Versatile To’o To’o ‘special’ for Volunteers
NASHVILLE — Tennessee sophomore linebacker Henry To’o To’o had a team-high 10 tackles during Saturday’s 42-17 thumping of Vanderbilt, but that wasn’t the conversation piece afterward.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from Sacramento, California, snagged a 31-yard reception off a fake punt from Paxton Brooks that took the Volunteers from fourth-and-6 at their 29-yard line to a first down at the Vanderbilt 40 early in the second quarter. To’o To’o is the personal protector in punt formation.
“I know these guys never think we’re going to run these things, and a lot of these things we’ve worked on forever,” Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “It was just a play that we thought would be there at the right time, and we did a nice job of blocking up front. They had a block on, so Henry had to find his way through there.
“Paxton put it on him, and it was a good play, but we didn’t get any points out of it. We did change field position.”
The Volunteers gained only a yard in the three plays that followed the fake before punting the ball away, but it did provide a thrill. That marked the second time To’o To’o has experienced some open field this season, with the first his 32-yard interception return for a touchdown in the opening 31-27 win at South Carolina.
“I like the ball in my hands,” To’o To’o said. “I liked running the ball in high school. I’ll do whatever this team needs me to do.”
Said Pruitt: “Henry played tailback in high school and has hands as good as anybody on the team.”
More history made
Sarah Fuller, the goalkeeper for Vanderbilt’s Southeastern Conference championship women’s soccer team, made history Nov. 28 by becoming the first female to compete for a Power Five football team when she had a second-half squib kickoff during a 41-0 loss at Missouri.
The Commodores finally gave her a chance to score Saturday, when an 18-yard touchdown pass from Ken Seals to Cam Johnson late in the first quarter allowed her a chance to attempt the extra point for a 7-7 tie. Fuller made it, was congratulated by teammates, and received a ball from an official once she was back on the sideline.
Fuller, according to Vanderbilt, will get to keep that ball.
“I think it’s awesome,” Pruitt said. “I said earlier in the week that we had a daughter this past year, and the opportunity that Sarah Fuller has probably created for other young ladies who maybe want to follow that path — she’s done a fantastic job for the soccer team here at Vanderbilt, and she’s obviously a winner.
“She walked out there and kicked it right through. It says a lot about her and her fortitude to be brave enough to do this.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Fuller’s extra point was selected as Vanderbilt’s “Ford play of the game.” She would make her second extra point with 7:22 remaining that made it a 35-17 game.
That ball is going to the College
Football Hall of Fame.
“I’m really proud of her and the example that she is setting,” To’o To’o said.
Jones resurfaces
Arkansas State announced Saturday night that former Tennessee coach Butch Jones, who went 34-27 from 2013 until deep into the 2017 season before being fired, has been hired to lead the Red Wolves.
Jones spent the 2018 and ’19 seasons as an offensive analyst at Alabama and this past February switched to the role of a special assistant to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. He has received nearly $200,000 monthly since November 2017 as a result of his $8.2 million buyout.
Those payments have been set to run through February 2021 but would be reduced by his taking the Arkansas State job.
Oddsandends
Junior offensive lineman Cade Mays didn’t make the trip to Nashville after suffering a lower-leg injury in last week’s loss to Florida. … Redshirt sophomore walk-on Toby Wilson handled extra points and went 6-for-6 on those attempts. … Freshman running backs Jabari Small and Dee Beckwith had nice performances, with Small rushing six times for 48 yards and Beckwith twice for 24. … Tennessee collected its 849th career win in front of 849 people.