VOLS GAME IN BITS & PIECES
SATURDAY’S STAR
Sophomore running back Ty Chandler entered with four rushes for minus-4 yards, all coming in the season opener when he suffered an injury that kept him out of last week’s game. After watching fellow running backs Tim Jordan and Jeremy Banks impress in the first two games, Chandler took his turn with 158 yards on 12 carries.
SATURDAY’S STAT
UTEP’s Mitchell Crawford punted 12 times Saturday, covering 471 yards. Seven punts came after the UTEP offense went three-andout. It was not the productivity that first-year Miners offensive coordinator Mike Canales was hoping for in his return to Knoxville after working as the Vols’ quarterbacks coach in 2017.
TURNING POINT
The turning point came when the game ended without any apparent serious injuries and Tennessee could retire to the locker room to begin correcting all that went wrong in a poor showing against one of the worst teams in the country.
HIGHLIGHT PLAY
Chandler finally gave fans braving the heat a reason to cheer when he broke off the Vols’ longest run since 2006 on their first offensive play of the second half. Guarantano pitched to Chandler, who received excellent blocking before outracing UTEP’s secondary down the left sideline to put Tennessee up 17-0.
WHAT IT MEANS
Tennessee will enter the SEC schedule on an underwhelming note. The Vols looked sloppy on offense and struggled in the return game. They got away with their miscues because of the inferiority of their opponent, but a similar outing against Florida this week almost assuredly will result in a loss.