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Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols 30-7 win vs. UAB

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 25: The Tennessee Volunteers marching band performs prior to the game between the Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium on October 25, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 25: The Tennessee Volunteers marching band performs prior to the game between the Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium on October 25, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images
Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images /

On homecoming night, Tennessee football beat the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers. Here are five things we learned from the Volunteers’ victory.

Bryce Thompson got an interception on the first play of the game and three in the first half, and Tennessee football cashed in on those for a 30-7 blowout win over the UAB Blazers. The Vols built off the momentum from a 41-21 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks to continue their turnaround in the second half of Jeremy Pruitt’s second season on Rocky Top.

JT Shrout started the first and second halves at quarterback for UT, but Jarrett Guarantano saw the bulk of the action, playing on every other drive. Guarantano had an interception at the end of the first half but came back and did have a touchdown pass in the second half.

In the first quarter, Tennessee football built a 6-0 lead with two field goals from Brent Cimaglia, one off the interception and another on a 52-yard drive after forcing a punt. They then scored 17 points in the second quarter, all of forced turnovers, including two more interceptions from Thompson and a forced fumble from Darel Middleton.

Guarantano’s first drive in the third quarter was an 11-play 74-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass to Eric Gray en route to another touchdown, which put the Vols up 30-0. They dominated the rest of the game except for a late UAB touchdown to end the shutout.

With the win, the Vols improve to 4-5 on the year while remaining 2-3 in the SEC, but this is their first victory over a team that currently has a winning record.A bowl is back in play for the Vols, but they have to win one of their two road games coming up against the Kentucky Wildcats or Missouri Tigers.

UAB falls to 6-2 on the season but remains in control of its own destiny to win the Conference USA title under head coach Bill Clark. Blazers quarterback Tyler Johnston III, who had all four turnover, exited the game due to an injury early in the fourth quarter. Kyle Greenwell finished the day for the program.

It’s hard to fully analyze what the Vols did to UAB since their six wins were against a very easy schedule. But this was still a solid test as to whether or not UT was turning a corner given their two season-opening losses to Group of Five schools. In light of that, here are five takeaways from from Tennessee football’s 30-7 victory over the Blazers.

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