University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Capture Three NCAA Stat Crowns
January 12, 2016 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee has claimed three NCAA statistical championships for the 2015 season. All-American Evan Berry won the kickoff return average title with 38.3 return average. All-American Cameron Sutton collected the punt return average crown with an 18.7 mark. As a team, the Vols had the nation's top kickoff return average at 33.41, a new all-time NCAA single-season record.
Berry's average of 38.3 ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history, based on 1.2 returns per game, as he had 804 yards on his 21 returns. Berry finished second in the NCAA kickoff return touchdowns with three as only Kansas State's Morgan Burns had more with four. Berry's 38.3 average set a new Tennessee single-season record. He is the second Vol to claim the NCAA kickoff return average championship joining Dale Carter (29.8) in 1990.
Sutton's nation-best average of 18.7 came as he returned 25 punts for 467 yards, a new Tennessee single-season-season record for yardage. Sutton is the third Vol to win the NCAA punt return average crown. He joined 1941 winner Walter Slater (20.4) and 1951 winner Bill Blackstock (25.9). Blackstock's mark is second all-time in NCAA history. Sutton had two punt return touchdowns, ranking him second in the NCAA to Alabama's Cyrus Jones, who had four.
As a team, the Vols claimed the NCAA title for kickoff return average at 33.41 with 902 yards on 27 returns. The mark also set a new NCAA all-time record for kickoff return average with a minimum of 25 returns. Tennessee broke the record of 30.33 set by Florida State in 1992 with 27 returns for 819 yards. It is the second time the Vols claimed the NCAA kickoff return crown, as they also had the best mark in 1983 with a 28.8 mark.
Tennessee's Top 10 finishes among the NCAA statistical leaders:
TEAM
INDIVIDUAL
