How It Happened: No. 23 Tennessee 45, UTSA 14
Tennessee Football needed a response after a frustrating loss at Florida last week and the Vols got a one in a 45-14 win over UTSA at Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon. Joe Milton III had 308 total yards and three total touchdowns, Dylan Sampson rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns and Ramel Keyton and Kaleb Webb caught touchdown passes in the win.
Here’s how it happened, as it happened:
First Quarter
Tennessee 7, UTSA 0 (14:40, 1Q): The Vols needed just one play to get to the end zone. Joe Milton III faked a handoff to Jaylen Wright and went around the left side for an 81-yard touchdown run. He got a block on the perimeter from Bru McCoy and outraced the Roadrunner defense to the end zone to get Tennessee on the board 20 seconds into the game.
Tennessee 14, UTSA 0 (10:03, 1Q): Dylan Sampson is back in the running back rotation. His first touch on Saturday was a 6-yard touchdown run, his fifth trip to the end zone in a little more than two games this season. The sophomore came in from Jaylen Wright, after Wright’s helmet came off on the previous play. The touchdown drive went 62 yards in nine plays and took two minutes, 56 seconds. Tennessee’s defense forced a UTSA three-and-out set up the second touchdown drive.
Second Quarter
Tennessee 21, UTSA 0 (14:23, 2Q): The Vols were back in the end zone early in the second quarter after Milton found Kaleb Webb for an 18-yard touchdown pass. The two-play, 57 yard touchdown drive was fueled by a 40-yard run from Jabari Small on first down.
Tennessee 28, UTSA (11:10, 2Q): UTSA had 12 players on the field and it still didn’t matter. Joe Milton put a perfect deep ball into the end zone for Ramel Keyton, who hauled in the 48-yard touchdown for a 28-0 lead. The touchdown drive went 60 yards on four plays and included an 11-yard pass from Milton to Squirrel White to convert on third-and-9, one play before the long touchdown pass.
Tennessee 31, UTSA 0 (3:21, 2Q): Dylan Sampson ripped of a 44-yard run on the second play of the drive, but the Vols stalled at the UTSA 6 with a run for 0 yards and an incomplete pass from Joe Milton to Squirrel White in the end zone. Charles Campbell connected on a 29-yard field goal after missing a 52-yarder in the first quarter.
Third Quarter
Tennessee 31, UTSA 7 (7:32, 3Q): UTSA got on the scoreboard with a 15-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to start the second half. Owen McCown, who replaced Eddie Lee Marburger to start the third quarter, threw a 3-yard touchdown to Joshua Cephus.
Tennessee 31, UTSA 14 (5:16, 3Q): UTSA got back in the end zone on its second possession of the second half after Owen McCown connected with Tykee Ogle-Kellogg, a product of Alcoa High School, on a 43-yard touchdown to get the Roadrunners back within 17.
Fourth Quarter
Tennessee 38, UTSA 14 (12:42, 4Q): The Vols finally found an answer after a sluggish third quarter, with Jabari Small scoring on a 1-yard run to cap a 12-play, 66-yard touchdown drive with 12:42 left in the fourth quarter. Tennessee punted three times in the third quarter, after scoring four touchdowns and kicking a field goal on seven possessions in the first half.
Tennessee 45, UTSA 14 (10:17): Have a day, Dylan Sampson. Tennessee scored on a two-play, 70-yard touchdown drive and every yard came from the sophomore running back. First it was a 29-yard run on first-and-10 at the Tennessee 30, then a 41-yard touchdown run on the next snap. The runs gave Sampson 139 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
