Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd (1) leaps over the line for a touchdown in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Ohio Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)KNOXVILLE — Tennessee’s imperfect start to the 2016 season continued on Saturday with an ugly win against Ohio, 28-19.
Only when Josh Dobbs hit Josh Malone for a 20-yard touchdown pass with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter could the Volunteers exhale a little bit.
The same effort simply won’t get the job done the next four weeks, when Tennessee hosts Florida before going to Georgia and Texas A&M and hosting Alabama.
Tennessee linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (21) stands on the sideline in the second half of an NCAA college football game after being injured in the second quarter against Ohio Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in Knoxville, Tenn. Tennessee won 28-19. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)There were a disconcerting rash of injuries to defensive stars like Cameron Sutton and Jalen Reeves-Maybin to go along with more problems on the offensive line and a list of mistakes long enough to keep fourth-year coach Butch Jones and his staff up late into Saturday night.
Malone was a bright spot with a pair of touchdown passes, and a shorthanded defense did enough to force four first-half field goal attempts and allowed just 118 yards and seven points in the second half.