Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson knows there will be tougher days ahead for the Vols after a 71-0 blowout win against Kent State, which was made easier by the preparation leading up to the game.
Sampson, who ran for 101 yards and four touchdowns on just 13 carries, said keeping zeroed in on Kent State last week, instead of possibly looking ahead to Oklahoma on Saturday was the key to the Vols’ success against the Golden Flashes. He echoed that sentiment from Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava during the Vols’ postgame press conference.
“Just staying focused on the mission,” Sampson said. “Staying focused day by day. Don’t do anything extraordinary. Keep the same routine. That’s the main thing. Don’t get too high or too low. Going into these road environments, you can’t get too eager and you’ve got to stay composed. It’s just like Nico said. The biggest opponent is us. We have to challenge ourself to be focused every single day. If we do that, we’ll take care of business.”
There was every reason for the Vols to overlook Kent State. Tennessee had just blown out a ranked team, North Carolina State, in the Duke’s Mayo Classic and – no offense – Kent State didn’t exactly pose a true threat to the Vols. Still, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel pushed his Vols to improve, even with an overly matched opponent on the docket.
“You can only control what you’ve got in the moment so Coach Heupel just challenged us to keep the same routine, the same preparation. Next game mindset,” Sampson said. “He said you find a lot in who you really are as a team in weeks like this. The challenge is always us. I think we had a good, sharp week and we’re going to continue to do that moving forward.”
Sampson certainly was sharp against Kent State. The junior ran for 101 yards and four touchdowns. Sampson credited his offensive line for the big day.
“I think that position is all about grit and attention to detail,” Sampson said of Tennessee’s offensive line. “Real smart, whether it’s pass pro or running schemes. We got through it so much during the week that when it comes time for the game we’re ready for all different fronts and all different movements. It’s good to have those guys locked in.”
Sampson wasn’t the only Vol to gash the Golden Flashes defense. DeSean Bishop ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries against Kent State.
“You could just tell he’s getting more comfortable the more he touches the ball,” Sampson said. “He hasn’t played that much football in a couple of years so that’s real (challenging), taking time away, but he’s adjusted. he’s getting better week by week. He’s the same person in the building every single day, so I’m not surprised the way he’s been playing.”
Sampson, who also caught a pass for seven yards, has become the focal point of the Vols’ backfield. That a massive change after he was the third option among Tennessee’s tailbacks last season.
“I think just more opportunities,” Sampson said of his improved production. “I think, last year, I just tried to take advantage of the ones that I did get. Any opportunities that I get now, I just don’t want to take those for granted. I want to get in the end zone as many times as I can this season.”
Sampson is Tennessee’s leading scorer this season with 54 points on nine touchdowns. Things will get tougher against Oklahoma on Saturday. Nevertheless, Sampson just seems destined to score no matter who the Vols play.
