Ad Disclosure
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Nico Iamaleva, Dylan Sampson and Tennessee’s potent offense put up another big number in Saturday’s 51-10 beatdown of NC State at Bank of America Stadium.
But this wasn’t their night to shine.
Their job was made considerably easier by a defense that manhandled the Wolfpack and served notice to the rest of the SEC – and perhaps the nation – that this is a team that can beat you in a number of different ways.
The Volunteers limited an offense that was touted as one of the ACC’s best to just 143 total yards, 39 on the ground, while forcing 3 turnovers and 2 short-yardage 4th-down stops in NC State territory. Through 2 games this season, they’ve outscored their opponents 120-13 and have yet to yield a defensive touchdown.
Here are 3 takeaways from Tennessee’s dominating victory in Charlotte;
Game-breaker by Brooks
Sometimes all it takes is 1 big play to turn a game around. Or in this case, break a close game open. Despite dominating the stat sheet for most of the 1st half, the Vols were having trouble putting the Wolfpack away on the scoreboard until Will Brooks stepped in and took matters into his own hands.
Tennessee led only 10-3 when NC State put together its most productive drive of the night, moving 59 yards on 5 plays into the red zone with 3:29 remaining before halftime. But on a 1st down play, Brooks followed quarterback Grayson McCall as he rolled to his right, stepped in front of tight end Justin Joly and picked off McCall’s softly thrown pass.
The redshirt senior safety then took off down the far sideline, untouched for an 85-yard touchdown. Instead of the Wolfpack getting the tying touchdown, it was the Vols that went into halftime with momentum.
The pick-6 jump started Tennessee and began a run of 30 unanswered points that turned the close game into a rout.
A tale of 2 halves
Statistically, Tennessee’s offense was only slightly better in the 2nd half than it was in the 1st. The Vols rolled up 227 yards over the 1st 2 quarters and 288 in the 2nd.
The only difference was the production.
While the Vols managed to turn all that 1st half yardage into just 20 points, they exploded for 31 after halftime. The key was a remarkable balance between the pass and the run. Along with a few short fields with which to work.
Iamaleva threw for 143 of his 211 yards and both of his touchdowns after the break. Sampson, meanwhile, highlighted a ground attack that churned out 143 2nd half yards. The Vols’ leading rusher with 132 yards and 2 scores.
Good game plan, bad execution
NC State came into the game wanting to control the tempo, get the ball into the hands of playmaker KC Concepcion and keep Tennessee’s high-powered offense off the field. It’s a script the Wolfpack followed almost to the letter on the game’s opening possession.
Except for 1 small detail.
While they ran 12 plays, eating up nearly 7 minutes off the clock while getting 3 quick touches for Concepcion, they ended up with nothing to show for their effort. The drive got as deep as the Vols’ 39. But it stalled there when Omarr Norman-Lott sacked Grayson McCall for a 7-yard loss on 2nd down, then threw incomplete on 3rd to force a punt.
Three of the Wolfpack’s next 5 drives in the 1st half lasted only 3 plays. And one of those that didn’t ended in Brooks’ pick-6. State’s only touchdown came on a equally long interception return by Aydan White.
Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.
