Tennessee football continued its dominance on Saturday night, easily defeating Kent State 71-0. The Vols came out strong, scoring five touchdowns and a safety in the first quarter alone. By halftime, they had eight touchdowns, allowing their starters to rest early.
The Vols set a record with their 37-0 first-quarter lead, the most points scored in a single quarter in modern Tennessee history. Their 65-0 halftime lead also set a record for the most points scored in one half.
But Tennessee wasn’t done. Their 71 points were the most in a game since 1929 when General Neyland’s team scored 73 against Carson-Newman.
Offensively, Nico Iamaleava led the way, playing about a quarter and a half, but still delivering impressive throws. He completed 10 of 16 passes for 176 yards and a touchdown.
In the backfield, Dylan Sampson and DeSean Bishop also shined. Sampson had a career night with 101 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries, while Bishop racked up 120 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries.
This level of dominance hasn’t been seen from Tennessee football in quite some time. Under Josh Heupel, the Vols have shown flashes of this kind of performance, but it’s rare to see such a one-sided blowout. This season, Tennessee has dismantled its first three opponents, all of whom were clearly outmatched.
Good teams decisively beat weaker opponents, and that’s what Tennessee has done. They head into SEC play next week, traveling to Norman to take on the Oklahoma Sooners. ESPN’s College Gameday will be there for a 7:30 PM ET kickoff.
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