KNOXVILLE - The skies opened above Neyland Stadium, bringing wind and rain that knocked out power to about half the stadium's lights.
The deluge failed to wash away the aftertaste of the Butch Jones era.
Tennessee started with a seemingly inspired effort and ended with same result as its first six games against Southeastern Conference competition as LSU pulled away from the Volunteers for a 30-10 victory in front of 96,888 rain-soaked fans Saturday night.
The loss assures that Tennessee (4-7, 0-7) will fall short of bowl eligibility, and it will have to beat Vanderbilt this Saturday to avoid the first eight-loss season in program history.
"I feel bad for our players, especially our seniors," Tennessee interim coach Brady Hoke said. "They're great kids, and they're giving us everything they have. They were focused all week."
With Hoke roaming the sideline in place of Jones, who was fired last Sunday, Tennessee held 20th-ranked LSU without a first down on its first four possessions. The Tigers (8-3, 5-2) jumped ahead 3-0 anyway, thanks to the first of two muffed punts by Tennessee's Marquez Callaway in the first half.
Both miscues gave LSU the football in the red zone, and the second allowed LSU to surge ahead 10-0.
Callaway earned redemption at the end of the first half when he caught a 26-yard pass from Guarantano while falling out of bounds to avoid a three-and-out. Guarantano found Callaway on the next play for a 46-yard touchdown, even as LSU's Donte Jackson was called for pass interference.
The touchdown brought the Vols within 17-10, and that's when the brunt of Mother Nature's force arrived. As the teams congregated in the locker room at halftime, the wind and rain picked up, killing the lights fixed to the top of the stadium's north side.
Both teams emerged with the field dimly lit, rain whipping furiously and many fans seeking cover. Play proceeded anyway. Tennessee's kick returners lost the ball in the rain and dimly lit sky, and the Vols started the half at their own 3-yard line and went backward.
"It was huge," Hoke said of the weather at that time. "There's no question it literally was coming so hard I couldn't see guys on the field. It was coming right into you, so I'm sure they had a big problem with it."
The rain relented some as LSU took over following a Trevor Daniel punt, and the LSU offense marched 50 yards on nine plays to surge ahead 23-10 on a Derrius Guice touchdown run.
At that point, Tennessee's thin offensive line was without its only senior. The group was down to five scholarship players at the game's beginning.
From left to right the starting offensive line consisted of true freshman Trey Smith, redshirt freshman Ryan Johnson, senior Jashon Robertson, true freshman Riley Locklear and redshirt freshman Devante Brooks. Brooks committed a false start before Tennessee's first snap, and the series resulted in a three-and-out when a pass-rusher ran unblocked through the right side of Tennessee's offensive line and sacked Guarantano.
By the second half, the group was down to four scholarship players. Robertson left the game with an apparent injury and redshirt sophomore walk-on Joe Keeler earned the first playing time of his career, entering at right tackle.
"The next man has to step up, and that's the expectation," Hoke said. "Obviously, we've been hit pretty hard there this year at that position. I think it's very similar to a year ago how the defensive line was. That's something. I give those kids credit. They're working every day, coming in and wanting to be good and wanting to do it right."
Tennessee attempted to convert a fourth-and-1 at its own 21-yard line while trailing 23-10 late in the third quarter. The makeshift offensive line failed to generate a push, and Guarantano was stopped short of the sticks. LSU needed only two plays to go ahead 30-10 and put the game out of reach.
Who was that?
One of Tennessee's offensive highlights came courtesy of a player not listed on the official roster cards distributed in the stadium press box. Malik Elion took a pitch from John Kelly in the first quarter and ran 10 yards for a first down. Elion is a 5-foot-7 junior and a member of Tennessee's track team. It was the first touch of his football career.
Injury report
Freshman running back Ty Chandler Chandler entered the injury tent after taking a big hit while returning a kickoff in the first quarter. He did not return. Sophomore linebacker Daniel Bituli left the game in the fourth quarter after receiving attention from trainers but returned. Junior defensive end Jonathan Kongbo went out in the second half. A week after making his first career start, freshman quarterback Will McBride was not available.
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.