Tennessee football: Turning points and key moments in Vols’ 60-14 win vs. South Alabama
In a blowout like the one Tennessee football pulled off over the South Alabama Jaguars, winning 60-14, there aren’t too many plays you can point to that you could say had a crucial effect on the outcome. After all, the Vols were just the better and more dominant team. That’s why they won.
However, there were some moments that assured they would stay in control of this one en route to clinching bowl eligibility on the field. Josh Heupel’s team did a few things they haven’t done all year in the process.
Let’s break down what those things were. Although the major plays are less than usual, they still had a huge effect and deserve to be shouted out. These were the turning points and key moments Tennessee football’s sixth win this season.
South Alabama stopped on 4th and goal in the second quarter
Everything that happened in the first quarter is overrated. We all knew the Vols would dominate that quarter, and indeed, they went up 14-0 after the first 15 minutes. However, South Alabama is more dominant in the second quarter, their best quarter, and they had driven down the field to bring up a 1st and goal just as the second quarter began.
This time, though, the Vols turned the tables. They allowed Desmond Trotter to run for five yards on two plays. However, then they forced an incomplete pass before sacking Trotter on 4th and goal to get a crucial stop. Given what the Vols have been doing in the second quarter all year, this was the most crucial sequence of the game. It assured they would dominate all night.
Hendon Hooker 15-yard run on 3rd and 11
Sure, Tennessee football got the stop, but the Vols needed to score in the second quarter to complete the dominance. On the ensuing drive after that stop, they were faced with a 3rd and 11 at their own 25-yard line. A punt back to the Jaguars may have allowed them to still get back in the game in the second quarter.
Well, Hendon Hooker made sure that wouldn’t happen. He had a 15-yard run on that 3rd and 11 to convert the first down and keep the Vols on the field. UT would later score on that drive to go up 21-0, but it started with Hooker’s run.
Velus Jones Jr. 96-yard kickoff return touchdown
A fourth down stop and third down conversion to set up a touchdown for a three-score lead made it clear the Vols would dominate this game. They eventually went up 28-0. However, South Alabama did have a touchdown drive late in the first half, cutting the lead to 28-7 with just over a minute and a half to go in the second quarter. Hey, anything can happen.
Next. Five takeaways from Vols' 60-14 win vs. South Alabama. dark
On the kickoff, Velus Jones Jr. made sure anything wouldn’t happen. He ran it back 96 yards for his first return touchdown of the year. That pushed Tennessee football’s lead to 35-7 at halftime and assured they would never be threatened, even slightly, in this matchup.