Tennessee uses big second half to down Missouri on Senior Day
For more than two quarters, the performance matched the weather.
Tennessee, coming off of a loss at No. 1 Georgia in a game where the Vols' committed several self-inflicted errors, defensive struggles and protection on the offensive line kept them from creating comfortable separation from Missouri well into the third quarter.
After the Tigers scored to pull within 4, the momentum-shifting play that Tennessee had been looking for came on a 68-yard touchdown pass from Hendon Hooker to Jalin Hyatt to put the Vols back up two scores en route to a 66-24 win on a cold and rainy Senior Day at Neyland Stadium.
Out of the backfield, Tennessee racked up 264 rushing yards between running back trio Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright, Dylan Sampson and Hooker while wideout Jalin Hyatt led in receiving with seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.
Hooker finished 25-of-35 passing for 355 yards and three touchdowns.
In all, Tennessee posted 724 yards of total offense-a program record.
Tennessee (9-1, 5-1 SEC) scored on its first drive on a 10-yard run from Small to go up 7-0, but after Hooker was sacked on fourth down, Missouri (4-6, 2-5 SEC) answered with a nine play, 68 yards drive capped by a Luther Burden III touchdown run to even it up.
Tennessee reached the end zone three more times in the first half. Hooker's 14-yard touchdown run with just over four minutes left in the first half put the Vols up 28-14, but another fourth down stop from Missouri's defense and a 40-yard run from quarterback Brady Cook led to a Harrison Mevis field goal as time expired to make it 28-17 at the intermission.
After forcing Tennessee to punt on its opening drive of the third quarter, Cook, who kept Missouri in the game with his leg, running for 108 yards, used his arm on a 38-yard touchdown pass to Dominic Lovett that brought the score to 28-24 with less than nine minutes to go in the third quarter.
That was as close as the Tigers would get the rest of the way.
Helped by a couple of quick defensive stops, the Tennessee offense looked more like it has much of the season, beginning with Hyatt's touchdown catch to pull ahead 35-24 and open the way for a second half rout.
Backup quarterback Joe Milton put the exclamation point on the win with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Ramel Keyton.
Tennessee travels to Williams-Brice Stadium to face South Carolina next Saturday at either 7 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. on ESPN or the SEC Network.
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