Tennessee was in control from the word "go" on Saturday.
True freshman Ty Chandler returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown and never looked back as the Vols (2-0) beat the visiting Indiana State Sycamores (0-2), 42-7, in UT's home opener.
UT held Indiana State scoreless through the first half, taking a 28-0 lead into the third quarter.
The Vols did ration handoffs to their young running backs. Chandler had four carries for 16 yards; freshman Tim Jordan had three touches for 22 yards; freshman Trey Coleman had three carries for eight yards; and, most notably, sophomore Carlin Fils-Aime scored two touchdowns for the Big Orange over three carries that totaled 41 yards.
Both junior Quinten Dormady and redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano took turns at quarterback. Dormady completed 13 of his 18 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, throwing one interception in the end zone and losing one ball via fumble. Guarantano completed four of his 12 pass attempts for 41 yards.
Late in the fourth quarter, Guarantano also showed his running legs, making a 12-yard dash for a first down. On the same drive, he connected with Jeff George for his first career touchdown pass
Senior Justin Martin and freshman Josh Palmer appeared to be shaken up with injuries during the game. Palmer, a wide receiver, later returned in the fourth quarter. We'll continue to update you as we learn more on the Vols' injury situation. Tennessee was already without wide receivers Josh Smith and Tyler Byrd and defensive tackle Paul Bain for this game, in addition to losing star receiver Jauan Jennings for "an indefinite" period of time.
The Vols are scheduled to visit the Florida Gators next Saturday, Sept. 16 in Gainesville. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.