Tennessee’s dominant performance over ETSU was exactly what it should have been.

No, a 59-3 win over the Buccaneers won’t be considered a marquee win given the talent differential between the two teams, but it was significant nonetheless. The Vols checked off some important boxes in their home opener.

Jeremy Pruitt’s first ever win as a head coach? Check.

A special teams score? Check.

A re-emergence of one of their most talented defenders? Check.

Plenty of offense? Check.

ETSU was never in the game against the Vols — and they shouldn’t have been. While the Vols have suffered historic lows over the past decade, ETSU is still trying to field a team. The Buccaneers reinstituted football in 2013. That should have resulted in a lopsided win for any SEC team, and it did. The Vols won easily, 59-3.

So what can the Vols derive from a game they should have won easily?

Most significantly, UT showed no signs of a West Virginia hangover after being beaten thoroughly by the Mountaineers in a 40-14 season-opening loss. In order to be bowl eligible, the Vols will have to be at their best against teams with lessor talent. UT did that on Saturday. The Vols played with energy and passion, albeit against an outmanned opponent. The Vols don’thave any margin of error if they hope to play into late December or January.

No one was tearing down the goalposts in Neyland Stadium, but Pruitt’s team deserves credit for taking care of business. UT’s schedule couldn’t be more accommodating as it heads into their annual showdown against Florida. The Vols will face UTEP on Saturday before hosting Florida on Sept. 22. The UTEP game will be one last tuneup before UT hopes to best the Gators, who look very vulnerable.

Florida lost to Kentucky 27-16 in Gainesville on Saturday. If that seems like a misprint, it should. Florida had beaten Kentucky 31 consecutive times before Saturday. To put that in perspective, ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ by Bon Jovi was a huge hit when Florida last lost to Kentucky. The Wildcats needed no divine intervention on Saturday.

Tennessee knows the feeling of losing to a once-lowly foe. The Vols held long streaks over Kentucky and Vanderbilt before falling on hard times. While it’s not a streak, Florida has dominated the Vols recently. UT has lost 12 of 13 games to their archrivals. Now, the Vols could even be favored against Florida. That seems odd given the history of that rivalry.

Special teams could be key to get the Vols bowling. Marquill Osborne’s punt block and subsequent touchdown should provide Tennessee fans with some hope in the kicking game. It was a gut punch for any hopes that ETSU may have had.

Darrin Kirkland’s 33-yard interception return for a touchdown was another positive sign for the Vols. Kirkland, who’s always been hampered by injuries, has the ability to be a dominant defender.  Some wondered what Kirkland’s status was after he missed spring practice and was named a co-starter before the season. As long as Kirkland is healthy, he’ll be a standout player for the Vols.

Keeping the opponent in mind, Tennessee should be lauded for their intensity on Saturday. The Vols outgained ETSU by 220 yards and never allowed the game to be in doubt. They even got backup quarterback Keller Chryst some meaningful playing time. He was ready. The graduate transfer from Stanford completed all three of his passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.

Given UT’s shortcomings on the offensive line, two quarterbacks could prove to be a necessity later this season.

No one should say the Vols are ready to trounce any of their SEC opponents like they did with ETSU. The competition will be ratcheted up significantly soon enough.

However, given how the Vols and Gators played on Saturday, UT could conceivably be 3-1 heading into October, with its only loss coming last week against a top-15 team. The goalposts will still stand in Neyland Stadium, but that would be cause for a celebration given where the Vols have been over the past decade.