Talk about a gutsy call from Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel. More than 90,000 people are screaming their heads off at Sanford Stadium, hoping the Georgia Bulldogs will keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Well, Heupel and Co. are ready to ruin those dreams in the best way possible. With Tennessee and Georgia live in action, the Vols have landed the first punch, doing so thanks to a surprise move from Heupel down at the one yard line.
With the Vols facing 3rd-and-goal, everyone assumed that star running back Dylan Sampson would be getting the ball to try and push his way in for six. Instead, Heupel gave the ball to... tight end Miles Kitselman for the first carry of his career? That's exactly what happened.
Tight end Miles Kitselman goes AIR BORNE for the score 💥 #Vols draw first blood in Athens 🍊
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) November 17, 2024
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Miles Kitselman scored the first TD for Tennessee in surprising fashion
When Kitselman lined up as a fullback, just about everyone assumed he was back there to provide a monster block for Sampson. Instead, he got the ball and then he dove full extension to make sure he crossed the goal line.
Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit were stunned with the call and so were we. The score capped a wonderful 12-play, 78-yard opening drive for the Vols. It was the kind of start fans were hoping to see, as they're expected to be in a dog fight the rest of the way.
With a healthy Nico Iamaleava on the field, the Tennessee offense has been looking sharp early on in this one. That's going to have to keep being the case if the Vols want to leave Athens with an upset victory.