But on the heels of one of the Tennessee program’s most devastating losses in recent memory, Saturday’s game against Western Carolina (6 p.m. Central, ESPNU) should be about as close to a guarantee as games come. “We’re all hurt about it. But we know we’ve still got a lot to play for”.
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The Vols planned to ease McNeil back into the game on Saturday, and he expected that as well.
In the second quarter the scoring continued.
– Jalen Hurd ran 11 times for 68 yards and a touchdown.
“It’s probably the freakish injury that I have ever been a part of”, Jones says, of Maggitt’s injury.
On the ensuing kickoff, Berry spun his way out of a pile at midfield to sprint down the right sideline for the 88-yard score.
Alvin Kamara became the first Tennessee player in 40 years to score on a punt return and a run from scrimmage in the same game Saturday as the Volunteers breezed to a 55-10 victory over Football Championship Subdivision program Western Carolina.
Jancek also lamented the penalties and small mistakes that changed the course of the game, but remains optimistic about the signs of improvement the defense showed throughout the contest.
Running back Jalen Hurd had a strong game against the Sooners, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, but quarterback Josh Dobbs struggled.
Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield completed 8 of 25 passes for 84 yards with two interceptions in the first three quarters.
Tennessee played an FCS opponent for the sixth straight season and now has won those games by a combined score of 288-49. The other Vol was Stanley Morgan in 1975 against Maryland.
But can you imagine what we could accomplish if we could bottle all the passion of a single college football Saturday and apply it to things that really matter – like world hunger, global strife or child neglect? That’s a major difference in talent, but the Vols are incorporating their young stars into the lineup, and they are proving they deserve serious snaps.
The build up to the Oklahoma game, along with the expressions of postgame, is credit to what Jones and his staff have done in rebuilding Tennessee back to a national level. The Vols have lost 18 of their last 22 games against ranked teams at Neyland Stadium.
“I think the best thing I could say is just an overall maturation process”, Jones said of Reeves-Maybin during his Wednesday press conference.
Just weeks before the season was set to begin, Jones announced the starting safety would miss a large chunk of the season due to “neck instability”.
Saturday also saw a breakout performance from Tennessee freshman wide receiver Preston Williams. “That is the way he goes about his football”.
Vols safety, Ladarrell McNeil, will be inserted back into the lineup against the Catamounts.
Had it not been for two long runs, including Detrez Newsome’s 64-yard touchdown, there wouldn’t have been any WCU offense of which to speak.
Although the Vols’ offense sputtered in a scoreless second half against Oklahoma – they scored in the first overtime, but failed to find paydirt in the second – they have scored 138 points in three games.
But after additional evaluations, McNeil was cleared to return to action this week, and the Vols should get his 2015 season started against Western Carolina tomorrow. Quinten Dormady, however, had some success in the passing game in relief of Dobbs.
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He intercepted Western Carolina quarterback Troy Mitchell in the second quarter, returning it to the Catamount 8.
