A closer look at Dylan Sampson's touchdown numbers: 24 TDs in 26 career games
Entering Saturday, no other running back in college football had more touchdowns than Tennessee junior Dylan Sampson. That changed with the Vols off and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty going for 259 yards and four touchdowns, giving him 13 on the season.
Still, there’s plenty to note about Sampson’s eye-popping 10 touchdowns through Tennessee’s first four games of the season.
Sampson is up to 23 rushing touchdowns in just 26 career games — he has 24 career touchdowns, with one receiving touchdown last season — despite scoring touchdowns in just 13 of those 23 games. He’s also been Tennessee’s starting running back just five times, playing as the second or third running back option the last two seasons.
Gene McEver holds Tennessee’s all-time rushing touchdown record with 37 between 1928 and 1931. James Stewart holds the modern record 35 from 1991 to 1994.
Dylan Sampson this season: 69 carries, 449 yards, 10 TDs
Sampson ran 106 times last season for 604 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 175 yards and a score. As a freshman in 2022 he carried 58 times for 397 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt.
This season he has 69 carries for 449 yards, averaging 112.2 yards per game and 6.51 yards per attempt.
Sampson carried 24 times for 92 yards and a touchdown at Oklahoma last week, capping an eight-play, 46-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown to give Tennessee a 19-3 lead in the second quarter. He carried on all eight plays and ran for all 46 yards on the drive.
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He had three rushing touchdowns and 124 yards on 12 carries against Chattanooga in the season opener on August 31 and had two touchdowns and 132 more yards against North Carolina State in the 51-10 win on September 7.
Up Next: Tennessee at Arkansas, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Sampson ran for 101 yards and a career-high four touchdowns in the 71-0 win over Kent State on September 14 at Neyland Stadium.
He showed his nose for the end zone in the win over Virginia to start last season, carrying 13 times for 52 yards and scoring three times on the ground, while adding a 9-yard touchdown reception.
Sampson scored two touchdowns against UTSA last season and also had a rushing touchdown against South Carolina and Kentucky.
He scored three touchdowns in his first two career games, scoring once in his debut as a freshman against Ball State in 2022 then twice a week later against Akron. He also scored against UT Martin, Missouri and Vanderbilt during his freshman season.
