University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Defeats LSU 26-18
September 29, 2001 | Football
Sept 29, 2001
Final Stats?|? Notes
By TOM SHARP
Associated Press Writer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Kelley Washington caught 11 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, snapping the Tennessee offense out of a season-long lethargy and leading the No. 7 Volunteers to a 26-18 victory over No. 14 LSU on Saturday night.
Washington's yardage broke the school's 35-year-old single-game record set by Johnny Mills.
The Volunteers (3-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) avenged last year's overtime loss to the Tigers (2-1, 0-1) by scoring on their first three second-half possessions, including a 70-yard touchdown pass from Casey Clausen to Washington.
Of Washington's 11 catches, all went for first downs. Five of those came on third down. It was the breakout game expected from the 22-year-old freshman since he arrived on campus after playing professional baseball for four years.
Rohan Davey hit Michael Clayton with a 67-yard touchdown pass on LSU's second possession. Between then and Tennessee taking a 26-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Vols defense, best in the nation in yards allowed, controlled the game.
After it got to 26-7, Davey began to lead the Tigers back.
He directed a 75-yard drive in six plays and just 75 seconds, scoring on a 30-yard pass to Josh Reed. A 2-point pass to Reed made it 26-15 with 10:13 left.
Reed had seven catches for 125 yards.
Davey, who was 21-of-43 for 356 yards and two TDs, drove the Tigers to a 25-yard field goal on their next possession, making it 26-18 with 3:12 remaining.
LSU got one more chance, taking over at its 20 with 30 seconds left. A last-second heave into the end zone was incomplete.
Tennessee took the lead for the first time by driving 82 yards in 16 plays. Clausen's quarterback draw from the LSU 3 ended the opening possession of the second half. A 2-point conversion pass was batted down, leaving the Vols up 12-7.
The Vols picked up six first downs on the drive, one fewer than they managed the entire first half, and took nearly 7{ minutes off the clock.
The 70-yard touchdown pass came on Tennessee's next possession. Travis Stephens capped a 70-yard drive in 10 plays the next time the Vols got the ball to make it 26-7.
The LSU offense moved smoothly at the start, driving into Tennessee territory with the opening kickoff. But Davey, sacked on a blitz, fumbled and Tennessee recovered.
The Tigers finished the job on their next offensive play. After a Tennessee punt, Davey hit Clayton with a 67-yard pass behind a badly beaten Volunteers secondary for a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.
The lead could have been greater in the first quarter, when Clausen threw two interceptions and the Vols offense was generally inept. But the Tigers could go nowhere.
The Vols closed to 7-6 at halftime on a pair of second-quarter field goals by Alex Walls, covering 42 and 44 yards.
Clausen finished 18-of-38 for 309 yards.
