KNOXVILLE – They don’t count as turnovers, but Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley considers them to be.
Twice in the second quarter, Cincinnati had fourth down with 1 yard to go for a first down near midfield. Both times the Volunteers’ defense rose to the occasion and forced the Bearcats to turn the ball over on downs.
“People don’t realize how big those are, ’cause it’s not just the stop, it’s field position,” Dooley said. “Those are about 40-yard stops, turnovers. That just generates juice; you get a little excited. Those plays are huge on fourth down.”
Both stops occurred with the Cincinnati trailing just 21-14, very much still in the game.
“It’s a great feeling,” UT senior defensive tackle Malik Jackson said. “We go in there every week talking about big stops and getting the small stuff. When we go out there and stop them like that, it’s big momentum for the offense and defense.”