University of Tennessee Athletics
Five Things To Know: The Win vs. Missouri
November 13, 2022 | Football
The No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers returned to Neyland Stadium for the final home game of the season, facing off against the Missouri Tigers and securing a 66-24 win.
The Vols moved to 9-1 in 2022 and 5-1 in Southeastern Conference action. Here are five things to know about the win:
The high-octane group exploded in Saturday's victory, racking up a school-record 724 yards of total offense (460 passing, 264 rushing). The previous high was 718 achieved against Troy in 2012 when Tennessee down the Trojans 55-48. Six different Vols scored touchdowns in the contest, as Tennessee put up a season-best 66 points in the game, marking the third time this season UT eclipsed the 60-point mark. That's tied for the program record for a single season, having also done so in 1912, 1914 and 1915. Further, the Vols five games with 50-plus points this year broke the previous program record of four, which came in 1914, 1993 and 2015.
Defensively, Missouri entered the game boasting the 13th-ranked group in the country for total yards allowed per game at 304.1. That number was in large part thanks to the squad's rush defense, which averaged just 111.2 yards allowed per game. Tennessee obliterated both of these season averages. In fact, Tennessee has faced five top-20 defenses this season and is averaging 500.8 yards per game in such contests. All five of those defenses have come in the Vols last five games vs. FBS opponents.
Hendon Hooker led the passing attack with 355 yards through the air for three scores in addition to his eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown. Entering the game in the fourth quarter, Joe Milton III orchestrated a pair of late scoring drives for UT, completing all three of his passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Two of his connections came in the big-play variety, finding Ramel Keyton for a 46-yard touchdown before throwing a bomb to Squirrel White of 58 yards, going down to the Mizzou 1 before Dylan Sampson punched in the score.
In addition to its four scores through the air, the Big Orange found the checkerboards on the ground. Four different Vols combined for five touchdowns, marking the third time this season UT rushed for five scores and the fifth time during the Heupel era. Jaylen Wright led the way with a pair of touchdowns, bringing his season total to eight. Jabari Small kicked off the scoring when he took a 10-yard rush to the house for his ninth rushing score this year. Dylan Sampson led UT on the ground, scampering for 98 yards on eight carries and a fourth-quarter touchdown.
A pair of Vol wideouts eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards in the same game for a second time this season. Jalin Hyatt hauled in seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown, while Bru McCoy registered nine receptions and 111 yards. Princeton Fant punctuated his Neyland Stadium tenure with an exclamation point, securing a pair of receiving touchdowns in the game, marking his second multi-touchdown performance of the year.
In Hendon Hooker's last stand in Neyland Stadium, the quarterback threw for three touchdowns and punched in a 14-yard rushing touchdown late in the first half. Minutes after the final whistle sounded, the Volunteer signal caller looked towards the southeast corner of the stadium and swayed with his brothers to the Tennessee Waltz before climbing a ladder propped up in front of The Pride of the Southland Band and directing the final playing of Rocky Top, on Rocky Top. As he descended back to his teammates clad in Big Orange, chants of "Heisman! Heisman! Heisman!" rattled through the walls of the football palace as the Vols exited the field after defending their turf to the tune of a 7-0 home record in 2022.
Senior offensive lineman Jerome Carvin made his 57th career appearance in Orange and White, breaking the school record for most games played in the history of Tennessee football. Fellow offensive lineman Darnell Wright enjoyed his final game in Neyland Stadium, as the duo helped pave the way for Tennessee's record-breaking performance in total yards (724).
Smokey X also took his last trip through the T, receiving his own senior day honors. Being the top dog since 2013, he is set to retire at the end of the season. For his last appearance in Neyland Stadium, the beloved mascot ran through the T and celebrated nine Tennessee touchdowns, dashing across the checkerboards and howling along with the crowd.
Hyatt eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the season after amassing 146 yards against the Tigers. He's the ninth Vol all time to achieve the feat in a single-season and logged the program's 10th 1,000-yard season. In just two seasons under coach Heupel, the Vols have achieved the milestone twice as Cedric Tillman tallied 1,081 yards last season. Hyatt moved into third place in the Tennessee record books for receiving yards in a single season with 1,116 after sitting just outside the top 10 entering the day.
With his 68-yard touchdown in the third quarter, Hyatt is now tied for fourth in UT history with Peerless Price for receiving touchdowns in a career (19) and boasts a program-record 15 touchdown catches this season. That mark is tied for sixth in SEC history for the most in one season with Ike Hilliard (Florida, 1995), Jack Jackson (Florida, 1994) and Jameson Williams (Alabama, 2021).
The Big Orange defense has created a turnover in every game this year and has run the streak up to 12 in a row, dating back to Vanderbilt (11/27/21) last year.
Overall, the Tennessee defense held the Tigers to seven three-and-outs and kept Missouri off the board for the final 23 minutes of action. The Vols recorded seven tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and three pass breakups, underscoring the havoc created by the Volunteers' defense all afternoon.
Junior defensive end Tyler Baron was a one-man wrecking crew up front, recording four tackles–all of which for a loss–and a sack.
The weather may have brought in rain, but it was Vol Nation that brought the thunder. For the sixth time this season, Neyland was at maximum capacity with 101,915 fans in the stands to watch their top-5 team. The game marked the first time since 2007 that Tennessee had six home sellouts in a single year. The seven-game home slate in 2022 saw a total of 703,726 fans cross through the turnstiles.
The excitement and atmosphere on Rocky Top this year has become a must-see event in college football. With two visits to Knoxville by ESPN's College GameDay, a rocking #CheckerNeyland and three ranked matchups on-site. Vol Nation broke the record noise level in Neyland Stadium on The Third Saturday in October with 125.4 dB–louder than a jet plane during take off.
This season there were six pregame flyovers, two goalposts torn down, new black helmets debuted and Summitt Blue accents celebrated 50 years of Title IX. Records were broken as Rocky Top echoed throughout Knoxville the entire fall.
With the win over the Tigers, the Vols finished with a 7-0 slate in Neyland Stadium, completing their first perfect home record since 2007 and proving once again that Rocky Top is home to one of the most elite atmospheres in college football.
Still, there is more football to be played.
Looking to Week 12, the Vols take to the road to battle South Carolina in Williams-Brice Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
The Vols moved to 9-1 in 2022 and 5-1 in Southeastern Conference action. Here are five things to know about the win:
1. Offense Hot Despite the Cold Weather
Heading into Saturday, the Vols ranked No. 1 in the nation in total offense and passing efficiency and ranked second in scoring offense as well as passing offense. Holding true to its reputation under Heupel, the Tennessee offense put on another show against Missouri.The high-octane group exploded in Saturday's victory, racking up a school-record 724 yards of total offense (460 passing, 264 rushing). The previous high was 718 achieved against Troy in 2012 when Tennessee down the Trojans 55-48. Six different Vols scored touchdowns in the contest, as Tennessee put up a season-best 66 points in the game, marking the third time this season UT eclipsed the 60-point mark. That's tied for the program record for a single season, having also done so in 1912, 1914 and 1915. Further, the Vols five games with 50-plus points this year broke the previous program record of four, which came in 1914, 1993 and 2015.
Defensively, Missouri entered the game boasting the 13th-ranked group in the country for total yards allowed per game at 304.1. That number was in large part thanks to the squad's rush defense, which averaged just 111.2 yards allowed per game. Tennessee obliterated both of these season averages. In fact, Tennessee has faced five top-20 defenses this season and is averaging 500.8 yards per game in such contests. All five of those defenses have come in the Vols last five games vs. FBS opponents.
Hendon Hooker led the passing attack with 355 yards through the air for three scores in addition to his eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown. Entering the game in the fourth quarter, Joe Milton III orchestrated a pair of late scoring drives for UT, completing all three of his passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Two of his connections came in the big-play variety, finding Ramel Keyton for a 46-yard touchdown before throwing a bomb to Squirrel White of 58 yards, going down to the Mizzou 1 before Dylan Sampson punched in the score.
In addition to its four scores through the air, the Big Orange found the checkerboards on the ground. Four different Vols combined for five touchdowns, marking the third time this season UT rushed for five scores and the fifth time during the Heupel era. Jaylen Wright led the way with a pair of touchdowns, bringing his season total to eight. Jabari Small kicked off the scoring when he took a 10-yard rush to the house for his ninth rushing score this year. Dylan Sampson led UT on the ground, scampering for 98 yards on eight carries and a fourth-quarter touchdown.
A pair of Vol wideouts eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards in the same game for a second time this season. Jalin Hyatt hauled in seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown, while Bru McCoy registered nine receptions and 111 yards. Princeton Fant punctuated his Neyland Stadium tenure with an exclamation point, securing a pair of receiving touchdowns in the game, marking his second multi-touchdown performance of the year.
2. One Final Ride in Neyland Stadium
Tennessee honored 21 seniors prior to Saturday's game as the class of 2022 ran through the T for the last time.In Hendon Hooker's last stand in Neyland Stadium, the quarterback threw for three touchdowns and punched in a 14-yard rushing touchdown late in the first half. Minutes after the final whistle sounded, the Volunteer signal caller looked towards the southeast corner of the stadium and swayed with his brothers to the Tennessee Waltz before climbing a ladder propped up in front of The Pride of the Southland Band and directing the final playing of Rocky Top, on Rocky Top. As he descended back to his teammates clad in Big Orange, chants of "Heisman! Heisman! Heisman!" rattled through the walls of the football palace as the Vols exited the field after defending their turf to the tune of a 7-0 home record in 2022.
Senior offensive lineman Jerome Carvin made his 57th career appearance in Orange and White, breaking the school record for most games played in the history of Tennessee football. Fellow offensive lineman Darnell Wright enjoyed his final game in Neyland Stadium, as the duo helped pave the way for Tennessee's record-breaking performance in total yards (724).
Smokey X also took his last trip through the T, receiving his own senior day honors. Being the top dog since 2013, he is set to retire at the end of the season. For his last appearance in Neyland Stadium, the beloved mascot ran through the T and celebrated nine Tennessee touchdowns, dashing across the checkerboards and howling along with the crowd.
3. Jalin Hyatt Shines, Climbs Record Books
Junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt once again showed his dominance at the wide receiver position, continuing his ascent through the Volunteer record books.Hyatt eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the season after amassing 146 yards against the Tigers. He's the ninth Vol all time to achieve the feat in a single-season and logged the program's 10th 1,000-yard season. In just two seasons under coach Heupel, the Vols have achieved the milestone twice as Cedric Tillman tallied 1,081 yards last season. Hyatt moved into third place in the Tennessee record books for receiving yards in a single season with 1,116 after sitting just outside the top 10 entering the day.
With his 68-yard touchdown in the third quarter, Hyatt is now tied for fourth in UT history with Peerless Price for receiving touchdowns in a career (19) and boasts a program-record 15 touchdown catches this season. That mark is tied for sixth in SEC history for the most in one season with Ike Hilliard (Florida, 1995), Jack Jackson (Florida, 1994) and Jameson Williams (Alabama, 2021).
4. BIG Orange Defense
The Volunteers entered Saturday's matchup leading the SEC in takeaways with 18. On 4th & inches in the fourth quarter, Doneiko Slaughter scooped up a mishandled pitch to give Tennessee its 19th turnover of the season and its ninth fumble recovery of the year.The Big Orange defense has created a turnover in every game this year and has run the streak up to 12 in a row, dating back to Vanderbilt (11/27/21) last year.
Overall, the Tennessee defense held the Tigers to seven three-and-outs and kept Missouri off the board for the final 23 minutes of action. The Vols recorded seven tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and three pass breakups, underscoring the havoc created by the Volunteers' defense all afternoon.
Junior defensive end Tyler Baron was a one-man wrecking crew up front, recording four tackles–all of which for a loss–and a sack.
5. Neyland Loud, All Year Long
Vol Nation would not be deterred by weather from supporting its boys in Big Orange for the final time in 2022, keeping the environment as loud and as hostile as it has been all year.The weather may have brought in rain, but it was Vol Nation that brought the thunder. For the sixth time this season, Neyland was at maximum capacity with 101,915 fans in the stands to watch their top-5 team. The game marked the first time since 2007 that Tennessee had six home sellouts in a single year. The seven-game home slate in 2022 saw a total of 703,726 fans cross through the turnstiles.
The excitement and atmosphere on Rocky Top this year has become a must-see event in college football. With two visits to Knoxville by ESPN's College GameDay, a rocking #CheckerNeyland and three ranked matchups on-site. Vol Nation broke the record noise level in Neyland Stadium on The Third Saturday in October with 125.4 dB–louder than a jet plane during take off.
This season there were six pregame flyovers, two goalposts torn down, new black helmets debuted and Summitt Blue accents celebrated 50 years of Title IX. Records were broken as Rocky Top echoed throughout Knoxville the entire fall.
With the win over the Tigers, the Vols finished with a 7-0 slate in Neyland Stadium, completing their first perfect home record since 2007 and proving once again that Rocky Top is home to one of the most elite atmospheres in college football.
Still, there is more football to be played.
Looking to Week 12, the Vols take to the road to battle South Carolina in Williams-Brice Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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