TENNESSEE GAME IN BITS & PIECES

SATURDAY’S STAR

Tennessee’s defense, much maligned a season ago, picked up a sluggish offense as the Vols built a 31-3 lead on 68 yards of offense. They forced five turnovers in a six-play stretch in creating that lead, and two more takeaways in their own end zone kept the Hilltoppers at bay. Tennessee forced 17 turnovers all of last season.

SATURDAY’S STAT

After an 84-yard first half, Tennessee’s offense came out of the halftime locker room with backto-back touchdown drives of 59 and 75 yards and totaled 182 yards in the third quarter. Despite a bad interception, quarterback Justin Worley settled down and played efficiently, and tailbacks Rajion Neal and Marlin Lane ran for 121 yards after halftime.

TURNING POINT

Cornerbacks Justin Coleman and Cam Sutton, a freshman, started the turnover spree with consecutive interception-return touchdowns late in the first quarter. The Vols registered two pick-sixes in the same game for the first time since 2010 against Ole Miss. Tennessee led 14-3, and the defense’s feasting ability became contagious with three more turnovers.

HIGHLIGHT PLAY

On a largely unimpressive first-half performance offensively, Marquez North made a catch that might make the highlight shows. The freshman receiver got his hands underneath an underthrown pass before it hit the ground and kept the ball off the ground and tipped it into his hands with his right foot — all while basically lying on his back.

WHAT IT MEANS

An offense that struggled to do much of anything in the first half and a defense that allowed 375 yards in the game’s first three quarters still has work to do, and now the schedule turns incredibly brutal with trips to Oregon and Florida looming. The Vols turned a tricky game into a good-margin win, though, that will help their bowl chances. Patrick Brown, UT beat writer, examines Saturday’s game