CHARLOTTE, Tenn. — No. 14 Tennessee made a statement in its first top-25 matchup of the season and the Vols trounced No. 24 NC State in all three phases on Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
In a game where Nico Iamaleava threw the first two interceptions of his college career, the positives were far greater as the offense and defense turned in dominant performances in a 51-10 win against the Wolfpack.
Iamaleava threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another, and Dylan Sampson recorded 169 all-purpose yards and two scores, but the most important score for the Vols came in the second quarter when former walk-on Will Brooks changed the momentum of the game with an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown.
The Tennessee defense showed just how dominant it could be, and made the game a nightmare for NC State and quarterback Grayson McCall with 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and the Brooks pick-six. The defense did not let the offense get in the endzone, and NC State's lone score came courtesy of a pick-six of its own in the third quarter.
The Wolfpack showcased its ability to run time off the clock from the jump, and NC State's opening drive lasted nearly seven minutes. NC State converted three times on third down, but Tennessee forced a punt thanks to an Omar Norman-Lott sack on second down.
Tennessee struggled to string much together in its first drive of the contest. The Vols picked up back-to-back first downs on nice runs by Nico Iamaleava and Dylan Sampson, but the Vols were forced to punt before they crossed midfield.
The Vols broke the scoreless tie in their second possession of the game with a nine-yard Dylan Sampson rushing score to make it a 7-0 game with just nine seconds remaining in the first quarter. Iamaleava was dialed in and completed 6-of-6 passes for 55 yards, including a crucial 17-yard shovel pass to Sampson to convert a long first down.
The Tennessee defense forced a three-and-out on the following drive, capped off with a big Jakobe Thomas sack on a third-down shoestring tackle. That was the second straight Wolfpack drive that resulted in a three-and-out.
Nico Iamaleava threw his first career interception on the next UT drive. The redshirt freshman quarterback overthrew his receiver Bru McCoy and the pass was intercepted by Bishop Fitzgerald and returned into Tennessee territory.
The Wolfpack converted that turnover into points when Caden Noonkester booted in a 24-yard field goal to make it a 7-3 game in the second quarter.
Tennessee responded with a huge 45-yard completion between Nico Iamaleava and Squirrel White to immediately get into enemy territory, followed by a 15-yard run by DeSean Bishop, but the drive stalled out from there and they had to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Max Gilbert to make it a 10-3 game with 6:33 left in the first half.
NC State quickly marched down the field, but Tennessee turned the tide on one defensive play when defensive back Will Brooks took an interception back 85 yards to the house and give the Vols a two-touchdown lead, 17-3, with 3:29 remaining in the half.
The Tennessee defense came through again on the ensuing drive to force another NC State three-and-out and regain possession, and the Vols capitalized with a 45-yard Max Gilbert field goal as time expired to put Tennessee up 20-3 at the half.
The Vols turned on the jets to start the second half with a ten-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Nico Iamaleava to a wide-open Miles Kitselman. The Alabama transfer hauled in his first score as a Vol and Tennessee extended its lead to 27-3.
Tennessee defensive end Dominic Bailey asserted his dominance on the next drive, and came away with a strip sack on NC State quarterback Grayson McCall that Bailey also recovered. The Vols turned the turnover into another Gilbert field goal, this time from 36 yards out, to make it a 30-3 game.
The defense once again starred on the next Wolfpack drive and came up with a huge stop on and NC State fourth-and-one, and gave the offense possession at the opposing 35-yard line. The Vols made use of the field position just three plays later when Nico Iamaleava took the ball 31 yards to the endzone on a quarterback keeper on third down to make things even more lopsided, 37-3.
Things fell off the rails even further for the Wolfpack on the very next play from scrimmage when Grayson McCall mishandled a handoff to his running back and Jeremiah Telander recovered the fumble on the NC State 24-yard line.
NC State finally found the endzone thanks to a big play from the Wolfpack defense. Aydan White interception a tipped pass from Iamaleava and took it 87 yards to the house to stop the bleeding and cut the deficit to 37-10.
Tennessee got right back to it at the start of the fourth quarter, and Dylan Sampson broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run and UT was right back up by 34 points with a 44-10 lead.
Vols' tight end Holden Staes found the endzone for the first time in a Tennessee uniform later in the quarter on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Iamaleava to get scoring past the half-century mark and make it a 51-10 laugher.
Tennessee will take its 2-0 record back home to host Kent State for a matchup on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:45 p.m. NC State falls to 1-1 and the Wolfpack also return home to host Louisiana Tech on Saturday at noon.
