Tennessee-Akron Postgame Notes

Sept. 23, 2012

To Note

TENNESSEE CAPTAINS

#46 Channing Fugate, #56 Curt Maggitt, #72 Zach Fulton, #83 Zach Rogers.

LEGEND OF THE GAME

Today's Vol For Life Legend of the Game is Lester McClain, a member of the Tennessee squad from 1967-70. McClain became the first African-American to play football in the SEC, as he suited up for the Vols in 1967 and played in his first games at wingback in 1968.

TENNESSEE TIDBITS

Tennessee's all-time records are 797-348-53 overall and 440-113-17 at Neyland Stadium.

UT improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2006.

The Vols lead the series with the Zips, 2-0.

UT improved to 5-0 all-time vs. the MAC.

The Big Orange is 3-0 vs. Akron coach Terry Bowden, including two wins against him when he was coach at Auburn (1993-98).

UT has never lost on Sept. 22, posting an all-time record of 4-0-1.

The Vols have won nine consecutive non-conference games, dating back to a win over UAB in 2010.

The win vs. Akron gave UT its first nine-game non-conference winning streak since a 10-game spree from 2000-02.

UT improved to 11-1 under Derek Dooley when scoring 25 or more points and 24-4 when scoring 20 or more.

UT has won 25 consecutive games when scoring 28 or more points.

UT is 10-2 under Derek Dooley when passing for 300 yards.

UT is 48-10 at home in September since 1990 and 57-24-2 overall during the month during that time span.

Tennessee is 1-3 in coin tosses this season and now has received the opening kickoff in all four games.

Today's attendance is 81,719.

BUCKEYE LUCK

Tennessee is 13-1 all-time vs. teams from the Buckeye State.

The Vols last lost to a team from Ohio on Nov. 16, 1904, when Cincinnati blanked UT, 35-0.

UT won last season vs. the Bearcats, 45-23.

FOR STARTERS

Fullback Ben Bartholomew got his first start of the season and the eighth of his career.

On defense, lineman Steven Fowlkes got his first career start, while linebacker Dontavis Sapp and lineman Corey Miller made the second and third starts, respectively, of their careers.

THE BOOK ON BRAY

Tyler Bray posted his second career 400-yard passing game and ninth career 300-yard passing contest, finishing 27 of 43 for 401 yards and four touchdowns.

Bray's total of 401 yards passing is four shy of his career-high total of 405, recorded against Cincinnati last season.

It marked the fifth time a UT quarterback surpassed 400 yards passing, with Bray (405, 401) and Peyton Manning (523, 492, 408) as the only members of that club.

Bray recorded his sixth career game (second of 2012) with four or more TD tosses.

Bray threw career TD pass No. 44 (No. 9 in 2012) in the second quarter, connecting with tight end Brendan Downs on a six-yard play.

Bray added TD toss No. 45 (No. 10 this year) in the third quarter, hitting Rajion Neal from three yards out.

Bray also added TD tosses to Justin Hunter (19 yards) and Jacob Carter (24 yards) in the fourth quarter to boost his TD totals to 47 for his career and 12 for the season.

Bray moved past Jonathan Crompton (348, 2006-09) into sixth place on UT's career pass completions list with that TD toss to Downs. Bray started the game with 339 completions and needed 10 to overtake Crompton.

Bray also moved past Tee Martin (588, 1996-99) into seventh place on UT's career pass attempts list. Bray started the game with 576 and needed 13 to pass Martin.

An errant first-quarter pass by Bray was intercepted by Akron cornerback Avis Commack and returned 44 yards for a touchdown to put the Zips up, 7-0.

The pick-six was the first surrendered by UT since Vandy's Archibald Barnes returned one 100 yards in 2011. The INT/TD was Akron's first since Nov. 27, 2009.

RECORD NIGHT FOR BRODUS

Derrick Brodus tied a UT record with 17 points in a game. He matched Alex Walls (4 FG, 5 PAT vs. Wyoming, 2002), Fuad Reveiz (5 FG, 2 PAT vs. Memphis St., 1982) and Alan Duncan (5FG, 2 PAT vs. Kentucky, 1978).

Brodus drilled four out of four field goal attempts vs. Akron to improve his season number to 5-of-5 and career count to 6-of-6.

Brodus connected from a career-long distance of 37 yards in the first quarter, from 23 and 22 yards in the second period and from 28 yards in the fourth stanza.

The last Tennessee kicker to make four fields was Daniel Lincoln, who connected on four of five attempts at Mississippi State on Oct. 13, 2007.

Brodus' other career makes were from 25 yards vs. Georgia State this season and from 21 last year vs. Middle Tennessee.

Brodus also was good on all five PAT attempts and improved to 8-of-9 in 2012 and 11-of-12 for his career.

Tennessee didn't punt until the fourth quarter, and Matt Darr produced when called upon. He delivered a 45-yard punt (with no return) to Akron's 12.

ROCKIN' RAJION

Rajion Neal had a career-best rushing night, reaching that total by halftime.

Neal finished with 22 carries for 151 yards, the most by a UT running back since Tauren Poole ran for 162 yards on 23 attempts vs. Oregon in 2010.

The junior had 102 yards on 16 carries at the half.

Neal also caught three passes for 22 yards, including a three-yard TD reception to put UT up 30-23 in the third quarter.

HUNTER BACK ON TRACK

Justin Hunter was Bray's top target vs. Akron, catching six passes for 71 yards in the first half and finishing with eight for 115 yards and a TD.

His 19-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was the 13th of his career and fourth this season.

It marked the sixth career 100-yard game of Hunter's career and the second this season. He is tied with five other Vols who accomplished that feat.

Hunter ranks second all-time through four games for receptions with 30. Only Marcus Nash has more catches through the first four games with 31 in 1997.

MORE OFFENSIVE NOTES

The Vols produced 633 yards of total offense, marking the first time since Sept. 5, 2009, when UT had 657 vs. Western Kentucky (380 rush, 277 pass).

Tennessee rushed for 232 vs. Akron and added 401 through the air.

UT recorded its third game of 500+ yards of total offense in 2012. The last time the Vols accomplished that feat was 2004.

Tight end Brendan Downs caught his first career TD pass on a six-yard strike from Tyler Bray in the second quarter. It came on the fourth reception of his career and first this season.

Jacob Carter caught his first career TD as well, pulling in a 24-yard strike from Tyler Bray in the fourth quarter.

Alton "Pig" Howard made his first career catch, hauling one in across the middle for 13 yards and a first down in the opening stanza. He also had a five-yard catch in the second quarter.

Ben Bartholomew caught his third and fourth passes of 2012 and the ninth and 10th of his career during the opening frame.

Tennessee had seven different rushers and five different receivers in the first quarter alone.

Zach Rogers pulled down his second long pass of the season, connecting with Bray on a 48-yard gain. The play is his second-longest of 2012 behind his 72 TD catch vs. NC State.

Marlin Lane caught the longest pass of his career, picking up a 35-yard gain in the second quarter.

The Vols were unable to score a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half for the first time this season.

SPREAD OFFENSE

Tennessee had seven different rushers and five different receivers in the first quarter alone.

The Vols finished with eight different rushers and 11 different receivers.

All five touchdowns (four receiving, one rushing) were scored by different players.

WILDCAT PACKAGE

Linebacker A.J. Johnson appeared as the wildcat quarterback on UT's second drive, and promptly scored his second touchdown of the season on only his third rushing attempt.

On three career rushes, Johnson has seven yards and two TDs.

UT also tried Johnson on fourth and one with 2:26 to go in the first half, but he was turned back by the Akron defense.

Fullback Justin King also got a turn at QB, toting the ball 18 yards on his second career carry in the first quarter.

PICK-OFF ARTISTS

Byron Moore notched his first multiple interception game. He had one with a 20-yard return in the first quarter and another with a 15-yard run-back in the third period.

Moore is the first Vol since Eric Berry to record two or more interceptions in a single game. Berry had two vs. Arkansas on Nov. 10, 2007.

He now has three for the season and his career, getting his first one vs. NC State.

Eric Gordon picked off his second pass of the campaign and the sixth of his career.

Tennessee's secondary

ALL OVER THE FIELD

Tennessee had two players recording 10 or more tackles.

A.J. Johnson recorded his fifth career game of 10 or more tackles, tallying 11 stops and QB hurry.

In addition to his interceptions, Byron Moore was in on 10 stops, marking the first time in his UT career he had 10 or more tackles. In addition to his two previously mentioned picks, Moore added a PBU. 

UNDER REVIEW

The Vols moved to five-of-eight on the season on reviews by the officials that have gone in their favor.

Rajion Neal was ruled down before fumbling in the first quarter. The review showed the ball came out before Neal was down, so the call was overturned.

Officials ruled that Mychal Rivera fumbled on a third-quarter pass play. The review revealed that he was down before the ball came loose, so the call was overturned. li> Trey Burton's 80-yard run to tie the game in the third quarter was the longest rush surrendered by UT's defense since LSU's Jordan Jefferson carried the ball 83 yards to paydirt on Oct. 2, 2010.

Florida rushed for the most yards against the Vols (336) since the Ole Miss game in 2009, when the Rebels amassed 359.

WATCHING THE CLOCK

The first quarter lasted 46 minutes, and the second took 57 minutes.

Tonight's contest lasted 3 1/2 hours.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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