No. 5 Tennessee dominates Missouri to bolster College Football Playoff case
No. 5 Tennessee broke its single-game school record in total offense with a 66-24 win over Missouri on Saturday, bouncing back from its first loss of the season.
The Volunteers topped the record of 718 yards set against Troy in 2012, finishing with 724 yards. It was a welcomed outcome after Tennessee was soundly beaten at Georgia and fell out of the top four in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Tennessee, which plays at South Carolina and Vanderbilt in the final two weeks, completed its home schedule unbeaten for the first time since 2007.
Quarterback Hendon Hooker, a Virginia Tech transfer and sixth-year senior, was accompanied by about 30 family members for his final home game. He was one of 21 players recognized on senior day.
Hooker had good stats to continue his Heisman Trophy campaign and rebound from a sub-par outing against Georgia. He finished 25-of-34 passing for 355 yards, three TDs and no interceptions. And he rushed for 54 yards and one TD.
Hooker moved to No. 5 on the school’s career list with 55 TD passes despite playing less than two seasons for the Vols. Only Peyton Manning (89), Casey Clausen (75), Erik Ainge (72) and Tyler Bray (69) are ahead of him.
His play Saturday gave life to an offense that gained only 289 yards against Georgia. The Volunteers exceeded that total by halftime and looked more like the team that led Bowl Subdivision in total offense and ranked No. 2 in scoring offense entering the game.
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Tennessee marched 91 yards on its first possession, capped by Jabari Small’s 10-yard TD run. It was the Vols’ sixth scoring drive of at least 90 yards this season and their first since the Alabama game.
Small, Jaylen Wright and freshman Dylan Sampson helped Tennessee rush for more than 200 yards. And Hooker spread the ball around in the passing game.
Jalin Hyatt became the ninth player in Tennessee history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Robert Meachem holds the school record with 1,298 yards in 2006.
Hyatt had seven catches for 146 yards and a TD. He has 1,116 yards this season. In the third quarter, Hooker faked a jet sweep to Sampson and tossed a pass to Hyatt streaking up the sideline. Hyatt ran behind Bru McCoy’s downfield block for a 68-yard TD.
It was Hyatt’s school-record 15th TD reception this season, which leads FBS and ranks sixth on the SEC’s single-season list.
Princeton Fant, a sixth-year senior, kept up his scoring spree in his final game at Neyland Stadium. He caught two TD passes, a 19-yarder and 2-yarder, at tight end.
In recent games, Fant has flexed his versatility as a runner and passer on trick plays. He has accounted for seven TDs in the past five games, including four rushing, two receiving and one passing.
The Tennessee defense was plagued by penalties and sloppy pass coverage as Missouri kept things close in the first half with touchdown drives. A late field goal by the Tigers trimmed the halftime lead to 28-17 before the Volunteers took care of business in the second half.