How It Happened: No. 10 Tennessee 56, UTEP 0
Tennessee scored 28 points in the second quarter and Nico Iamaleava threw for a career-high four touchdowns in a 56-0 Senior Day win over UTEP at Neyland Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Here’s how it happened, as it happened:
Second Quarter
Tennessee 7, UTEP 0 (13:22): After a scoreless first quarter, Tennessee finally got on the board with a nine-play, 68-yard touchdown drive early in the second, capped by a 14-yard Dylan Sampson touchdown run. The Vols had 37 total yards and three empty possessions during the first quarter. Sampson’s touchdown run gave him two more Tennessee single-season records, with 22 touchdowns on the season and 132 total points.
Tennessee 14, UTEP 0 (7:33): Tennessee’s defense forced and recovered a fumble on the following UTEP possession, giving the offense the ball at the UTEP 36-yard line. Four plays later, Tennessee was back in the end zone on an 9-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava to Squirrel White. Freshman Mike Matthews caught a 25-yard pass earlier in the drive and also caught what appeared to be a touchdown, but was called back for offensive pass interference.
Tennessee 21, UTEP 0 (2:19): Freshman defensive back Boo Carter returned a UTEP punt 18 yards to set Tennessee up at the UTEP 19-yard line. Iamaleava threw an 18-yard pass to Ethan Davis, then a 1-yard touchdown pass to Davis on the next play to get the lead to three touchdowns after three straight touchdown drives.
Tennessee 28, UTEP 0 (0:08): The Vols made it four straight touchdown drives on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Iamaleava to Bru McCoy, who tapped his feet just inside the line in the corner of the end zone. The touchdown gave the Vols a 28-point quarter just before halftime, as Iamaleava went 13-for-18 for 160 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.
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Third Quarter
Tennessee 35, UTEP 0 (13:32): Tennessee went straight down the field to start the second half and McCoy got back in the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown pass from Iamaleava. The scoring drive went 67 yards in just four plays. Sampson had a pair of 13-yard runs and Iamaleava had a 29-yard run to fuel the drive.
Tennessee 42, UTEP 0 (8:09): Another Carter punt return set the Vols up for another touchdown. This time Carter took the UTEP punt back to the 3-yard line and Peyton Lewis scored on a 3-yard touchdown run one play later.
Tennessee 49, UTEP 0 (1:30): Lewis ran for another touchdown late in the third, scoring a 6-yard run to cap a six-play, 65-yard drive that took 1:31 off the clock.
Fourth Quarter
Tennessee 56, UTEP 0 (8:24): Cameron Seldon ran for a 3-yard touchdown as Tennessee’s backups got in the game and got in the end zone. The drive went 44 yards in 11 plays for the eighth touchdown since the start of the second quarter.
