Joey Aguilar threw for 288 yards in the first half, Mike Matthrew and Chris Brazzell II both had over 100 receiving yards for the game, and Boo Carter had two big punt returns as Tennessee football beat the East Tennessee State Buccaneers 72-17 Saturday. The Vols, ranked No. 22 in the AP Poll and No. 17 in the Coaches Poll, scored 48 points in the first half.
UT scored the first 41 points and set the tone immediately with a 50-yard run by DeSean Bishop, who had three carries for 68 yards, on the first play of the game. That sparked a six-play touchdown drive capped off by a 21-yard toucdhdown pass from Aguilar to Chris Brazzell II, who had eight catches for 125 yards and two scores.
Things took a while for the offense to get fully going after that, though, as they only got a field goal on the next drive after forcing a punt. However, Carter helped the offense kick off touchdown drives on two of its next three possessions with punt returns of 34 and 40 yards that both ended in scores, by Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis respectively.
After forcing a fifth straight punt by ETSU, the Tennessee football offense finally got going again, mounting a 58-yard scoring drive capped off by a Thomas run. Thomas had 12 carries for 69 yards and three first-half touchdowns. Lewis had STAT LINE and that score. As a team, the Vols rushed for 237 yards.
A turnover on downs by the Bucs set up another ETSU field goal, and after forcing another punt, Aguilar capped off an 80-yard drive by finding Matthews for a 53-yard toucdhdown pass on a jump ball. Matthews finished with six catches for 11 yards and that score. Braylon Staley had five catches for 39 yards.
ETSU did get score a touchdown at the end of the first half after recovering a fumble on a bad snap by Sam Pendleton, and they opened the second half with a field goal drive. Will Healy scripted a lot of plays with Cade McNamara and Jacolby Criswell, a drop-back passer and dual-threat quarterback who both started at the FBS level.
Josh Heupel pulled Aguilar in the second half, though, and Jake Merklinger led a 10-play 75-yardtouchdown drive on UT’s first possession of the third quarter. His first pass was almost intercepted, but he then had an 11-yard run to get into rhythm, and he found Brazzell for a 33-yard pass before hitting him again on a one-yard fade touchdown pass.
Merklinger finished 9-of-14 for 118 yards and two touchdowns, throwing another one to Jack Van Dorselear. George MacInture also got in on the action and completed 6-of-7 passes for 52 yards, directing an 11-play 75-yard scoring drive capped off by a 10-yard Duane Morris run. Morris had nine carries for 48 yards.. The Vols’ offense gained 715 total yards on the day.
Defensively, the Vols held ETSU to 216 total yards despite not having Jermod McCoy or Rickey Gibson III. McNamara was 11-of-18 for 85 yards and a touchdown pass while Criswell was 7-of-12 for 76 yards for the Bucs. Arion Carter led the team with four tackles, two solo, and a tackle for a loss. Tyre West, Charles House III and Joshua Josephs all had a sack.
Both teams from Tennessee play teams from Georgia next week. At 2-0, Tennessee football begins SEC play by welcoming in the Georgia Bulldogs for a visit. ETSU, meanwhile, who fell to 1-1, returns to FCS play but continues non-conference games on the road by visiting the West Georgia Wolves.
