First-year Maryland head coach DJ Durkin rested Hills after his third touchdown pass – a 40-yard catch and run by Moore with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter.
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1 Victory in its past six games against SEC opponents for Virginia Tech – the Hokies’ 37-14 win over Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on December 31, 2009.
Here’s a look back at the key numbers, moments and players from the Vols’ 45-24 Battle at Bristol win on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. It kept their early-season record flawless at 2-0, erased some of the stains from the lackluster opener against Appalachian State and allowed Tennessee to move up to No. 15 in the Associated Press poll.
With time to try and make that a more consistent piece before ACC play has even started, Virginia Tech didn’t completely fumble this one away.
All week, the Vols were warned of Virginia Tech’s high-tempo offense, and the Vols countered with a high-powered, quick attack of their own. You can’t get to the mythical “back” in the eyes of the nation by beating an unranked Virginia Tech team; Tennessee moved up just two spots to #15 in the AP poll.
Not even two weeks into September, at a NASCAR race track in remote East Tennessee, they shot off confetti cannons for the victor of a college football game.
The Vols host OH of the Mid-American Conference before Florida visits Knoxville.
Volunteers quarterback Josh Dobbs was a spark.
Suddenly, it was 14-14 with 9:42 still left in the half.
Immediately following the concert, both Tennessee and Virginia Tech took their team walks around the outside of Bristol Motor Speedway with cheering fans lining the sides of the streets.
“Just an unbelievable spectacle”.
Virginia Tech quarterback Jerod Evans completed 20 of 28 passes for 214 yards and a score. Tennessee (2-0) responded by scoring 31 straight points, including 24 in the second period.
After that first drive, Virginia Tech scored two touchdowns to jump to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.
Aside from a 90-yard drive that led to Tennessee’s tying touchdown, Dobbs’ 38-yard pass to Josh Malone, the Vols went 58 yards or less on five of their other six scoring drives.
I went to the National Championship Game in Phoenix back in January and we were in nosebleed territory.
Taking advantage of the Hokies’ miscues was the main reason Tennessee won so handily despite being outgained in total offense, 400-330. Dobbs threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more scores. The Vols simply didn’t make many of those explosive plays through the air a year ago, and it cost them. Abernathy set a school record recovering three of those fumbles.
Virginia Tech started off strong, but quickly lost momentum in the beginning of the second quarter. 10 fumbles in the first two games of the season is … not good. But as Dobbs reminded, “We’re right where we want to be”. “At the end of the day, every time you step on the field you play to win; and that’s our expectation when we step on the field”, Dobbs said.
4 Consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards for Tennessee RB Jalen Hurd.
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Playing at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile, in front of the largest crowd ever at a college football game provided a moment in the spotlight for a program trying to regain its footing nationally. Virginia Tech’s dominant first-quarter performance showed the Hokies’ potential, but they can’t keep hurting themselves with turnovers and ill-timed penalties. I put this all on me.
