Tennessee

Dylan Sampson rushes for 4 TDs as No. 7 Tennessee routs Kent State 71-0

Published

3 hours ago

September 15, 2024

Dylan Sampson rushes for 4 TDs as No. 7 Tennessee routs Kent State 71-0

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dylan Sampson rushed for 101 yards and four touchdowns — all in the first half — to lead No. 7 Tennessee to a 71-0 victory over Kent State on Saturday night.

It was Sampson’s fourth straight game, dating back to last season’s Citrus Bowl game, in which he rushed for over 100 yards.

“(Sampson) has great vision and great pace,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “He presses the line of scrimmage and is elusive in space.”

“You can only control what you’ve got in the moment,” said Sampson. “That’s the way you find out who you are. The (running back) position is all about grit.”

DeSean Bishop added 120 rushing yards and two TDs in the first half for the Volunteers (3-0). They led 65-0 at halftime, the largest point total in one half in school history. The 71 points are the most in modern-era school history.

The Golden Flashes (0-3) generated just 23 total yards in the first half. They were offered to have a running clock in the second half but declined.

“That is not who we are as a team or a culture,” Kent State coach Kenni Burns said of the clock adjustment. “I talked to the captains about it and they said absolutely not.”

Heupel refused to comment about the decision.

Tennessee rolled up 37 points in the first quarter, the most in one quarter in school history. In those first 15 minutes, there was a safety, two snaps over the Kent State quarterback’s head and an onside kick that the Vols recovered.

“We have a really young football team,” said Burns. “There was an obvious mismatch in personnel. We did not knock the ball down when we had the chance to.”

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was 10 of 16 for 173 yards and a touchdown with 31 yards rushing.

“We still have a lot more to improve on,” Iamaleava said. “Every day we want to be 1% better.”

The Tennessee defense has gone 16 quarters — dating back to the bowl game — without giving up a touchdown.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kent State: Coach Kenni Burns’ primary task this week with his team will be to keep the game with Tennessee and the upcoming matchup with Penn State in perspective. The Golden Flashes are young. Being overmatched by a Top 10 team can be used as a growth opportunity, rather than something that will impede progress or cause frustration.

Tennessee: Last week’s lopsided win over North Carolina State came with its share of mistakes. The Vols used the game with Kent State to clean up those concerns before they are tested in their first true road game against No. 15 Oklahoma. Iamaleava threw the first two interceptions of his career last week. He was able to make better decisions against Kent State.

UP NEXT

Kent State: The Golden Flashes have one of the toughest two-week stretches in the nation. After enduring a very loud and intimidating crowd at Tennessee, they will be in another hostile environment next Saturday at No. 8 Penn State.

Tennessee: After getting through their three tune-ups with flying colors, the Vols will visit coach Josh Heupel’s alma mater No. 15 Oklahoma in the Sooners’ first-ever Southeastern Conference game.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Get NewsChannel 5 Now, wherever, whenever, always free.

Watch the live stream below, and download our apps on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and more. Click here to learn more.

Source link

Tennessee

Tennessee football will beat Oklahoma by at least 20 points and other overreactions

Published

11 hours ago

September 15, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee football will beat Oklahoma by at least 20 points and other overreactions

Tennessee football set offensive records in a rout against Kent State on Saturday, setting up a major showdown in its SEC opener.

The No. 9 Vols (3-0) beat winless Kent State 71-0 at Neyland Stadium, scoring the most points in a game in the modern era among many records.

Here are overreactions from the win:

The Vols will beat Oklahoma by at least 20

Tennessee might not score 50 points for the fourth straight game. But it will still beat Oklahoma by at least 20 when it goes to Norman, Oklahoma, for the SEC opener.

No. 14 Oklahoma is 3-0 but has not been inspiring. The Sooners beat Tulane 34-19 on Saturday after struggling against Houston a week earlier in a 16-12 win.

UT’s offense is crushing teams, while its defense has yet to allow a touchdown through three games. That is a wicked combination that’ll lead to a rout at Oklahoma.

Mike Matthews is going to start for Tennessee this season

Mike Matthews made his Tennessee debut and he was sensational. The five-star freshman wide receiver reeled in a leaping touchdown catch in the second quarter for his first career score.

ADAMS: I’m wondering if the Tennessee-Oklahoma football matchup could now be a mismatch | Adams

He had two catches for 35 yards, including the 18-yard touchdown. Matthews battled an injury early in preseason practices, which limited his start to the season. But coach Josh Heupel made a telling comment about Matthews when he said the Vols were able to roll out an offensive set with four wide receivers now that Matthews was healthy. That bodes well for his playing time.

Tennessee has a deep wide receiver group, which has been talking about plenty throughout the past two months. Matthews could break into it in a major way as the season unfolds, especially in the slot where Tennessee isn’t as deep as it is on the outside.

Tennessee football will break program record for points in a season

Tennessee set a long list of offensive records against Kent State (0-3). It put another one in its sights: the single-season scoring record.

The Vols have scored 191 points through three games. The season record for scoring is 599, which it set in 2022.

If Tennessee plays 10 more games this season, it would need to average 40.8 points per game through the remainder of the regular season and a postseason game to set the record. UT is averaging 63.7.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

Source link

Tennessee

No. 7 Tennessee vs Kent State Updated Betting Odds

Published

18 hours ago

September 14, 2024

Press Room

No. 7 Tennessee vs Kent State Updated Betting Odds

Updated betting lines for Saturday’s matchup between No.7 Tennessee and Kent State.

Tennessee returns to Neyland Stadium for their Week three showdown with the Kent State Golden Flashes, riding the momentum from a powerful Week two display. The Volunteers lit up the scoreboard with 51 points in their win over former No. 24 ranked NC State in the Duke Mayo Classic. The offense was in top form, racking up 460 total yards. SEC rushing leader Dylan Sampson spearheaded the attack with 132 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Nico Iamaleava impressed with 211 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns.

Tennessee vs NC State Updated Betting Odds:

DraftKings has Tennessee as a heavy favorite with a -49.5 spread over Kent State, and the over/under set at 62.5. The Golden Flashes have had a rough start to the season, with a 23-17 loss to FCS opponent Saint Francis in Week 2 and a 55-24 blowout defeat to Pittsburgh in Week 1.

Other Tennessee News:

Join the Community:

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking “Follow” on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.

Source link

Tennessee

Tennessee football vs Kent State score predictions: Will Vols cover spread?

Published

1 day ago

September 14, 2024

Press Room

Tennessee football vs Kent State score predictions: Will Vols cover spread?

Tennessee football has its final early season nonconference game before opening SEC play.

The No. 9 Vols (2-0) host Kent State (0-2 on Saturday (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium, where it opened the season with a win against Chattanooga. UT plays at Oklahoma in its SEC opener.

Here are the predictions from the Knox News staff:

Tennessee vs Kent State odds, money line, over/under

Odds courtesy of BetMGM, as of Tuesday

Spread: -48.5
Money: -115
O/U: 62.5

Not interested in this game? Our guide to college football betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered.

If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. We have tips for beginners on how to place a bet online. And USA TODAY Network readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with these online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.

Tennessee vs Kent State predictions, picks for college football Week 3

Adam Sparks

Tennessee 63, Kent State 3: This is almost as lopsided as an FBS matchup could be. I suppose Josh Heupel could name a score before kickoff, and the Vols would have a chance of hitting that mark.

John Adams

Tennessee 62, Kent State 6: The Vols reached 50 points only once last season. They already have passed 50 twice this season.

This would be the first time in the modern era of UT football that the Vols have scored 50 or more points in three consecutive games. They also did it in 1913.

And no, I didn’t cover that team.

Mike Wilson

Tennessee 73, Kent State 6: Tennessee will threaten school records against Kent State, which looks like the worst team on the schedule for the Vols. It should get ugly and only get uglier. The only thing stopping the Vols from scoring 100 will likely be a second half for the backups.

Cora Hall

Tennessee 66, Kent State 9: The Vols steamrolled their first two opponents and this week will be no different. Tennessee will notch another confidence-boosting blowout win before starting its conference schedule.

TRADITION: How ‘Home of the Vols’ returned to Neyland Stadium thanks to a Johnny Majors picture

Gentry Estes

Tennessee 77, Kent State 0: Yeah, I’m not kidding. The Golden Flashes just lost to Saint Francis.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

Source link