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Tennessee football: Key moments in Vols 59-3 win over ETSU Bucs

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee football throttled the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers 59-3. Here are key moments in the Volunteers’ victory.

Despite dominating in their home opener over an FCS school, it wasn’t all pretty for Tennessee football. The Vols may have beaten ETSU 59-3, but they struggled at times offensively in the first half. In fact, they struggled a lot.

This team basically had only 10 points legitimately picked up by the offense until three minutes left in the second quarter. Similar to the way the West Virginia Mountaineers dominated their team after the delay in Week 1, the Vols picked things up after a 48-minute weather delay this past week.

Simply put, as easy as the win was for Tennessee football, a few big things still had to happen for Jeremy Pruitt to get his first win as head coach. Here are the key moments in his team’s win against Randy Sanders and the Bucs.

1. Marquill Osborne blocks a punt and returns it for a touchdown

Tennessee football was playing well on defense early, but this was the fifth drive of the game and over 12 minutes into the first quarter while the Vols only had a 3-0 lead. Fans had good reason to worry about just how legitimate this team was at that point. Osborne’s blocked punt for a TD was at least able to break the game open and give these guys breathing room…and confidence.

2. Jarrett Guarantano hits Marquez Callaway for a 51-yard gain

This was a huge moment for the offense. Coming out of the delay and up 10-0, the Vols offense looked as questionable as it looked the previous week against the West Virginia Mountaineers. But Guarantano hitting Callaway for a big play here set up a touchdown run by Jeremy Banks to give this team a 17-0 lead. It was the first touchdown drive of the game that the offense legitimately had, and it came six minutes into the second quarter.

3. Bryce Thompson interception to the ETSU 3-yard line

Tennessee football was up 17-0 in the second, and this was the play to prove they were in complete control. Right after that legitimate offensive touchdown drive, a freshman cornerback in Bryce Thompson intercepted a Logan Marchi pass and ran it to the East Tennessee State three. The play set up a Jeremy Banks touchdown run to give these guys a 24-0 lead.

4. Darrin Kirkland Jr. pick-six

It was all big plays for the defense and special teams in the first half that broke things open, and this was no different. Going up 24-0 in the first half is a blowout where you still have to leave some of your starters in the game. But going up 31-0 against an FCS school puts this game completely out of reach. As a result, this interception put the Vols in complete control and allowed Jeremy Pruitt and his staff to test things out with their personnel.

5. Keller Chryst 50-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Murphy

Tennessee football was already up on the ETSU Bucs 45-3 at this point. However, Keller Chryst got his first significant play on this drive. He hit Jordan Murphy for a huge play from midfield to give the Vols a 52-3 lead. But more important than extending the lead, he did his part to show that Pruitt and Tyson Helton truly have two quarterbacks. That’s why this play mattered.

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