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.

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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.

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.

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