UT vs. Mizzou Halftime Notes

Nov. 22, 2014

UT vs. Mizzou Halftime Notes 

HALFTIME NOTES

TENNESSEE TIDBITS

At the half, Tennessee and Missouri are tied, 13-13.
Saturday's UT-Mizzou game marks Senior Day for the Vols. Tennessee is 27-2 on Senior Day since 1985. The game also marks the first time for UT to play an opponent other than Vanderbilt or Kentucky on Senior Day since Dec. 4, 1971 vs. Penn.
With a won coin toss to Missouri, the Vols have now lost 15 of their last 17 flips in regulation play. The won coin toss snaps a streak of four consecutive pregame coin toss losses.

TENNESSEE CAPTAINS

#11 Joshua Dobbs, #54 Jordan Williams and #56 Curt Maggitt represented the Vols for the pregame coin toss.

VFL LEGEND OF THE GAME

VFL Jamal Lewis (1997-99) was honored in a pregame ceremony before the Missouri-Tennessee game as the Vols' Legend of the Game.
Lewis was a standout for the Vols, rushing for 2,677 yards and scoring 21 touchdowns. He set UT records for rushing yards by a freshman with 1,364 and had seven 100-yard rushing games.
Lewis went on to a Pro Bowl career with the Ravens and was named the 2003 NFL MVP. He won Super Bowl XXXV with Baltimore and is in the Ravens' Hall of Fame.

FOR STARTERS

#44 Jakob Johnson made his first career start at linebacker against Mizzou, marking the 10th true freshman (11th including kicker #25 Aaron Medley) to start for Tennessee this year. The Vols have the second-most true freshman starts in the country (Tulane, 12).
The Vols started seven true freshman against Missouri: #1 Jalen Hurd, #3 Josh Malone, #6 Todd Kelly Jr. (S), #9 Derek Barnett (DE), #12 Emmanuel Moseley (CB), #44 Jakob Johnson (LB) and #73 Jashon Robertson.
Tennessee started four true freshmen on defense against Missouri.
Tennessee has played 23 true freshmen this season, the most for any FBS program in the nation.

OFFENSE

#2 Pig Howard and #11 Joshua Dobbs connected for a 24-yard pass in the first quarter. At the half, Howard has three catches for 42 yards, while #1 Jalen Hurd leads the team with four catches for 22 yards receving.
#11 Joshua Dobbs opened up the second quarter for the Vols with a 22-yard run. At the half, Dobbs is 11-for-16 with 83 yards passing.

HOW THEY SCORED

#25 Aaron Medley made a 38-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter to put the Vols on the board.
On a faked field goal attempt in the second half, holder #13 Patrick Ashford completed a 31-yard pass to tight end #48 Alex Ellis. The catch marks a first career pass for Ashford, as well as a first career touchdown for Ellis. Both players are senior walk-ons for Tennessee. The faked field goal attempt was the first for Tennessee since Nov. 23, 2013 against Vanderbilt.
The last time UT accomplished a fake field goal for a touchdown was also against Missouri, when Tyler Drummer ran for five yards to put UT on top, 42-35, in overtime on Nov. 10, 2012.
#25 Aaron Medley was 1-of-1 on PATs against Missouri. On the season, he is 33-of-34 in PATs.
With less than four minutes left in the half, #25 Aaron Medley made a 39-yard field goal attempt to tie the game at 13-13. On the year, Medley is 18-of-24 in field goal attempts, including 17-of-18 inside the 39-yard line. Medley has also hit at least one field goal in all 11 games this season.

DEFENSIVELY SPEAKING

As a defense, the Vols held the Tigers to 5-of-10 on third down conversions.
Through the half, Tennessee's defense had pass break-ups by five different players: #33 LaDarrell McNeil, #23 Cameron Sutton, #27 Justin Coleman, #54 Jordan Williams and #22 Malik Foreman.
#6 Todd Kelly Jr led the Vols defense through the first half with six tackles.
Senior #54 Jordan Williams sacked Missouri quarterback #7 Maty Mauk for a loss of six yards in the second quarter.

SPECIAL TEAMS

#29 Evan Berry began the Vols' first half with a 35-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and a 58-yard return in the second quarter, marking his fifth-straight game with a kickoff return of 30-plus yards. With 93 return yards in the first half, Berry established a career high for return yards in a single game. Berry's previous high was three returns for 91 yards vs. Kentucky on Nov. 15, 2014.
#43 Matt Darr punted three times against Missouri in the first half. With a 55-yard punt in the first quarter, Darr has 16 games with punts of 50 yards or more, including 14 punts of 50-plus yards in his last eight games. On the season, Darr now has 25 punts inside the 20-yard line and 10 inside the 10-yard line.
With a 48-yard punt in the first quarter, Darr put the ball on the one-yard line for Missouri to start their third possession of the game with the help of freshman #4 Vic Wharton.

JUST KICKIN' IT

With his 24 field goal attempts so far this season, #25 Aaron Medley passed Fuad Reveiz (1984) for ninth all-time in field goal attempts in a single season for Tennessee. He is now tied for seventh, along with James Wilhoit (2003) and Jeff Hall (1998).
Medley's 18 successful field goal attempts in 2014 also passed Fuad Reveiz (1984) and James Wilhoit (2003) for ninth all-time in a single season. He is now tied for seventh with James Wilhoit (2006) and Alex Walls (2000). .

ODDS AND ENDS

Tennessee and Missouri are tied for the most overtime wins in NCAA FBS history with 11 (UT 11-5, Mizzou 11-5). In the teams' only meeting at Neyland Stadium, the Tigers won a 51-48, four-overtime game on Nov. 10, 2012.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Originally ruled a fumble by #1 Jalen Hurd, the ruling was overturned to give the Vols first and 10.

VOLS TRENDING

The Vols were trending nationally on Twitter with the topics: MIZZvsTENN, Let's Go Vols, Third Down for What, Matt Darr, Fake FG, Patrick Ashford and Butch Stones.

University of Tennessee Athletics