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Tennessee Football makes huge jump into top 10 of AP Top 25, Coaches Poll

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•09/08/24•

GrantRamey

Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee Football | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
(Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images) Sep 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) wears the lei given to him by his mother after the win over North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Dukes Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.

Tennessee Football made a huge jump in the rankings on Monday, moving up from No. 14 to No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25. The Vols went from No. 12 to No. 9 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. 

Tennessee (2-0) throttled North Carolina State 51-10 Saturday night in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Vols host Kent State (0-2) on Saturday night (7:45 Eastern Time, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium, opening on Sunday as a 47.5-point favorite.

Tennessee was ranked No. 15 in both the preseason AP Top 25 and the preseason Coaches Poll. 

Nico Iamaleava against NC State completed 16 of 23 passes for 211 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed eight times for 65 yards and another score on the ground. 

Dylan Sampson led the Vols on the ground with 132 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. DeSean Bishop carried 10 times for 42 yards with Cameron Seldon inactive for the game. 

Squirrel White caught two passes for a team-high 67 yards and tight ends Miles Kitselman and Holden Staes combined for four catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns. 

Tennessee as a team held NC State to just 143 total yards. The Vols allowed third-down conversions on NC State’s first three attempts of the game, then held the Wolfpack 0-for-12 the rest of the game.

Tennessee had 460 yards, including 249 rushing yards to NC State’s 39 rushing yards on 28 attempts. 

How To Watch: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Kent State

Kickoff Time: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time

TV: SEC Network

Streaming: ESPN App

Radio: WNML-FM 99.1 in Knoxville. The Vol Network radio broadcast can be heard on local affiliates across the state of Tennessee. 

Location: Neyland Stadium (101,915)

The Line: Tennessee -7.5

A Closer Look: Kent State 

Kent State lost 23-17 to St. Francis (PA) at home on Saturday at home. The Red Flash, an FCS program in the Northeast Conference, led 20-7 late in the first half and ended the game with 402 total yards, running for 207 and passing for 195.

St. Francis was a 19.5-point underdog before winning at Kent State. 

Kent State went just 2-for-14 on third down and had just 280 total yards in the loss. The Golden Flashes dropped to 0-2 after losing 55-24 at Pitt last week. 

Saturday night’s game will be the first between the Tennessee and Kent State football programs. 

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