.jpg)
.jpg)
 | ||
 |  | |
| Tennessee | vs. | Ohio |
| Neyland Stadium - Knoxville, Tenn. - Saturday, September 26, 2009 | ||
Tennessee vs. Ohio
September 26, 2009
FINAL SCORE: Tennessee 34, Ohio 23
TEAM LEADERS
Tennessee
Hardesty: 20 rushes, 140 yards, 1 TD
Crompton: 17-for-34, 222 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD
Moore: 4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD
Reveiz, McCoy: 8 tackles each
Ohio
Garrett: 221 yards in kick returns
Scott: 30-for-52, 319 yards, 1 INT, 1 TD
Brazill: 8 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD
Luchsinger, Keller, 9 tackles each
ATTENDANCE: 95,535
FOURTH QUARTER
10:32 p.m. -- Hardesty runs left and is brought down after a gain of 8 yards. The clock ticks to zero and the Vols pick up the victory.
10:31 p.m. -- TURNOVER: Scott's pass is incomplete, giving the ball to the Vols.
10:30 p.m. -- On third-and-1 with 42 seconds left, Scott's pass sails high and incomplete for fourth down. The Bobcats will go for it.
10:29 p.m. -- Scott is hit as he throws, but completes the pass to Dunlop. Berry on the stop to add to his collection. www.berry4heisman.com
10:28 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: The kick goes out of bounds at the 40 as fans have begun to exit the stadium.
10:28 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Tennessee lets the play clock run down and calls time with 1:12 left.
10:27 p.m. -- Hardesty tries to spin out of the tackle on third down, but no luck. Fourth down as Tennessee takes its time getting back on the field.
10:26 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Ohio again stops play after Brown runs to the 26. There's 1:58 to play.
10:25 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Ohio stops the clock with 2:03 to play.
10:24 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Tennessee takes over on the 20 and Hardesty takes the ball in the I-formation to milk the clock.
10:24 p.m. -- Weller's 32-yard attempt is pushed to the right and is no good. There's 2:08 to play.
10:23 p.m. -- On second down, McCrae makes a sliding catch to get to the 16. On third down, Dunlop catches a short pass for 1 yard.
10:21 p.m. -- Brazill catches and picks up a first down. Then Garrett catches a short pass over the middle for another first down. Ball is on the 23 with 3:32 to play.
10:20 p.m. -- Two completions for Scott and the Bobcats. He has them on the UT 40 and is driving.
10:19 p.m. -- UT's Johnson has made two big hits on this drive. He got the breakup on first down, then had a hard hit on second down after Ohio was trying to make up ground from a holding call.
10:17 p.m. -- Garrett fields the kickoff and runs it back to the 42-yard line. Garrett has 221 yards on kick returns alone.
10:15 p.m. -- Tennessee's Nick Reveiz is on crutches on the sideline. He's talking with the Vols' team chaplain and both appear to be in good spirits.
SCORING DRIVE: 9 plays, 35 yards, 4:31
Ohio - 23
UT - 34
6:00 on the clock
10:14 p.m. -- FIELD GOAL TENNESSEE: Lincoln's 49-yard attempt sails through the uprights, barely. It cleared the crossbar to give Lincoln his career-long, and to extend the Vols' lead.
10:12 p.m. -- Coach Eddie Gran chats with Brown on the sideline after he tries to cut back to no avail. Tennessee is then flagged for a penalty, and Crompton is sacked. It all pushes the Vols back to the 32.
10:10 p.m. -- Brown gets a big gain, and Hardesty follows him to get a first down. Hardesty becomes the 27th player in school history to gain 1,500 yards rushing in a career. He has 129 on the night.
10:09 p.m. -- Personal foul on Ohio for roughing the passer. Crompton was hit as he threw and the defender followed through. Ball is on the Ohio 34 as the drive progresses.
10:08 p.m. -- Tennessee appears to be in conservation mode, but Hardesty blows through the line for 14 yards, taking the ball to the Ohio 49.
10:06 p.m. -- Richardson fields the kick and heads to the sidelines and is pushed out of bounds at the 33.
10:05 p.m. -- The Ohio field goal accounts for the first points scored against Tennessee in the fourth quarter this season.
SCORING DRIVE: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:40
Ohio - 23
UT - 31
10:38 on the clock
10:03 p.m. -- FIELD GOAL OHIO: Weller's 31-yard attempt is down the middle to cut the lead to eight points.
10:02 p.m. -- Tennessee's defense is asking for the crowd to help. If anything, it disrupts QB Scott, who scrambles and tosses out the back of the end zone on third down.
10:01 p.m. -- UT's King breaks up the pass. Ohio follows with a 4-yard run, but a Bobcat is down. It's Kadre Pinder. He's helped off the field with a slight limp.
10 p.m. -- Scott completes to Brazill across the middle for a huge gain. Brazill was wide open as he cut across, caught the pass and sprinted 59 yards to the UT 18, where he was caught by the Tennessee defenders.
9:59 p.m. -- A pair of runs by Garrett gain only 2 yards. There's 12:05 on the clock.
9:55 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Nothing on third down, so Tennessee kicks to Ohio. Dunlop fields the kick and is down at the 21.
9:55 p.m. -- Hardesty gains 9 yards to push him over 100 for the night. He unofficially has 104.
9:52 p.m. -- No touchdown. No turnover. The ball was out of bounds when the Ohio player recovered it, thus it's Tennessee's ball, second-and-22 on the UT 46-yard line.
9:48 p.m. -- The previous play is under review. The question is whether Keller's foot was out of bounds when he picked up the ball. There is 14:20 showing on the clock.
9:47 p.m. -- Crompton fumbles the football in the backfield as he's being tackled. Keller picked it up and races to the checkerboard for a defensive score.
9:46 p.m. -- Hardesty busts through a gap for another big gain. It's 10 yards this time, taking the Vols to the Ohio 42. Hardesty has 85 yards and a 7.7 average.
9:44 p.m. -- Tennessee's team is huddled around Crompton and bouncing up and down, fired up for the final period of play. On the flip side, linebacker Nick Reveiz is on the bench as team personnel talk uplifting words.
THIRD QUARTER
9:43 p.m. -- Tennessee runs two plays for 6 yards to end the quarter with a 31-20 lead.
9:41 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Ball is downed at the UT 42 as the Vols take over with 1:06 on the clock.
9:41 p.m. -- Five-wide for ohio, and Scott completes to Fortune for 4 yards, forcing a punt.
9:40 p.m. -- Tennessee's Nick Reveiz is down and in pain. He's grabbing his leg. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin preaches to his players during the stoppage, keeping them focused. Reveiz is helped to the sidelines.
9:39 p.m. -- After an incompletion, Scott finds Brazill on the sideline but he's stuffed by UT's McCoy. It's third-and-10.
9:37 p.m. -- Garrett fields the kick and is forced out of bounds at the 23 to start the drive.
9 plays, 73 yards, 3:56
Ohio - 20
UT - 31
2:38 on the clock
9:35 p.m. -- TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE: Forget the stall. Crompton finds Brown on his left as a defender smashes him in the face, and Brown catches and runs for 26 yards for the score. Huge lift for the Vols as the drive appeared to be halting.
9:34 p.m. -- The drive stalls as UT looks to the air. Crompton is incomplete on first down, then has nowhere to throw and scrambles for 2 on second down.
9:33 p.m. -- Same story. Hardesty gains 10 more yards with a dance between defenders. He's got 77 on the night.
9:32 p.m. -- Make that 44 yards for Brown, who rumbles for 11. Hardesty comes back in for 5 more yards as the 1-2 punch continues with success.
9:31 p.m. -- Hardesty has a solid run up the middle for 10. He's got 64 yards tonight as he's splitting carries with Brown. Brown follows with an 8-yard run of his own. He's got 33 yards.
9:30 p.m. -- Richardson takes the kickoff and runs to the 27 to get the Vols going again. There's 6:34 on the clock.
SCORING DRIVE: 9 plays, 69 yards, 2:52
Ohio - 20
UT - 24
6:40 on the clock
9:27 p.m. -- FIELD GOAL OHIO: Weller's 18-yard attempt is good after the minor distraction. It cuts the lead to four points.
9:25 p.m. -- Stopped. UT's defense holds the Bobcats. To celebrate, three kids jumped onto the field and sprinted across, end zone to end zone. It's the loudest the crowd has been tonight. As the kids reach the sideline, one security guard dives for a stop and nearly misses. Another captures two of the kids at the same time.
9:25 p.m. -- Floater to the corner of the end zone doesn't work as McCrae catches it out of bounds. Ball on the 2, third down.
9:23 p.m. -- Scott hits Brazill for a gain, but there's a flag. Personal foul on Dan Williams amid a sea of boos. Williams was tackling Scott as he threw, and the flags came out. Ball is on the 4, first down as the end zone sections crank up.
9:22 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Ohio calls its first timeout of the half to discuss a red zone strategy with 8:25 on the clock.
9:20 p.m. -- Harden carries for 13 yards to move the chains for the Bobcats. Ball is on the 16 as Ohio threatens to even the score.
9:18 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Ohio takes over on the 30 with 9:32 on the clock. Scott finds Price deep down the field for a 41-yard gain. Price changed his direction at the last second, breaking free for the bomb catch.
9:16 p.m. -- Lincoln's field goal is no good as the ball bounces off the left upright and back into the field. The spin on the ball made it appear good, then off, then good. But it ultimately hit iron. Bobcats take over on the 30.
9:15 p.m. -- The drive stalls as Crompton is flushed out of the pocket on third down and has to throw the ball away. On comes Lincoln for the salvage.
9:12 p.m. -- Add to that average for Hardesty. He explodes for 22 yards to the Ohio 49 after lowering his shoulder and bouncing off a defender. He can't be taken down, but rather is shoved out of bounds. Crompton follows that with another huge play -- a pass to Cooper for 23 yards on play action. Ball's on the 26.
9:12 p.m. -- Hardesty carries on consecutive plays for a first down, taking the Vols to the 29. He is averaging 6.0 yards per carry at this point.
9:09 p.m. -- Kiffin covers his mouth while relaying instructions to Crompton on the sideline. The QB trots onto the field and awaits the whistle. Crompton is 15-for-28 for 173 yards on the night.
CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Tennessee's Richardson fields the punt with 12:44 on the clock. Fair catch at the 16.
9:08 p.m. -- Scott's third-down pass is incomplete. Scott is 16-for-28 on the night for 144 yards, but his one interception is the difference in the game.
9:06 p.m. -- Dunlop was the intended receiver on the screen but UT's McCoy plastered him and the ball pops loose. Incomplete.
9:05 p.m. -- Third down for Ohio after a 7-yard gain. Scott completes to McCrae for a first down as Ohio gets started on the right foot.
9:04 p.m. -- Garrett receives the kickoff for Ohio and runs it back to the 34 to star the second half.
HALFTIME
8:50 p.m. -- Legendary singer Patti Page is on the field and performs "How much is that doggy in the window." She follows that up with "Tennessee Waltz." Page's signature song was recorded in 1950 and spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard charts. It is among the best-selling singles of the 20th century.
SECOND QUARTER
SCORING DRIVE: 6 plays, 49 yards, 0:40
Ohio - 17
UT - 24
8:42 p.m. -- FIELD GOAL TENNESSEE: Lincoln nails a 38-yard field goal as time expires in the half. The teams head to the locker room as Kiffin chats with two officials. He doesn't seem pleased despite the scoreboard and "Rocky Top" blaring from the band.
8:41 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Tennessee calls time from the sidelines with 0:03 on the clock. Kiffin chats to the team and sends Daniel Lincoln on the field for field goal attempt.
8:40 p.m. -- Crompton hits Moore across the middle for a big gain of 25 yards. Ball is on the 21 with 7 seconds before the half.
8:39 p.m. -- Crompton hits Moore on the sideline for a first down to the Ohio 46 with 0:19 on the clock. On the next play, he throws out of bounds after being chased out of the pocket. There's 14 seconds left.
8:39 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Tennessee kills the clock with 0:24 showing before the half.
8:38 p.m. -- Hardesty gains 11 yards as the clock ticks. Crompton then hits Moore for a 7-yard gain to the UT 48.
8:37 p.m. -- Fair catch Tennessee on the UT 30. First down as the Vols come out with three wide receivers.
SCORING DRIVE: 8 plays, 45 yards, 2:38
Ohio - 17
UT - 21
0:40 on the clock
8:35 p.m. -- FIELD GOAL OHIO: Weller nails a 36-yarder to complete the time-consuming drive. It cuts the lead to four points.
8:34 p.m. -- Scott completes consecutive passes, taking Ohio to the 19-yard line. It's third-and-5 with 0:51 on the clock. Crowd gets up and cheers the defense as Scott throws to the end zone but is incomplete.
8:33 p.m. -- First down Ohio with a short run as the Bobcats' drive continues. There's 1:10 left in the half.
8:31 p.m. -- Scott finds tight end Thompson for 29 yards on the big gain, as Eric Berry shoves Thompson down. www.berry4heisman.com
8:30 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Dunlop takes the punt and runs it to the 36 with 3:18 on the clock.
8:29 p.m. -- On second down, Teague nearly hauls in a deep pass across the middle but drops it when two Ohio players sandwich him. "Oooohs" echo through the facility, but Teague is OK.
8:28 p.m. -- Warren gets a first down with an 11-yard catch. Crompton is incomplete on the next play. He is 11-for-21 in the game.
8:27 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Richardson gets the fair catch at the 13 with 4:09 on the clock.
8:26 p.m. -- On third-and-7, Scott is chased out of the pocket and tries a pass to the sideline but it's incomplete. Fourth down.
8:23 p.m. -- Goulet makes the catch for a first down Ohio. The Bobcats have just eight running plays during the game, but the ground attack is not their specialty.
8:22 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Ohio calls its third timeout with 6:13 on the clock.
8:20 p.m. -- Scott completes for a first down after being chased out of the pocket. It's a 12-yard gain, but Scott used his legs and receiver Brazill got hammered after he made the catch.
8:18 p.m. -- Garrett returns the kickoff to the 31 for the Bobcats. Crowd quiets as Ohio's Flintall is down. He's helped off the field.
SCORING DRIVE: Interception return 7 yards for a touchdown by Chris Walker.
Ohio - 14
UT - 21
7:23 on the clock
8:16 p.m. -- TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE / TURNOVER: As Scott drops back to pass on third-and-long, UT's Chris Walker intercepts the lob pass and runs it to the checkerboard as the fans errupt. That's the first INT for a touchdown since Eric Berry against Vanderbilt in 2008.
8:14 p.m. -- Ohio coach Frank Solich gets serious with his team, showing some neck veins in his instruction. Then he chats with an official. Just as the Bobcats had momentum, they have backed up and now face nearly half the field for a first down.
8:13 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Third-and-29 for Ohio and the Bobcats call their second timeout with 7:29 on the clock.
8:10 p.m. -- Tennessee's band is playing "Livin' on a prayer." On cue, Ohio QB Scott fumbles the shotgun snap and loses 10 on the play. Holding on the next play backs up the Bobcats to the 9 as the green-clad fans lean over to see their team up close.
8:09 p.m. -- Ohio takes over on the 28 with a tie score. It would be fair to say the Bobcats have momentum considering the expectations coming in. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is coaching up his secondary on the sidelines during a media timeout.
8:08 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: 8:39 on the clock.
8:07 p.m. -- Brown gets some of the loss back, but Crompton's pass to Teague is broken up. Fourth down as the Ohio band strikes up.
8:05 p.m. -- Tennessee's attempt at a reverse is snuffed out. Three Bobcats are there to take down Richardson, who takes the pitch at full speed. Loss of 6.
8:04 p.m. -- Two plays for 1 yard. Crompton's incompletion is followed by a short gain by Brown. Many of the fans are standing, but it's quiet. A few claps break out when Crompton hits Richardson for 10 and a first.
8:01 p.m. -- Big game for Greg King so far. The freshman linebacker made his first career start tonight, and he's backed it up thus far with a team-high four tackles.
8 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Touchback on the punt with 11:24 on the clock.
7:59 p.m. -- Scott's pass to Price is broken up when UT's Vinson leaps over Price's shoulder and bats down the ball. On third down, Scott goes to Price again but the ball is just out of reach.
7:56 p.m. -- UT's Walker stops Davidson in his tracks, wrapping him up for a 3-yard loss. On third down, Scott hits Davidson on the pass and is close to the first down. Timeout for a measure as teams catch their breath in the humidity. First down.
7:55 p.m. -- The loss in yards is erased when Scott completes a 15-yarder for a first down. Scott is pressured on the following play and throws incomplete.
7:54 p.m. -- Scott completes to Brazill, but he's wrapped up for a loss of 1 by Nick Reveiz and Eric Berry. www.berry4heisman.com
7:53 p.m. -- TIMEOUT: Ohio, 14:52 on the clock
7:52 p.m. -- Garrett takes the kickoff and runs it to the 35. First down Ohio.
FIRST QUARTER
SCORING SUMMARY: 5 plays, 30 yards, 2:10
Ohio - 14
UT - 14
15:00 on the clock
7:48 p.m. -- TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE: Crompton floats the ball to the weak side and Warren brings it down, looks down and places his foot in the end zone for the score to end the quarter.
7:47 p.m. -- Tennessee gains 9 to the 21 on third down with a completion to Teague. On fourth down, the Vols pack it in, but Crompton passes to Hardesty. Hardesty turns and motors to the 3-yard line. First-and-goal.
7:45 p.m. -- Brown is open on the sideline and Crompton hits him in the numbers, but Brown drops it as he turns to continue the route. Second down.
7:45 p.m. -- Richardson returns the ball near midfield and takes it all the way to the 30.
7:45 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION, 2:10 on the clock
7:44 p.m. -- On third down, Tennessee brings the pressure into the end zone and Scott has to throw the ball quickly. Incomplete. Fourth down.
7:42 p.m. -- Eric Berry makes the stop after an 8-yard run by Ohio's Garrett. www.berry4heisman.com.
7:40 p.m. -- The play is under review. Ruling is confirmed. Ohio first down at the UT 7.
7:38 p.m. -- TURNOVER, TURNOVER: Ohio fumbles the ball. Tennessee's Jackson recovers and runs with the ball, then he fumbles. Ohio recovers it after it bounces on the wet turf and has the ball on the 7-yard line with a first down. Officials are showing first down Ohio.
7:37 p.m. -- Kiffin is behind the players talking one-on-one with Crompton. The two nod heads and move on.
7:35 p.m. -- CHANGE OF POSSESSION: Ohio asks for a fair catch at the 11. The clock shows 4:17 remaining in the quarter.
7:34 p.m. -- Busted play. The tailback goes left, but Crompton fakes a handoff right. He keeps and gains a few yards, but not enough. Fourth down.
7:32 p.m. -- Hardesty carries for a first down. Then Crompton goes deep again to Teague, but the ball is overthrown by 5 yards.
7:31 p.m. -- Warren takes the screen pass and jukes his way for 10 yards and a first down. The band strikes up, but it's still rather quiet in Neyland. That's followed by a deep pass down the sideline to Warren, but he's out of bounds when he makes the catch.
7:30 p.m. -- Richardson takes the kickoff and runs it to the 30-yard line for the Vols.
7:28 p.m. -- UT coach Lane Kiffin is talking with two officials on the field. Kiffin is pleading his case on a call, but the officials are shaking their heads.
SCORING DRIVE: 4 plays, 30 yards, 2:06
Ohio - 14
UT - 7
7:08 on the clock
7:26 p.m. -- TOUCHDOWN OHIO: Scott finds a wide-open Brazill in the left corner of the end zone for a touchdown to go ahead of the Vols.
7:26 p.m. -- On third down, Scott hits a leaping Price for a big gain to the 2-yard line. First-and-goal for the Bobcats as Tennessee's defense begins to bend.
7:23 p.m. -- TURNOVER: Keller picks off Crompton's pass, which was tipped into the air. Keller runs it back to the 30 yard line to give the Bobcats momentum. The crowd gets loud in the corner of the stadium dressed in green.
7:22 p.m. -- Crompton scampers for a first down, but Tennessee is flagged for holding. Now it's third-and-13.
7:21 p.m. -- Brown busts left for 11 yards. He's got 16 yards rushing and 34 yards receiving already.
7:20 p.m. -- Richardson takes the kickfoff and runs it back to the 21. First down Vols as the stadium remains quiet after the kickoff return.
SCORING DRIVE: Kickoff return 95 yards, which took 13 seconds
Ohio - 7
UT - 7
11:34 on the clock
7:17 p.m. -- TOUCHDOWN OHIO: Garrett takes the kickoff and sprints through the middle of the coverage, racing 95 yards for a touchdown. Garrett is listed at 5-foot-10. Last time a team ran a kickoff back against Tennessee was 2006.
SCORING DRIVE: 9 plays, 69 yards, 3:13
Ohio - 0
UT - 7
11:47 on the clock
7:13 p.m. -- TOUCHDOWN TENNESSEE: Richardson lines up at QB, but he hands off to Hardesty. Hardesty breaks tackles and trots into the end zone for the score. It's Hardesty's fourth touchdown of the season.
7:12 p.m. -- Brown carries for a first down to the 11. Ohio's defensive linemen have their hands on their hips.
7:11 p.m. -- Moore catches a pass on the slide for a first down. Tennessee is on the Ohio 24 and driving.
7:10 p.m. -- Crompton lofts one to Stocker, but it's broken up by the defender. Vols get lucky to avoid the pick.
7:09 p.m. -- Brown catches a pass across the middle on second down, makes some spins and gains 34 yards. Vols are now in Ohio territory.
7:08 p.m. -- Oku takes the kickoff for the Vols and runs it back to the 31 to get the game under way.
PREGAME
7:04 p.m. -- Ohio wins the toss, and Tennessee will receive the ball to star the game.
7:03 p.m. -- The Pride opens up and out come the Vols. Smokey is in full form leading the team as coaches have shed the rain jackets.
7:02 p.m. -- The Pride of the Southland Marching Band is on the field forming the Power T, and even Ohio fans are standing to get a good view.
6:45 p.m. -- Teams have retreated to their locker rooms, and word on the field is that rain has halted. The game legends are on the field: members of the 1969 SEC championship team, along with former head coach Doug Dickey.
6:26 p.m. -- Black is the attire of the day. No, not the UT jerseys. Nearly 100 percent of the coaching staffs for both teams are sporting black rain jackets. At midfield it's tough to decipher who's who. The lone coach without a black jacket: Coach O, Ed Orgeron.
6:04 p.m. -- It's an hour before kickoff and both bands have begun playing fight songs. Rain has fallen all day, although forecasts show it may move out by game time.
Blog automatically refreshes every 90 seconds
