Fredi Knighten did what he could in his first start on the road for Arkansas State. But Tennessee made sure nobody else did much in its 34-19 victory over ASU on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Knighten passed for 166 yards, rushed for 65 more and led three touchdown drives for ASU. But ASU was held to 100 yards other than Knighten, committed nine penalties while Justin Worley passed for 247 yards and two touchdowns in front of an announced crowd of 99,538, the second largest ever to see an ASU game.
ASU was held to 331 total yards, and was 4 of 17 on third down.
"We somehow battled our way into making it a game at the end," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. "We just made too many mistakes at the end."
The Red Wolves (0-2) took a 6-0 lead on Knighten’s 4-yard run to cap their first drive, but the Volunteers took control by scoring on their next three drives. Aaron Medley made a 20-yard field goal, Jalen Hurd scored on a 4-yard run and Worley threw the first of two touchdown passes to Marquez North to make it 17-6 early in the second quarter.
ASU, which its lost starting running back for the second week in a row, never could make up the difference.
Michael Gordon was held to 7 rushes for 17 yards after leaving midway through the second quarter with after re-aggregating a rib injury he suffered last week and didn't return.
Without Gordon, DeKeathan Williams rushed for a 24-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, but ASU’s running backs combined for 59 yards on 19 carries.
Still, ASU had its chances.
The Red Wolves trailed 24-12 in the third quarter and forced a punt when J.D. McKissic fumbled the return at the Volunteers' 36. Ten players later, Worley connected with Marquez North on a 14-yard touchdown pass to make it 31-12. After Williams' touchdown run made it 34-19, ASU tried an onside kick that was recovered by Tennessee after a replay review.
Read Sunday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more on this story.