Nov. 5, 2011

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UT Postgame Notes vs. Middle Tennessee

To Note

For the Record
• Tennessee Captains: Malik Jackson, Ja'Wuan James, Prentiss Waggner.
• Legends of the Game: Jeff Smith (1992-95) and Richard Pickens (1966-68).
• Tennessee won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Vols are now 4-5 in pre-game coin flips this season. UT is 3-1 when winning the toss.
• Tennessee's all-time record now is 793-345-53 (.688).
• The Vols moved to 2-0 in the all-time series vs. Middle Tennessee.
• The triumph over the Blue Raiders gave UT its seventh consecutive victory in the month of November, dating to Nov. 21, 2009, and boosted the squad's totals to 75-12 in 11th-month contests since 1990.
• The Big Orange victory over Middle Tennessee ran the Vols' streak of wins over in-state opponents to 10 in a row since 2006.

Homecoming
• The Vols are 68-17-3 all-time in homecoming games, including wins in the last three games and eight of the last nine since 2003.
• Since 1984, Tennessee is 26-2 in homecoming games.
• "Roll the Gold," a three-time World Grand Champion Tennessee Walking Horse ridden by Allison Thorson, continued a long-standing UT tradition by taking a trip around Shields-Watkins Field prior to the game.
• This marks the sixth night homecoming game in Tennessee annals, and the Vols moved their record to 5-1 in those contests under the lights.

The Offense

Finding The End Zone
• After a 10-quarter drought, UT hit paydirt for the first time since the second quarter of the LSU game. The Vols capitalized on an Austin Johnson interception with a one-yard Tauren Poole plunge in the first quarter vs. Middle Tennessee.
• Tennessee broke a streak of 17 quarters with no touchdown passes thrown when Justin Worley hit Da'Rick Rogers on a 47-yard strike in the first quarter.
• The Vols also broke a streak of 128 passing attempts without a touchdown pass this season on that play, dating back to the third quarter of UT's win over Buffalo.
• UT scored 24 points in the first half after tallying 16 points in its last three games.

Justin Worley Show
• Freshman Justin Worley's first career TD pass will go in the books as a 47-yard connection with Da'Rick Rogers, putting Tennessee up 14-0 in the first quarter. Worley was 4-of-4 passing for 87 yards on that scoring drive.
• Worley finished the first quarter 7-of-8 passing for 105 yards and a TD, was 16- of-21 for 202 yards by halftime and finished 23-of-32 for 291 yards and a score.
• The Rock HIll, S.C., native hit nine different receivers in the contest.

100 Again
• Da'Rick Rogers posted his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season by the end of the first half with seven catches for 104 yards. He finished the game with nine grabs for 137 yards and a touchdown.

M-M-M-M Good For Poole
• Tauren Poole recorded the fourth multi-TD game of his career with two scores in the first half. All four of those performances came against "M" schools: UT-Martin (2010), Memphis (2010), Mississippi (2010) and Middle Tennessee (2011).

Firsts & Bests
• Tennessee's third touchdown scoring drive of the game featured season bests for plays (15) and time (7:52).
• Jaron Toney, a redshirt freshman from Alcoa, got his first career carry, earning a yard in the first quarter on tote number one. He led UT for the game with 52 yards on 19 attempts.
• Cameron Clear, a true freshman from Memphis, hauled in his first career catch, a four-yarder in the second quarter.
• Tennessee debuted its version of the Wildcat package, with tail back Marlin Lane taking the direct snaps. He wound up with 37 yards on nine carries.

The Defense

Pitching A Shutout
• For only the third time since 2003, UT shut out an opponent. The Vols blanked UT Martin, 50-0 in 2010, and Vanderbilt, 48-0 in 2003.
• UT's last homecoming game shutout came in 1995, when the Vols whitewashed Oklahoma State, 31-0.

Forcing Turnovers
• Tennessee picked off two passes in the first half, both leading to scores.
• Austin Johnson's INT led to a first-quarter TD, and Eric Gordon's pick paved the way for a field goal to end the first half.
• Dontavis Sapp added a fumble recovery to thwart a fourth-quarter Middle Tennessee drive. Jacques Smith forced the fumble.

Limiting The Ground Game
• Tennessee held Middle Tennessee to 97 yards rushing, the first time since the 11/6/10 Memphis game that the Vols prevented an opponent from gaining 100.

Special Teams

Meet Derrick Brodus
• Derrick Brodus, a redshirt freshman from Maryville, who played high school football at Alcoa, became the 19th Vol rookie to play this season when he booted the opening kickoff.
• Brodus, also an all-state soccer player for Alcoa in 2009 and 2010, handled PAT chores against Middle Tennessee, drilling three in the first half and adding a field goal to close out the first half.
• Not scheduled to dress for the game, injuries to Michael Palardy (Thursday) and Chip Rhome (pregame) pressed Brodus into action.