A look at how UT’s opponents fared in a crazy Week 1 of college football:
Virginia Tech defeats Liberty
The Hokies defeated the Flames 36-13 at Lane Stadium, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Liberty led Virginia Tech 13-10 close to halftime, but quarterback Jerod Evans (221 yds, 4 TDs) led the team to put out the Flames late. The Hokies will play the Vols on Saturday in the Battle at Bristol.
Ohio loses to Texas State
In the battle of the Bobcats, Texas State defeated Ohio 56-54 in three overtimes. Texas State’s passing game (418 yds, 4 TDs) proved to be too much for Ohio. The Vols will host the Ohio Bobcats on September 17th.
Florida holds on against UMass
The UMass Minutemen gave the #25 Florida Gators a fight into the fourth quarter. The Gators were up by three against UMass in the fourth, but quarterback Luke Del Rio (256 yds, 2 TDs) stepped up and helped secure a 24-7 victory for their 27th consecutive opening-season win. The Vols will host the Gators in Knoxville on September 24th.
Georgia powers past North Carolina
In a top-25 matchup, the #18 Bulldogs were able to fend off the #22 Tar Heels 33-24 in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff. Georgia running back Nick Chubb returned from injury and stole the show (222 yds, 2 TDs). Former five-star quarterback Jacob Eason showed some promise as he threw for 131 yards and a touchdown. North Carolina was leading the Bulldogs 24-14 in the third, but too many penalties ended up costing the Tar Heels down the stretch. The Vols will travel to Athens to play the Bulldogs on October 1st.
Texas A&M gigs #16 UCLA
The Texas A&M Aggies pulled off the overtime upset at home against the #16 UCLA Bruins 31-24. Aggie quarterback Trevor Knight had a solid debut in College Station as he went 22 of 42 for 239 yards and a touchdown. Knight also rushed for 31 yards and two scores. Knight ran in a score on fourth down in overtime, and the Aggie defense was able to stop the Bruins on their ensuing drive and secure the victory. The Aggies will host the Vols on October 8th.
Alabama rolls USC
The #1 Alabama Crimson Tide rolled past the #20 USC Trojans in AT&T Stadium 52-6. Alabama freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts went 6 of 11 for 118 yards and two touchdowns. It was quite the night for Lane Kiffin as his offense proved to be unstoppable against his former USC team. The Vols will host the Crimson Tide on October 15th.
South Carolina squeaks by Vanderbilt
South Carolina’s kicker Elliot Fry nailed a career-long 55-yard field goal late in the final 35 seconds to give the Gamecocks a 13-10 victory over the Commodores. The Gamecocks were able to rally from a 10-point halftime deficit and notch their first SEC win, as well as Will Muschamp’s first win as the head coach at SC. The Gamecocks will host the Vols on October 29th and the Vols will play the Commodores in Nashville on November 26th.
Tennessee Tech loses to Wofford
The Wofford Terriers defeated the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 21-7 at Tucker Stadium in the head coaching debut for Marcus Satterfield. Tech was only able to muster 257 total yards against the Terriers. The Vols will host the Golden Eagles for homecoming on November 5th.
Kentucky crumbles against Southern Miss
Former Kentucky offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson and the Southern Miss Eagles rallied from a 25-point deficit to upset the Wildcats 44-35. Kentucky had a nice 35-10 lead over Southern Miss late in the second quarter, but the Eagles gashed the defense in the second half. The Vols will host the Wildcats on November 12th.
Missouri falls to West Virginia
Missouri first year head coach Barry Odom experienced a tough 26-11 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers in his debut. The Mountaineers gained 494 offensive yards on the Tigers, which is the most Missouri has surrendered since the 2014 SEC Championship loss against Alabama. The Tigers will travel to Neyland Stadium on November 19th.
