Watch: Tennessee's Will Brooks takes interception back 85 yards for a game-changing touchdown
Tennessee defensive end Joshua Josephs rushed North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall and threw his hands up at the last minute. It forced a high pass that was over the head of McCall’s intended target, Justin Joly.
On the receiving end instead was Tennessee safety Will Brooks, who picked off the pass and took it back 85 yards to give No. 14 Tennessee a 17-3 lead over No. 14 NC State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium.
It was perfect timing for Brooks to pick off the first pass of his career, after the Wolfpack had driven inside the Tennessee 20 looking to tie the game.
Will Brooks 85 yards to the crib!
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 8, 2024
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Nico Iamaleava throws first career interception
NC State picked off Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava earlier in the game, the first interception of his career.
NC State turned the turnover into a 24-yard field goal from Kanoah Viesett to cut Tennessee’s lead to 70-3 in the second quarter. The scoring drive went 40 yards in six plays in 2:30.
It didn’t take long for Tennessee to answer with a field goal of it own. Max Gilbert kicked a 32-yard field goal to cap a seven-play, 61-yard scoring drive. The bulk of the drive was covered on a 45-yard pass from Iamaleava to Squirrel White down the NC State sideline.
After three punts to start the game — two from NC State and one from Tennessee — the Vols got on the board first with a 9-yard touchdown run from Dylan Sampson. The drive stayed alive on third-and-14 after Sampson went 17 yards to the 12-yard line on a pass from Nico Iamaleava. The drive covered 62 yards in nine plays, taking 4:10 off the clock.
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Looking back at Week 1
Redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed 22 of 28 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday against Chattanooga while making his first career start at Neyland Stadium. Iamaleava, who set a new program record with his 314 yards passing in a single half, did not play in the second half as the Vols began emptying the bench.
Junior running back Dylan Sampson carried 12 times for 124 yards and scored three times on the ground. Dont’e Thornton caught three pass for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
N.C. State quarterback Grayson McCall, the Coastal Carolina transfer, completed 26 of 40 passes for 318 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on Thursday night against Western Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium in Religh.
Jordan Waters led the Wolfpack on the ground with 20 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns and Kevin Concepcion caught nine passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns.
The game was tied at 14-14 at halftime before Western Carolina scored a touchdown to take a 21-17 lead, answering a 46-yard N.C. State field goal. The Wolfpack took over with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
