Joe Milton III hit 21.3 miles per hour on record-setting 81-yard touchdown run vs. UTSA
Joe Milton III’s 81-yard touchdown run to start the UTSA game Saturday was not just the longest touchdown run by a quarterback in the history of the Tennessee football program. It was also a chance for Milton to show off his freak athleticism.
According to Reel Analytics, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Milton topped out at 21.3 miles per hour on the touchdown run, giving Tennessee a 7-0 lead just 20 seconds into the game.
After pulling the ball away from running back Jaylen Wright on a read play, Milton picked up a key block from wide receiver Bru McCoy on the Tennessee sideline and outraced the UTSA defense to the end zone.
Milton after the game made it sound like he struggled to finish the run.
“I did (feel fast),” he said. “That tire kind of blew out at the 20. I had to pick up (the pace). Sometimes you can ride out on a spare tire. It was good.”
Joe Milton vs. UTSA: 298 total yards, 3 touchdowns
Milton finished the 45-14 win over UTSA with five rushes for 89 yards and the first-play touchdown. He completed 18 of 31 passes — he started the game by going 14-for-16 — for 209 yards and two touchdowns, as the Vols quickly built a 31-0 lead over the Roadrunners.
“We want him to continue to make plays,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Saturday night during his postgame press conference. “He’s going to have to use his feet. You saw it (against UTSA) in the run game. In our drop-back pass game he’s going to have to work the pocket, escape, make plays with his feet, stay and make plays with his arm. That will be critical as we continue to go.
“We need him to take great care of the football. There’s still a level of efficiency that we can get to in our passing game. That’s Joe, it’s our wide outs, it’s our tight ends. It’s all of that together so we can take another jump.”
Tennessee rushed 33 times as a team for 303 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore running back Dylan Sampson led the Vols on the ground, carrying 11 times for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
Up Next: No. 21 Tennessee vs. South Carolina, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Running backs coach Jerry Mack said Tuesday that Milton having success on the ground is “huge,” opening up the game up for Tennessee’s running backs.
“The ability to have a running quarterback or a true dual-threat quarterback, especially one that can cross the goal line with speed like Joe did on it on the long run,” Mack said, “I mean, that presents some problems all the time. So whether it is more opportunities for the running backs because those defensive ends and those linebackers, they’re in their read keys, they understand that the quarterback is a valuable threat.
“It changes the box, it changes what it looks like on the roof as well from the safety position. So like there’s a lot of things that having that dual-threat style quarterback can open up for us. It creates more touches for us, which I mean, they’re all welcome to that.”
During his postgame press conference, Milton was asked what his reaction was when he found out he was the new record holder for the longest touchdown run by a Tennessee quarterback.
His answer? Hearing the question was the first time he had heard the stat.
“Shoot, man, it’s a blessing,” Milton said with a smile. “Looking forward for the next one.”
