Tennessee football maintained its dominance on Saturday night with a commanding 71-0 victory over Kent State. The Vols came out strong, scoring five touchdowns and a safety in the first quarter. By halftime, they had scored eight touchdowns, allowing them to rest their starters early.
Tennessee’s 37-0 lead in the first quarter set a new record, marking the most points scored in a single quarter in modern Vols history. Their 65-0 halftime lead also set a record for the most points scored in a half. As for the final score, the 71 points were the most in a game since 1929, when General Neyland’s team scored 73 against Carson-Newman.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava led the offense, playing just over a quarter but making several highlight throws. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown. Running backs Dylan Sampson and DeSean Bishop were also key contributors. Sampson had a career night, rushing for 101 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries, while Bishop added 120 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries.
This level of dominance hasn’t been seen from Tennessee in a long time. While there have been glimpses under Josh Heupel and previous coaches, such decisive blowouts of weaker opponents are rare. This year’s team is different—strong teams dominate weaker ones, and Tennessee has done just that in its first three games.
Next up, the Vols will look to carry this momentum into conference play. Their first SEC matchup is next week against the Oklahoma Sooners, with ESPN’s College Gameday joining them for a primetime 7:30 PM ET kickoff in Norman.
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