KNOXVILLE – After their first two weeks of this college football season, the Tennessee Volunteers needed Saturday afternoon’s result.
The Vols opened with a listless effort in a surprising 38-30 loss to Georgia State. A week later they found a way to lose a game against BYU in painful fashion, 29-26 in double overtime.
So with frustration mounting upon realizing how close they had been to 2-0, the Vols took some of those emotions out on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, scoring 21 points in the first seven minutes against the Mocs, building a 38-0 lead by halftime and cruising to a 45-0 win over their Football Championship Subdivision visitors at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols ran for 197 yards in their second consecutive solid rushing performance. Junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano showed some signs of getting out of his early-season funk, finishing with three touchdown tosses – his most as a Vol – and completing all but one of his eight passes. The defense forced five turnovers, including four interceptions.
Tennessee’s special teams were solid, with Ty Chandler returning the opening kickoff 58 yards. Brent Cimaglia kicked a 34-yarder on his only field-goal attempt and made all six extra points, and Tyler Byrd blocked a punt and tipped another, with Brandon Johnson scooping up the blocked punt and returning it for a score.