How it happened: No. 5 Tennessee 66, Missouri 24
No. 5 Tennessee rolled Missouri 66-24 on Senior Day Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The 66 points are the most scored under Josh Heupel and included 38 unanswered in the second half. The 724 total yards is a new single-game program record. Here’s how it happened:
FIRST QUARTER
Tennessee 7, Missouri 0 (11:05): After Tennessee’s defense forced a three-and-out on Missouri’s opening possession, the Vols quickly went to work on offense. A block in the back on the Missouri punt moved the ball back to the Tennessee 9-yard line, but the Vols went 91 yards in seven plays over just 2:13 to take a 7-0 lead. Jabari Small capped the drive with a 10-yard run. The drive opened with a 22-yard connection between Hendon Hooker and tight end Jacob Warren. Hooker later found Bru McCoy 38 yards down the Tennessee sideline for the biggest play of the drive. Hooker ran for 17 yards, escaping a collapsing pocket and stepping out of a near sack, to set the Vols up at the Missouri 15-yard line.
Tennessee 7, Missouri 7 (1:56): Missouri stopped Tennessee on downs, sacking Hendon Hooker on fourth-and-four at the Missouri 27-yard line, then went to work offensively. The Tigers went 68 yards in nine plays, taking 4:38 off the clock, with quarterback Brady Cook throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Luther Burden to tie the game late in the first quarter. Missouri lined up to kick a field goal on fourth-and-1 at the Tennessee 8, but Aaron Beasley lined up over the center, resulting in a five-yard penalty and a Missouri first down. The Tigers scored on the following play.
SECOND QUARTER
Tennessee 14, Missouri 7 (14:41): Jaylen Wright ran for a three-yard touchdown on the second play of the second quarter to put the Vols back up by seven. The drive covered 75 yards over nine plays — Jalin Hyatt caught a 30-yard pass, going over 1,000 yards for the season in the process, to setup the Wright touchdown run on the next play — taking just 2:15 off the clock. A roughing-the-passer penalty on third-and-7 helped extend the drive for Tennessee, which found the end zone five plays later.
Tennessee 21, Missouri 7 (10:24): Hendon Hooker hit tight end Princeton Fant for a 19-yard end zone touchdown in the back of the south end zone, putting the Vols up by two possessions early in the second quarter. Tennessee took over at its own 27-yard line, driving 73 yards on five plays. Hooker threw to Ramel Keyton for 14 yards on third-and-10 at the Tennessee 28-yard line to extend the drive and avoid the three-and-out.
Tennessee 21, Missouri 14 (5:48): Brady Cook threw a 43-yard touchdown to Tauskie Dove on fourth-and-1 to get Missouri back within a touchdown. The play ended a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown for the Tigers. Cook found Dove in the Tennessee secondary on a play-action pass, with Dove splitting Brandon Turnage and Jaylen McCollough, making the catch at the 20-yard line and running untouched to the end zone from there.
Tennessee 28, Missouri 14 (4:06): It took no time for Tennessee to strike back. Six plays, 75 yards, touchdown. Hendon Hooker finished the drill, running into the checker boards from 14 yards out, side-stepping around a Missouri defensive back before high-stepping through the end zone. The drive took just 1:42 off the clock after Missouri’s big-play touchdown on fourth down on the previous possession. Jabari Small ran for 26 yards on the second play of the drive, then Hooker there to Warren for 12 yards, with defensive holding tacked on after the play. Jaylen Wright ran for 19 yards on the next play, setting up the Hooker touchdown run.
Tennessee 28, Missouri 17 (0:00): Missouri stopped Tennessee on fourth-and-5 at the Missouri 41-yard line with 34 seconds left in the first half. The Tigers would go 59 yards for a field goal from there, fueled by a 40-yard run from quarterback Brady Cook to set Mizzou up with first-and-10 at the Tennessee 19-yard line with 19 seconds left in the half. Harrison Mevis kicked a 32-yard field goal on the final play of the half to get Missouri back within 11 at the break.
THIRD QUARTER
Tennessee 28, Missouri 24 (8:55): Tennessee was forced to punt on its first possession of the second half and Missouri took advantage. Brady Cook connected with Dominic Lovett on a perfectly thrown 38-yard touchdown pass after Lovett got behind Tennessee defensive back Tamarion McDonald. The Tigers went 85 yards in eight plays, taking 2:43 off the clock, to get back within four points.
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Tennessee 35, Missouri 24 (8:30): Tennessee didn’t stay down for long. After giving up the Missouri touchdown drive, making it 10 straight points for the Tigers, Hendon Hooker found Jalin Hyatt wide open up the Tennessee sideline. Hyatt did the rest, going 68 yards for the touchdown on the second play of the drive.
Tennessee 42, Missouri 24 (4:34): Just that quickly, Tennessee’s was 18. Tennessee scored on a three-play, 69-yard drive taking just 41 seconds off the clock. Freshman running back Dylan Sampson ran for 42 yards up the middle on the first play of the drive, then 15 more off the right side on the second play. From there, Hooker threw to a two-yard touchdown.
Tennessee 49, Missouri 24 (1:19): A third straight touchdown ended with Jaylen Wright running one yard for the score, quickly getting the lead up to 25 points. The touchdown drives took 25 seconds, 41 seconds and 2:20, respectively.
FOURTH QUARTER
Tennessee 52, Missouri 24 (7:54): Chase McGrath kicked kicked a 48-yard field goal to make it a 52-24 lead and give the Vols 24 unanswered points.
Tennessee 59, Missouri 24 (5:43): Joe Milton III replaced Hendon Hooker at quarterback for mop-up duty and the offense just kept delivering. Milton ran for 11 yards on his first snap, then uncorked a 46-yard touchdown pass, hitting Ramel Keyton in stride for the score.
Tennessee 66, Missouri 24 (0:36): Joe Milton III hit Squirrel White on a 58-yard completion, setting the Vols up for another touchdown to give the Vols 66 points, the highest score total during the Josh Heupel era. Tennessee also set a single-game program record for total yards, with 724. The previous record of 718 total yards was set in a 2012 win over Troy.
