Tennessee took on Kent State on Saturday. This was expected to be nothing more than a tune up game for the Vols, and that is exactly what it was. The Vols won in dominating fashion, 71-0.
The Vols had a historic night against Kent State. Every aspect of the team was firing on all cylinders. From the moment the ball was kicked, the Vols were on the hunt for Golden Flashes. There are several players who deserve the spotlight after this game.
Dylan Sampson is arguably the best running back in the country. He carried the ball 13 times for 105 yards and 4 touchdowns. Sampson has played 7 quarters of football this season, and has scored 9 touchdowns. He is an unstoppable force in this offense. Before too long, Sampson is going to be included in award conversations, more specifically, the Heisman conversation.
Nico had another impressive, but short, outing against Kent State. Through a quarter and a half, Nico went 10/16 for 173 yards and 1 touchdown. That one touchdown was a 53 yard bomb. Nico hasn’t gotten a lot of full game experience yet, but he continues to put up impressive numbers in his limited time, despite playing in a run first offense. The real test remains ahead for Nico, but continuous performances such as this tell us he is ready.
This defense is something we have not seen in Josh Heupel’s tenure at Tennessee. That being, elite. It doesn’t matter who you are playing, when you hold your opponent to 23 total yards in the first half, you are an elite defense. The group as a whole had 2 tfl and 5 passes defended, and also forced a safety. The most impressive thing on display though was the team’s ability to tackle in the open field. The Golden Flashes didn’t even pick up a first down until halfway through the 2nd quarter. While the whole defense played well, there are a few players who had exemplary performances that deserve a shoutout.
Public opinion has been mixed on Pearce Jr. this season because he hasn’t made a major impact on the statsheet. Unfortunately for the box-watchers, James Pearce Jr. is still the same threat he was last season. Teams will center their entire offensive game plan around Pearce, and that’s what Kent State did. Despite being frequently double teamed, Pearce still found a way to generate pressure on the QB and disrupt their plays. The sacks will come, but there is more to being an elite edge defender than racking up sacks.
Pili is the clear leader of this Vols defense. He brings a certain “juice” to the team that was much needed in years past. It felt like Pili was in the backfield every play, despite only being credited with 3 tackles on the game. Pili, 26, provides a veteran presence in the front seven that not many other teams have. If he continues to play the way he has, he could end up being known as the anchor to one of the best defenses in all of College Football.
McCoy was a question mark going into this season. The sophomore transferred to the Vols from Oregon St. ahead of this season. He had his best game of the season so far against Kent State, despite not showing up on the stat sheet much. McCoy had sticky coverage all night, being credited for 1 official pass deflection. McCoy did not allow a completion all night, and this game was surely a confidence booster for him ahead of a big SEC matchup.
This was a tune-up game for the Vols ahead of their inaugural conference game. Despite this, the Vols still seemingly exceeded the expectations of everyone in this game by absolutely demolishing, and shutting out, Kent State.
Tennessee, now ranked #6 in the A.P. Poll, travels to Norman, OK to take on the #15 ranked Sooners. This is a huge game for the Vols, and could determine exactly how this season will go for them. Josh Heupel should have his team ready to go however, as this is a huge matchup for him personally.
Leave a Reply