Tennessee 34, Arkansas State 19
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- J.D. McKissic thought he could help swing momentum in Arkansas State's favor by racing up to field a short punt early in the third quarter of Saturday's game against Tennessee.
ASU was down by 12 points and getting ready to take over in Tennessee territory when McKissic headed up the east sideline in pursuit of punter Matt Darr's dying kick.
"It dropped on me early," McKissic said of Darr's punt, which came from deep in the Tennessee end zone. "Trying to make a play for the team."
The ball bounced off McKissic and into the hands of Tennessee's LaDarrell McNeal at the Vols 36.
It turned out to be a decisive play, for Tennessee, in its 34-19 victory.
"Big, monumental," Tennessee Coach Butch Jones said. "They had some momentum at the time."
The Vols reversed the field by driving 64 yards in 10 plays after the fumble recovery, ending it with Marquez North's 14-yard touchdown reception.
The touchdown gave the Vols a 19-point lead and put the 17-point underdog Red Wolves in a hole that could not get out from in front of 99,538 at Neyland Stadium.
"We were right there in it, just a couple of plays," said ASU quarterback Fredi Knighten, who passed for 166 yards and rushed for 65 on 14 attempts. "If we don't make those silly plays, silly penalties, we were right there in it. They weren't just outstandingly better than we were. We just made it seem that way."
The things that concerned ASU Coach Blake Anderson most -- an unfriendly SEC environment accentuated by the second-largest crowd to ever see an ASU team play and size disadvantages as most positions -- weren't that much of a factor.
Instead, it was nine penalties for 75 yards, an injury that knocked out starting running back Michael Gordon out of the game and McKissic's fumble that cost the Red Wolves.
"The guys did not let the environment be a problem," Anderson said. "At no point did they ever come in here thinking they were doing anything other than trying to win."
Knighten led three touchdown drives in his first career road start -- including one on ASU's first drive -- and accounted for 231 of ASU's 331 total yards. Tennessee totaled 415.
But Knighten played without Gordon for 2 1/2 quarters after the Gordon re-aggravated a hip injury, and ASU converted 4 of 17 times on third down.
Then there was McKissic's fumble, which came with 10:50 left in the third quarter and ASU trailing 24-12. ASU's defense had just forced Tennessee to punt from its own 5, and McKissic attempted to field on the run the at the Tennessee 38. McNeal fell on it at the 36.
McKissic said afterward that if he had the chance to do it all over, he would have let the ball fall, but Anderson didn't second-guess his junior wide receiver.
"That's the best player on our football team," Anderson said. "He's going to make that play. ... We've got to trust him to make that play."
ASU spent the rest of the afternoon playing catch-up.
The Red Wolves mixed in a few surprises in an effort to prevent Tennessee from pulling away.
Kicker Luke Ferguson completed a 24-yard pass to defensive end Chris Stone on a fake punt that led to Knighten's 9-yard touchdown pass to Tres Houston that made it 17-12 with 4:10 to play in the half. ASU went for two points, but was unsuccessful when redshirt junior quarterback Stephen Hogan's pass was incomplete and the Red Wolves were also whistled for offensive pass interference.
Five points was as close as the Red Wolves would get.
Tennessee stretched its lead to 24-12 at halftime when Worley completed a 10-play, 71-yard drive on a 5-yard run with 1:20 to play in the quarter.
Knighten drove ASU (1-1) 40 yards on its opening possession -- which was set up by McKissic's 13-yard punt return after ASU held Tennessee on its opening drive. Knighten's 4-yard touchdown to made it 6-0 after Ferguson's extra point went wide right. But quarterback Justin Worley answered by leading Tennessee (2-0) on three consecutive scoring drives.
Aaron Medley kicked a 20-yard field goal, Jalen Hurd scored on a 4-yard run and North caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Worley on a fade route that made it 17-6.
ASU went for it five times on fourth downs, converting twice, and tried an onside kick in the fourth quarter that some Red Wolves players thought they had recovered.
Tennessee's lanky wide receivers found ways to create space in the first half. Von Pearson, 6-3, and North, 6-4, combined for eight receptions and 139 yards. Pearson's 56-yard catch over the middle set up Medley's first field goal. Two of North's four catches were touchdowns, and another came on third down and set up a touchdown.
Worley completed 22 of 38 passes for 247 yards with 2 touchdowns with 1 interception.
"They have some great athletes," ASU safety Sterling Young said. "They made some great plays when it counted."
It didn't help the Red Wolves that for the second consecutive week they had to find a replacement for Gordon, who left in the second quarter after catching a screen pass and never returned.
Terrance Hollingsworth, Johnston White, Brandon Byner and DeKeathan Williams alternated in place of Gordon with Williams 24-yard touchdown pulling ASU to 31-19 with 10:06 left in the fourth quarter.
But ASU's backs -- including Gordon -- were held to 76 yards rushing on 28 carries.
"We took away the run game," Jones said. "We knew it was going to be a lateral game. We knew they were going to try and get the ball outside our defense."
Andersons said the Red Wolves need to get better with a trip to Miami looming next week.
"We have to grow up fast," Anderson said. "Mike can't carry the load by himself, fresh and healthy or not. It takes more than one guy."
Sports on 09/07/2014