KNOXVILLE - Big brother dropped half a Benjamin on little brother.
The University of Tennessee football team drilled smaller-division UT-Martin 50-0 on Saturday night in front of 99,123 at Neyland Stadium.
It was the Volunteers' first shutout since a 48-0 victory over an over another in-state punching bag - Vanderbilt - in 2003.
Saturday night was essentially an exhibition. The next two weeks won't be. The Vols host No. 11 Oregon next Saturday and fourth-ranked Florida the following week.
Oregon demolished New Mexico, 72-0, on Saturday.
"We start big-boy ball next week," Derek Dooley said after his first game as UT's head coach.
Being the only big boy on the field definitely has its advantages. UT cruised to 537 total offensive yards - 332 on 43 rushing attempts - against the Skyhawks and probably would have added much more if not for a conservative finish with the backups.
"We were able to win the game," Dooley said. "We obviously have a lot better players than [UT-Martin], but we didn't mess it up. We played good, sound football. We protected the ball. When we didn't get first downs, we played good field position. The defense was aggressive. We tackled well. All the basics that you're worried about in the first game ... I was pleased with that.
"Overall, it was a good solid win. I've been on the other side. It's hard when you just don't have the manpower."
UT started relatively slowly, but a 20-0 score at the break escalated into a rout when the Vols' starters left the game early in the fourth quarter.
Tailback Tauren Poole and wide receiver Denarius Moore accounted for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns apiece - Moore's two scores came in a two-minute stretch in the third quarter - and junior quarterback Matt Simms had a mixed bag performance of 14-of-24 for 181 yards and a touchdown.
"It's crucial in any season for anyone to get that first win," Simms said. "At times tonight, stuff got a little ugly, especially with myself and some of the offense. We weren't flowing with the game as we should have and keeping the tempo going.
"But that was a great learning experience for me in the second quarter there to kind of fight through that, and I believe when we came out there in the third quarter, we were flying and ready to go."
Moore certainly was ready. Dooley hoped for big plays from one of his fastest and most proven players.
"That's important in offense, is having some guys that can make chunks, some big plays," Dooley said. "I was concerned about that coming into the year, and I still am. I don't know if we have enough guys who can go out there and get big plays, but Denarius made two huge ones that really opened the game up.
"He's a fast guy."
Poole finished with 110 yards on 17 carries, and Moore added a 58-yard touchdown run and a 42-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.
Sophomore tailback David Oku's 44-yard touchdown run was sandwiched between two Daniel Lincoln field goals, and the Vols had a 13-0 lead after the first quarter. Poole's first score, a 24-yard run with 1:44 left in the second quarter, upped the score to 20-0 at the break.
That was much more cushion that UT needed. The Skyhawks had just 51 total offensive yards and didn't crack the 100-yard barrier until the fourth quarter (against the Vols' reserves) before finishing with 142.
UT's starting defense left the game after sophomore safety Prentiss Waggner's 54-yard interception return touchdown with 13:14 left.
Some reserves starting making an impact earlier, though. Second-team middle linebacker Austin Johnson intercepted UT-Martin's Derek Carr in the third quarter and tackled a Skyhawks tailback in the end zone for a safety later in the period. He almost had another safety earlier in the game, but the Skyhawk squirmed inches across the goalline.
"The last time I played linebacker was as a senior in high school in a real game," said Johnson, who played fullback his first two years with the Vols. "But once I got out here, it all just kind of came to me, and I was able to play fast."
UT-Martin squandered a decent chance to score on the Vols' reserves early in the fourth quarter. UT stuffed the Skyhawks on third-and-1, and Cody Sandlin missed a 43-yard field goal attempt with 9:16 left.
"I'm disappointed with the score," said UT-Martin head coach Jason Simpson, a former assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at UT-Chattanooga. "The guys did some good things, but we've got a lot of work to do."
Vols freshman quarterback Tyler Bray made his college debut in the second half. Simms' backup completed 3 of 6 passes for 24 yards and threw UT's lone interception, an overthrown pass down the seam on a fourth-and-8.
"That play, he's run it about 500 times, and he's never tried to throw it to that guy," Dooley said of Bray's interception. "That shows you how important it is to get experience."
UT played 12 freshmen Saturday, and Dooley hopes that experience will help in any way against Oregon.
"I'm sure we made a lot of mistakes that we'll have to correct," Dooley said. "I know [Oregon] beat a team by 70-something today. How's that for confidence?"
Other contacts for Wes Rucker are www.twitter.com/wesrucker and www.facebook.com/tfpvolsbeat.
