With the conclusion of the 2024 Orange and White game on Saturday in Knoxville, the Tennessee Football spring training camp officially comes to a close. The Vols had 13 workouts leading to the spring game and now turn their attention to the summer for final improvements and additions before fall camp rolls around in August.
After a stretch of bad weather kept Tennessee in the indoor facility more than expected throughout camp, the Vols (and the fans) had a perfect spring day in Knoxville for the spring finale. Tennessee only could pack 10,000 fans into the seats due to limited seating, but it was still enough to get a tease as to what the fall could look like later this year.
“Great to be out there. Beautiful day, man, spring in Knoxville,” Josh Heupel said to open his postgame press conference. “Appreciate all the VFLs coming back. Had so many start trickling in really on Thursday and a lot of those guys were out there for practices in the lead up to the spring game, but a great weekend for those guys, too. Some of the festivities, brotherhood, getting an opportunity to get together. So great to see a lot of guys back here.”
Tennessee’s Orange and White game featured a scoreless first quarter, tons of fireworks in the second quarter, and a lighting-quick second half after the running clock was activated.
All three of Tennessee’s main quarterbacks recorded at least one touchdown on the day while newcomers such as CB Jermod McCoy and WR Chris Brazzell made their debut in front of the Vols’ fans.
While the Orange team did defeat the White team by a score of 21-14, it’s hard to say which team got the better of which team, because it was way more about offense vs defense than Team 1 vs Team 2. Both sides rotated players on both “teams” to get guys as much experience as possible. The statistics below represent the combined, full-game statistics from that specific player.
More from RTI: Three Quick Takeaways From The 2024 Orange and White Game
Check out player statistics, drive summaries, starting lineups, scoring plays, and highlights below:
Statistics
Rushing:
- Khalifa Keith – 9 attempts, 28 yards
- DeSean Bishop – 2 attempts, 9 yards
- Patrick Wilk – 2 attempts, 7 yards
- Hunter Barnes – 2 attempts, 3 yards
Passing:
- Nico Iamaleava – 7 of 9, 96 yards, 1 TD
- Gaston Moore – 12 of 18, 184 yards, 2 TDs
- Jake Merklinger – 5 of 7, 105 yards, 1 TD
- Navy Shuler – 0 of 4
- Ryan Damron – 2 of 3, 12 yards
Receiving:
- Dont’e Thornton Jr. – 1 for 14 yards
- Chris Brazzell II – 4 for 89 yards, 1 TD
- Mike Matthews – 1 for 63, 1 TD
- Chas Nimrod – 2 for 32 yards, 1 TD
- Kaleb Webb – 3 for 28 yards
- Charlie Browder – 3 for 28 yards
- Dayton Sneed – 5 for 73 yards, 1 TD
- DeSean Bishop – 1 for 28 yards
- Miles Kitselman – 1 for 14 yards
- Trey Weary – 2 for 12 yards
- Jackson Locke – 1 for 4 yards
- Holden Staes – 2 targets, 0 receptions
- Jack-Henry Jakobik – 1 for 9 yards
- Luke Shouse – 1 for 3 yards
Punting:
- Jackson Ross – 7 punts, 297 total yards, 42.43 YPP average
Kickoff:
- JT Carver – 6 kicks, 386 total yards, 64.3 YPK, 3 touchbacks
Defense:
- LB Edwin Spillman – 6 tackles
- DB Christian Harrison – 6 tackles
- LB Jeremiah Telander – 4 tackles
- DB Jakobe Thomas – 4 tackles
- LB Ben Bolton – 4 tackles
- DB Boo Carter – 3 tackles
- LB Kalib Perry – 3 tackles
- LB Tim Amet – 3 tackles
- DB Will Brooks – 2 tackles
- DL Jayson Jenkins – 2 tackles
- DL Joshua Helsdon – 2 tackles
- EDGE Chandavian Bradley – 2 tackles
- DB Jermod McCoy – 2 tackles
- DB Marcus Goree Jr. – 2 tackles
- DL Bryson Eason – 2 tackles
- EDGE Caleb Herring – 1 tackle
- DB Rickey Gibson III – 1 tackle
- DL Omari Thomas – 1 tackle
- DB Montrell Bandy – 1 tackle
- DB Carson Whitehead – 1 tackle
- DL Nathan Robinson – 1 tackle
- DB Jalen McMurray – 1 tackle
- DL Camron Douglas – 1 tackle
- DB Cristian Conyer – 1 tackle
- LB Eli Purcell – 1 tackle
Starting 22:
White:
WR Dont’e Thornton
WR Chas Nimrod
WR Kaleb Webb
RB DeSean Bishop
OL Vysen Lang
OL Lance Heard
OL Dayne Davis
OL Jackson Lampley
OL John Campbell Jr.
QB Nico Iamaleava
TE Miles Kitselman
DB Jalen McMurray
DB Andre Turrentine
DB Boo Carter
DB Jordan Matthews
DB Will Brooks
EDGE Chandavian Bradley
LB Edwin Spillman
LB Ben Bolton
DL Nathan Robinson
DL Jayson Jenkins
DL Jackson Moi
Orange:
WR Chris Brazzell II
WR Dayton Sneed
WR Mike Matthews
RB Khalifa Keith
OL William Satterwhite
OL Ayden Bussell
OL Max Anderson
OL Jesse Perry
OL Larry Johnson III
QB Gaston Moore
TE Luke Shouse
DB Jermod McCoy
DB Andre Turrentine
DB Rickey Gibson III
DB Jourdan Thomas
DB Will Brooks
EDGE James Pearce Jr.
LB Jeremiah Telander
LB Kalib Perry
DL Omari Thomas
DL Bryson Eason
DL Dominic Bailey
Game Drives
White Drive 1 (Iamaleava) – 3 plays, 4 yards
Orange Drive 1 (Moore) – 10 plays, 47 yards
White Drive 2 (Merklinger) – 5 plays, 10 yards
Orange Drive 2 (Iamaleava) – 3 plays, 6 yards
White Drive 3 (Moore) – 9 plays, 60 yards
- Moore 13-yard TD pass to WR Dayton Sneed
Give @DaytonSneed 6!
📺 » https://t.co/fv7yUVClkJ (SECN+)#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/uIhSyDuC7A
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 13, 2024
Orange Drive 3 (Merklinger) – 5 plays, 75 yards
- Merklinger 26-yard TD run
into the checkerboard 🟧⬜️@JakeMerklinger | #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/G752yGovNb
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 13, 2024
White Drive 4 (Iamaleava) – 5 plays, 75 yards
- Iamaleava 27-yard TD pass to WR Chas Nimrod
Nico ➡️ Nimrod
@rockytopinsider pic.twitter.com/7aALFVe2zl
— Ric Butler (@Ric_Butler) April 13, 2024
Orange Drive 4 (Moore) – 3 plays, 75 yards
- Moore 63-yard TD pass to WR Mike Matthews
making BIG plays in Neyland@gaston_moore ➡️ @mike1matthews #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/OaRIIAypVk
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 13, 2024
-HALFTIME-
Orange Drive 5 (Shuler) – 3 plays, 1 yard
White Drive 5 (Iamaleava) – 3 plays, 5 yards
Orange Drive 6 (Merklinger) – 4 plays, 87 yards
- Merklinger 71-yard TD pass to WR Chris Brazzell II
Fire up Rocky Top 🎶@jakemerklinger ➡️ @Chris_Brazzell7#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/nCXEjLNjXV
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) April 13, 2024
White Drive 6 (Damron) – 6 plays, 19 yards
Orange Drive 7 (Moore) – 8 plays, 30 yards
White Drive 7 (Shuler) – 4 plays, 1 yard
