KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Dylan Sampson ran 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 consecutive game since last season’s Citrus Bowl game in which he rushed for over 100 yards.
“(Sampson) has great vision and great speed,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “He pushes the line of scrimmage and is difficult to tackle in space.”
“You can only control what you have right now,” Sampson said. “That’s how you find out who you are. The (running back) position is all about grit.”
DeSean Bishop had 120 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the first half for the Volunteers (3-0). They led 65-0 at halftime, the highest score in a half in school history. The 71 points are the most in modern school history.
The Golden Flashes (0-3) managed just 23 yards in the first half. They were offered the chance to have a running clock in the second half, but declined.
“It’s not in keeping with our character as a team and our culture,” Kent State coach Kenni Burns said of the time change. “I’ve talked to the captains about it and they have said absolutely nothing against it.”
Heupel declined to comment on the decision.
Tennessee scored 37 points in the first quarter, the most in a quarter in school history. Those first 15 minutes featured a safety, two snaps over the head of Kent State’s quarterback and an onside kick that the Vols recovered.
“We have a really young football team,” Burns said. “There were obvious personnel mismatches. We didn’t knock the ball down when we had the chance.”
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 10 of 16 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown with 31 rushing yards.
“We still have a lot of room to improve,” said Iamaleava. “Every day we want to be 1% better.”
Tennessee’s defense has gone 16 quarters – since the bowl game – without a single touchdown.
THE RESULT
Kent State: Coach Kenni Burns’ main task with his team this week will be to keep the Tennessee game and the upcoming matchup against Penn State in mind. The Golden Flashes are young. A loss to a top-10 team can be used as an opportunity for growth, rather than something that hinders progress or causes frustration.
Tennessee: Last week’s lopsided win over North Carolina State was marked by a series of errors. The Vols used the Kent State game to address those concerns before being tested in their first real 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.
Next
Kent State: The Golden Flashes are coming off one of the toughest two-week stretches in the country. After enduring a very loud and intimidating crowd in Tennessee, they will play in another hostile environment next Saturday at No. 8 Penn State.
Tennessee: After winning their three preseason games, the Vols will visit coach Josh Heupel’s No. 15 alma mater, Oklahoma, in the Sooners’ first-ever game in the Southeastern Conference.
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