9 yards to the end zone nearly six minutes later.

Davis put the Volunteers up 21-0 when he grabbed a short pass for a 1-yard TD. Iamaleava then found Bru McCoy from 18 yards with eight seconds left in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead.

McCoy caught his second TD and Peyton Lewis rushed for a pair for a 49-0 lead in the third quarter, but the biggest roar from Volunteers fans came when it was announced Florida beat No. 9 Ole Miss 24-17, to enhance the Volunteers’ College Football Playoff hopes.

Cameron Seldon’s 3-yard run capped the scoring as the Volunteers finished the season undefeated at home for the second time in four years.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Athens, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel shown walking off the field after the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

No. 11 Tennessee looks for complete effort against UTEP

After losing to Southeastern Conference rival Georgia again last weekend, No. 11 Tennessee might be licking its wounds a bit.

The Volunteers (8-2) will close out their home slate Saturday afternoon with what will likely be an easier matchup, facing Conference USA foe UTEP (2-8) in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Volunteers are looking to rebound from a 31-17 drubbing at the hands of Georgia last Saturday.

Tennessee sprinted out of the gate and led 10-0 after the first quarter, however coach Kirby Smart’s team found its footing and steamrolled the Volunteers.

“It’s an opportunity for us to grow as a football team and continue to get better,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said of facing the Miners on Senior Day. “It’s the next step forward for us.”

Heupel said his players are good enough and have the type of culture to put an eighth straight setback against Georgia behind them.

“They made last week a big game because of what they’ve invested,” he said. “We’re in the arena and we’ve got to go make it happen. … There are areas we’ve got to get better.

“There are just too many instances of Tennessee hurting Tennessee on Saturday, and that’s not taking anything away from Georgia. But the things that we can control, we’ve got to be better at.”

The bad news for the Volunteers was they were tabbed 11th in the rankings, trailing fellow SEC members No. 7 Alabama, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 10 Georgia.

Tennessee will close out its season against in-state rival Vanderbilt on the road in Nashville next Saturday.

The Miners have not been in many positions where they led from the outset or had a chance to win, but they did two weeks ago against Kennesaw State in a game that went past regulation.

In the second overtime, Kenny Odom caught a 16-yard pass from Skyler Locklear as UTEP earned a 43-35 double overtime win over the Owls.

Locklear fired four touchdown passes, Odom caught three of them and UTEP’s “Orange Swarm” defense forced three straight incompletions to end the contest.

That performance earned Locklear the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Kory Chapman was honored as the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week.

Lockler has completed 67.0 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and five interceptions this season. Odom, in turn, has 642 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions.

The team has found itself in tight games lately: The last four outcomes — two wins and two losses — have all been decided by single digits.

“I’m so proud of this team, and I’ve been talking about perseverance all year,” UTEP coach Scotty Walden said after the Senior Day/Homecoming win. “That’s exactly what they did; they persevered through adversity. … We played with a lot of pride and a lot of passion.”

Tennessee and UTEP have only met once, a 24-0 Volunteers victory on Sept. 15, 2018, in Knoxville.

–Field Level Media

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) is pressured by Tennessee defensive linemen Joshua Josephs (19) and Dominic Bailey (90) during an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Knoxville. Tenn.

No. 11 Tennessee overcomes scoreless first half to beat No. 7 Alabama

Nico Iamaleava threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Chris Brazzell II with 5:52 remaining to help No. 11 Tennessee record a 24-17 victory over No. 7 Alabama on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference showdown in Knoxville, Tenn.

Dylan Sampson rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries as the Volunteers (6-1, 3-1 SEC) defeated the Crimson Tide for the second time in their past three meetings after dropping the previous 15 matchups.

Iamaleava completed 14 of 27 passes for 194 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Tennessee. Bru McCoy caught six passes for 80 yards and Will Brooks and Jermod McCoy had interceptions for the Volunteers.

Jalen Milroe completed 25 of 45 passes for 239 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for Alabama (5-2, 2-2).

Milroe was intercepted by Brooks with 1:24 left to end the Crimson Tide’s final chance to score.

Ryan Williams caught eight passes for 73 yards and a touchdown and Justice Haynes rushed for a score for the Crimson Tide. Malachi Moore and Jaylen Mbakwe had interceptions for Alabama.

Alabama took a 17-14 lead with 13:56 remaining on a 7-yard scoring run by Haynes, but Tennessee responded just more than eight minutes later when Brazzell made a diving 16-yard catch in the end zone to give Tennessee a four-point edge.

Max Gilbert booted a 41-yard field goal to give the Volunteers a 24-17 lead with 1:30 left. On the first play of Alabama’s ensuing drive, Brooks made the interception at the Crimson Tide 36-yard line and Tennessee ran out the clock.

A lethargic Tennessee offense finally got moving in the third quarter when it was sparked by Sampson’s 36-yard run while traveling 91 yards on seven plays. Sampson finished off the drive from the 2 to knot the score at 7 with 6:32 left in the third quarter.

Alabama regained the lead on Graham Nicholson’s 35-yard field goal with 3:11 remaining in the period.

Just more than two minutes later, Sampson scored on a 3-yard run to cap a five-play, 75-yard drive that gave the Volunteers a 14-10 lead.

Sampson has rushed for 17 touchdowns this season to tie for second in school history with Reggie Cobb (1987). The school mark of 18 is held by Gene McEver (1929).

Moore and Mbakwe had first-half interceptions as Alabama shut down the Tennessee offense. Alabama’s first-half touchdown came early in the second quarter when Milroe hit Williams on a 5-yard throw.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.

No. 6 Tennessee’s D stifles No. 15 Oklahoma in Sooners’ SEC debut

Nico Iamaleava threw for 194 yards and a touchdown, overcoming a pair of lost fumbles, as No. 6 Tennessee held on for a 25-15 win over No. 15 Oklahoma on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

Volunteers coach Josh Heupel, who quarterbacked the Sooners to the 2000 national title as the Heisman Trophy runner-up, was honored before the game.

Then Heupel’s defense dominated the Sooners as Iamaleava did enough to keep Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) undefeated.

The Volunteers held Oklahoma to minus-4 yards combined in the second and third quarters as they steadily stretched their lead.

The Sooners (3-1, 0-1) came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns, but couldn’t cut their deficit below 10 points.

Oklahoma starting quarterback Jackson Arnold was benched after going just 7-of-16 for 54 yards, giving way to freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., who didn’t do much better initially. But he led the fourth-quarter comeback attempt and finished 11-of-18 for 132 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 22 yards on 12 carries.

Bru McCoy finished with four catches for 92 yards for the Vols, while Dylan Sampson ran for 92 yards and a score.

Tennessee outgained the Sooners 345-222.

Iamaleava coughed up the ball twice in the second quarter, each time giving the Sooners the ball in Tennessee territory. But both times, the Volunteers’ defense quickly answered.

First, Iamaleava has hit by Robert Spears-Jennings at the Tennessee 6, where it was recovered by Ethan Downs.

But Jackson Arnold fumbled in the backfield on the next play and it was recovered by Tennessee’s Joshua Josephs.

In the ensuing drive, the Volunteers were able to pin the Sooners inside their own 5 after punting, and Jayson Jenkins then brought down Jovantae Barnes for a safety.

Later in the quarter, Iamaleava was sacked and lost the ball again; this time Gracen Halton recovered at the Vols’ 33.

But again, the Sooners gave the ball right back, as Arnold’s swing pass was ruled a lateral and Tennessee recovered in Oklahoma territory.

Tennessee then kept the ball on the ground, as Sampson carried the ball on eight consecutive plays, finishing with a 1-yard touchdown run to put the Vols up 19-3 at the break.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel prior to the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Former Sooner Josh Heupel leads No. 6 Vols against No. 15 Oklahoma

A quarter-century ago, Josh Heupel was one of the centerpieces of Oklahoma’s football rebirth.

On Saturday, Heupel will be a piece of another significant milestone when his sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers take on the No. 15 Sooners in Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma will be playing its first league contest since joining the Southeastern Conference.

“It will be unique going back into that stadium,” Heupel said. “I have teammates and friends back there. It’s going to be a (different) viewpoint. I am not sure I spent a day on the opposing sideline inside the stadium — not even for a scrimmage.”

Heupel signed with the Sooners out of Snow College in Utah, not long after Bob Stoops’ arrival as Oklahoma’s head coach before the 1999 season.

The Sooners made their first bowl game in five seasons during Heupel’s first season. During his second, Oklahoma went undefeated and won the program’s seventh national championship. Heupel also finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting that season.

Brent Venables, now in his third season as the Sooners’ head coach, was Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator during Heupel’s time as a player.

Heupel was also a longtime assistant at Oklahoma under Stoops but was fired following the 2014 season. After stints at Utah State and Missouri, Heupel got his first head-coaching job at UCF, and he is in his fourth season as the Volunteers’ head coach.

Venables expects a strong reception for Heupel in Norman.

“There can’t be someone with a stronger legacy,” Venables said. “The first year, going 7-5, then out of nowhere to go 13-0 and several games within that year, Oklahoma was an underdog or had to come from behind in those games where you really felt Sooner Magic was reignited. And he was a catalyst of that. And people won’t forget that.”

The game is about much more than Heupel’s return or the Sooners’ introduction into the SEC.

Tennessee (3-0) comes in with one of the most powerful offenses in college football, having outscored its opponents 191-13.

Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava and Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold were two of the top quarterbacks to come out of the 2023 class.

Iamaleava has completed 71.6 percent of his passes this season, and a strong run game in addition to that has helped the Volunteers average 693.3 yards per game.

“Man, what a talent,” Venables said of Iamaleava. “He’s just been fantastic. He’s got a great presence to him, he’s got a great supporting cast and a great defense.”

Saturday will be Iamaleava’s first true road game as the starter.

Oklahoma’s strength so far has been its defense.

The Sooners (3-0) are holding opponents to less than 265 yards per game and have forced 10 turnovers so far, tied for the nation’s best.

“They play really assignment sound,” Heupel said. “They understand where they’re supposed to be and recognizing patterns and getting into windows. They tie all three phases, all three levels of the defense in extremely well. And then when you have the ball in their hands, they’re extremely active.”

–Field Level Media

Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson (6) scores a touchdown during a NCAA game between Tennessee and Kent State in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024.

No. 7 Tennessee pummels Kent State with 65-point first half

Dylan Sampson rushed for four touchdowns and DeSean Bishop added two during a program-record 65-point first half as No. 7 Tennessee steamrolled Kent State 71-0 on Saturday night in nonconference play at Knoxville, Tenn.

Bishop rushed for 120 yards on seven carries and Sampson had 101 on 13 attempts as the Volunteers (3-0) annihilated the Golden Flashes over the first 30 minutes. Tennessee has outscored its three opponents 191-13.

Tennessee’s 37-point first quarter was a program record for any period and the Volunteers followed it with 28 points in the second quarter. Tennessee also set a school mark with 740 yards of total offense.

Nico Iamaleava completed 10 of 16 passes for 173 yards and one touchdown before leaving with Tennessee leading by 51 midway through the second quarter. Backup Gaston Moore threw two touchdown passes and Peyton Lewis rushed for 99 yards on 10 attempts.

Devin Kargman completed 9 of 15 passes for 58 yards for Kent State (0-3). Rocco Nicholl had 10 tackles.

Tennessee scored points on each of its first 11 drives – including touchdowns on its first nine drives — before being stopped on fourth down at the Kent State 5-yard line with 1:58 remaining.

The Volunteers limited the Golden Flashes to 112 yards. Tennessee had edges of 456-54 on rushing yards and 32-8 in first downs.

Sampson scored on a 22-yard run to start the onslaught. After the Volunteers notched a safety, Sampson scored from the 1 to make it 16-0 with 8:11 left in the first quarter.

Tennessee next scored on a long ball as Iamaleava connected with Chris Brazzell II in stride on a 53-yard touchdown with 5:56 remaining. Bishop broke loose on a 53-yard scamper to make it a 30-0 lead with 3:35 left before Sampson completed the opening-quarter spree with a 1-yard run with two seconds left.

In the second quarter, Bishop broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown with 13:06 left in the half. More than five minutes later, Sampson scored from the 14 to make it 51-0.

Moore threw touchdown passes of 15 yards to Miles Kitselman and 18 to Mike Matthews to culminate the 65-point first half. The Volunteers outgained Kent State 541-23 in the half.

Max Gilbert kicked field goals of 36 and 21 yards in the second half for Tennessee.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) looks to throw during Tennessee's game against Chattanooga in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

No. 14 Tennessee, No. 24 NC State excited for primetime battle

No. 14 Tennessee and No. 24 North Carolina State are certainly intrigued by what awaits them in the second week of the season.

The Volunteers and Wolfpack clash on Saturday night in Charlotte, N.C., in a showdown that team personnel and fans are eagerly anticipating.

“These are great games,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “As a coach, you’re tested. It’s your staff against their staff. You’ve got good players on both sides. It’s a game that’s obviously played in our state against a team whose state line touches ours. So there’s a lot to play for in a game like this, and that’s what it’s all about.”

The Volunteers agree.

“Can’t wait to be a part of that,” Tennessee linebacker Jeremiah Telander said. “Just can’t wait to get together with the guys again and go play, it’s going to be fun.”

Breaking down the details becomes a bit more alarming for these teams.

“They have probably the best defensive front we’ll play when you look at the depth and talent that they have on their defensive line,” Doeren said of the Volunteers.

Both teams tuned up against Football Championship Subdivision teams from the Southern Conference. While Tennessee tore through Chattanooga to the tune of 69-3, the Wolfpack had a more difficult task against Western Carolina in a 38-21 win.

But it gave quarterback Grayson McCall, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, a chance for a game in an NC State uniform before facing the Volunteers. For McCall, the game vs. the Volunteers comes in his hometown.

“I love the way he manages things, the way communicates on the sideline, his competitive spirit,” Doeren said.

While McCall might still be adjusting, receiver KC Concepcion of the Wolfpack began with a bang. He caught nine passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns last week.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel isn’t proclaiming that everything was smooth for the Volunteers in Week 1.

“You can live in what everybody is talking about last week, but the reality is that you’re only as good as your next performance,” he said.

Tennessee redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava excelled in the season opener. He was named Freshman of the Week in the Southeastern Conference after completing 22 of 28 passes for 314 yards and three scores.

“Man, is he talented,” Doeren said. “He’s fun to watch.”

But there’s also limited footage for the Wolfpack to study on Iamaleava.

“You can watch Coach Heupel’s offense for a long time and see what it is, but the players within it are obviously going to be what makes it go,” Doeren said. “But the scheme itself hasn’t changed a lot over the years.”

Heupel is counting on Iamaleava to make improvements. And certainly, only a portion of the playbook was exposed in the first game.

“Young quarterback who is going to continue to get better,” Heupel said. “Great test this week that we have coming up in NC State.”

NC State’s secondary will be without safety Devan Boykin, who will remain out through September while recovering from last season’s knee injury.

The offensive lines are among the most experienced in college football.

“This game is going to be won and lost in that box,” Doeren said. “There’s no doubt about it.”

NC State is 3-6 all-time at the NFL venue in Charlotte.

“I’m excited for both fan bases,” Doeren said. “It’s going to be a really passionate group on both sides, and a fun game to be a part of.”

The teams have faced off just once in the modern era, with Tennessee winning in a neutral-site matchup to begin the 2012 season in Atlanta.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel smiles at the Pilot team celebration at Neyland Stadium preserved by Pilot on Tuesday, August, 2024.

No. 15 Tennessee faces Chattanooga, aims for ‘elite’ running game

Tennessee is pegged to do good things this season, and getting off to a strong start will be one of the requirements for that to come to fruition.

The No. 15 Volunteers will take on visiting Chattanooga in an intrastate opener Saturday afternoon at Knoxville, Tenn.

“We get to go play ball,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said about the arrival of game week. “Good teams get better throughout the course of the season. We still have a lot of things we have to clean up.”

The Volunteers will look for signs of domination in the first game of the season.

“When we get into the season, you have to be elite running the football,” Heupel said. “Defensively, you have to be able to match people out.”

Tennessee, coming off a 9-4 season, will begin the season with a top-15 ranking in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2003 and 2004.

“As you get into the season, I think everybody is grasping their role, working and competing for the role that they want,” Heupel said. “At the same time, growing as a player is really important, and keeping your team chemistry that you have built is really important as well.”

The Mocs are ranked as high as No. 8 in FCS polls, with seven offensive players and seven defenders returning from a season ago.

“No matter how many guys you got coming back, we’re adding more pieces now than we ever have besides the freshmen that you signed,” coach Rusty Wright said. “That’s what we talked about as a team after we got to the last practice of camp. What’s our identity going to be? Who are we as a football team?”

The Volunteers lost defensive back Jourdan Thomas for the season due to a knee injury suffered during the preseason, and redshirt sophomore Christian Harrison or freshman Boo Carter will fill that spot.

On offense, receiver Squirrel White was Tennessee’s top receiver last year, racking up 803 yards and two touchdowns. He had 67 catches.

“He had a really good camp,” Heupel said. “He has great command understanding what we are doing, the fundamentals and technique that go in with the different coverages that he is going to see based off the route concept.”

Chattanooga, of the Southern Conference, finished 8-5 last year, reaching the second round of the FCS playoffs, where it lost to Furman.

“We have a lot of guys that have played a lot of football,” Wright said. “I think every year, you have to start over to a certain degree and, thankfully, we’ve had a good nucleus of people let us start over with and keep some things going in the right way.”

Chattanooga’s defense could be its strength with tackle Marlon Taylor and safety Reuben Lowery III receiving preseason recognition.

Yet the Mocs entered preseason practices without clarity at the cornerback positions, so those are spots bound to be tested by the Volunteers during Saturday’s opener.

The Volunteers lead the all-time series with the Mocs 40-2-2, including a 45-0 win in 2019 in the most recent meeting.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) poses with the MVP Trophy after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

Report: NCAA eyeing Tennessee for possible NIL violations

The NCAA is investigating the Tennessee football program for possible NIL violations, Sports Illustrated and CBS reported Tuesday.

According to reports, the case centers around quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a Class of 2023 five-star recruit.

Iamaleava signed a lucrative name, image and likeness deal with Spyre Sports Group, Tennessee’s primary collective.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported last year that Iamaleava’s NIL deal was worth $8 million.

Tennessee has not received a formal notice of allegations from the NCAA, the university told news outlets.

Iamaleava appeared in five games for the Volunteers in the 2023 season. The freshman was named the Citrus Bowl MVP after rushing for three touchdowns and passing for one touchdown in a 35-0 win against Iowa on Jan. 1.

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton III (7) passes the ball against the Connecticut Huskies during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

No. 17 Tennessee crushes UConn, 59-3

Joe Milton III passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another and No. 17 Tennessee produced three defensive scores while pummeling UConn 59-3 on Saturday afternoon in nonconference action at Knoxville, Tenn.

Jaylen Wright rushed for 113 yards, including a long scoring run for the Volunteers (7-2), who won for the fifth time in six games. Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton caught lengthy touchdown passes and McCallan Castles also had a scoring grab for Tennessee.

Tyler Baron returned a fumble for a touchdown and Jaylen McCollough and Aaron Beasley each had interception returns for scores for the Volunteers. Milton completed 11 of 14 passes for 254 yards in one half of play.

Ta’Quan Roberson was 24-of-40 passing for 218 yards and two interceptions for the Huskies (1-8), who lost their third straight game.

Tennessee outgained the Huskies 650 to 256.

The Volunteers led by 32 at halftime and piled on with two defensive scores in the first 3:09 of the third quarter.

McCullough intercepted Roberson at the 30-yard line on the first play of the quarter and he returned it for the score.

Just three minutes later, Beasley recorded the pick-six with the grab and 39-yard return to make it 49-3.

Backup quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw his first career touchdown pass, hitting Castles from 19 yards out, to boost the lead to 53 with 7:30 left in the third quarter. The Volunteers cruised the rest of the way.

Tennessee outgained UConn 402 to 200 in the first half while scoring on three offense plays of 60 or more yards.

Wright broke loose up the middle on the second play of the game and raced 82 yards for a touchdown.

After UConn’s Noe Ruelas kicked a 22-yard field goal, Keyton was wide open down the field and caught Milton’s pass at the Huskies’ 20 and strolled in for a 60-yard score to make it 14-3 with 1:38 left in the quarter.

Milton scored on a 6-yard run midway through the second quarter and then hooked up with White on an 83-yard scoring play to make it 28-3 with 4:34 remaining in the half. Just 64 seconds later, Baron scored on a 24-yard fumble to account for the 35-3 lead at the break.

–Field Level Media