Well, that was unexpected. Not necessarily that Tennessee beat Missouri. The Vols were a slight underdog in what the folks in Vegas basically looked at as a pick ’em game.

And it was not unexpected that the Vols would be impressive in the run game. That is Tennessee’s strength with running backs Tiyon Evans and Jabari Small, plus a healthy Hendon Hooker at quarterback. And you can’t forget that Missouri is as bad as it gets when it comes to stopping the run.

But the seemingly effortless manner in which Tennessee won Saturday’s contest in Columbia was startling.

The Vols not only scored, but they scored touchdowns on their first 6 possessions, and tallied points on their opening 9 drives on their way to a 62-24 victory. It should have been 10 but for some reason Evans was called down when replays showed that he crossed the goal line. The Vols scored on every single drive against Mizzou but that one.

UT picked up a whopping 458 yards on the ground. Evans had 156 yards rushing, picking up 10.4 yards per carry. He also scored 3 touchdowns (and should have had a 4th). Hooker gained 80 rushing yards and Len’Neth Whitehead picked up 76. Small barely played due to injury and the Vols still dominated.

Games against Missouri have typically been ugly, grinding affairs with the winning team surviving more than thriving. But on this day the Vols left the home side battered and bruised, and left town with a statement making win.

Through the first 4 games of the season, what we saw from the Vols was pretty much what we expected entering the 2021 season. This victory gives Vols fans a glimpse into what could be when head coach Josh Heupel gets more players into that system.

With more than half the schedule still ahead for the Vols, they needed a victory like this one for a multitude of reasons. Rougher days are on the horizon with Alabama and Georgia still on the schedule, plus an Ole Miss team that (before Alabama) was scoring points like they are going out of style.  Kentucky is 5-0, just upset Florida, and is no longer a guaranteed win. Tennessee’s depth issues continue to be a real problem. The Vols can get away with it against Missouri, but the best teams on their schedule won’t be as kind.

In addition, all of these games are recruiting tools for Heupel. According to 247 Sports, Tennessee currently sits 31st in the nation and 12th in the SEC in the Class of 2022 recruiting rankings. They can and likely will get those numbers up, but the early signing period cuts into the time for this staff to make connections with the players they so desperately need. Showing recruits a fun offensive system, plus an improving defense, might do wonders. Clips of the Missouri game should be shown early and often.

Tennessee fans that are asked to buy in now have a look at what was promised when Heupel was hired. Yes, the Bowling Green and Tennessee Tech victories were also blowouts with points aplenty, but this is different because it came against an SEC opponent, and on the road. Conference contests are the ones that make people want to show up on gameday, and Heupel has his first UT win of that nature. Homefield advantage can propel a team a couple of steps ahead of their reality, and the Vols will need their voices with 5 games at Neyland Stadium remaining.

College football is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business. If the Vols lay an egg next week against South Carolina, all the positives they can take out of the Missouri win will be greatly lessened.

But for at least one weekend, Tennessee can believe that there is some light in the darkness.