University of Tennessee Athletics
Postgame Notes: #7/7 Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18
November 03, 2024 | Football
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Nov. 2, 2024 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 7/7 Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18
General Notes
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
Nov. 2, 2024 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 7/7 Tennessee 28, Kentucky 18
General Notes
- Saturday's attendance at Neyland Stadium: 101,915 (sold out)
- The contest marked Tennessee's 18th consecutive sellout in Neyland Stadium.
- Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 883-415-53 with Saturday's win (NCAA record: 872-415-53).
- Tennessee owns a 23-4 record in Neyland Stadium under head coach Josh Heupel and has won 18 of its last 19 games in the venue.
- After Saturday night's victory over Kentucky, the Vols have won nine consecutive night games at home.
- Tennessee and Kentucky met for the 120th time and the 81st consecutive year, and the Vols improved their lead in the all-time series to 85-26-9 on the field. The Vols' 85 on-field victories over the Wildcats rank as the fifth-most victories for one side in a head-to-head matchup in the FBS.
- The Vols have played (120 times) and beaten Kentucky (85 times on the field) more than any other opponent.
- Tennessee is 4-0 against Kentucky under Heupel, outscoring the Wildcats 151-93 since 2021.
- The Vols donned their Nike "Dark Mode" uniforms - black helmets, black jerseys and black pants - on Saturday. It marked the sixth time in UT history that UT has worn black jerseys and second time against Kentucky.
- Tennessee owns a 5-1 record when wearing black jerseys, including a 4-1 mark in the Nike edition since 2021.
- Tennessee defeated Kentucky after trailing 10-7 at halftime. The Vols have won three consecutive games when trailing at the break after previously holding a 1-12 record in that scenario under Heupel.
- Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: OL Dayne Davis, DL Bryson Eason, TE Miles Kitselman, LS Matthew Salansky, DB Jourdan Thomas
- Tennessee won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. Kentucky received the opening kickoff, and Tennessee defended the south end zone.
- Freshman DB Boo Carter earned his first career starting nod at STAR against Kentucky. The Vols have produced 13 first-time starters this season, including nine on defense and four on offense.
- The Vols gained 476 yards on Saturday, eclipsing 300 yards of total offense for the 45th time in 47 games of the Josh Heupel era. Saturday marked the fourth time this season the team has surpassed the 450 threshold.
- Nine different Tennessee players reeled in a pass against the Wildcats, combining for 292 receiving yards.Â
- Seven players snagged multiple receptions in the victory, including three with five-plus.
- With two rushing scores Saturday night, junior RB Dylan Sampson broke the Tennessee single-season record for rushing touchdowns with 19 in 2024. The record of 18 was previously set by UT's first All-American, Gene McEver, in 1929. Sampson finished the contest with 27 carries for a career-high 142 yards on the ground, punching in scores of seven and six yards in the third and fourth quarter, respectively.
- Sampson is the first Vol in program history with a rushing touchdown in eight consecutive games in the same season. Jimmy Wade previously accomplished the feat spanning two seasons, scoring on the ground in the final seven games of the 1953 campaign and the first game of the 1954 season.
- Sampson logged his seventh 100-yard game of the year. That puts him in a five-way tie for the second-most in a single season in Tennessee history, matching Travis Stephens (2001), Travis Henry (2000), Jamal Lewis (1997) and Chuck Webb (1989).
- In addition, Sampson has now hit the 100-yard mark on the ground 11Â times in his career, tied with Jalen Hurd (2014-16) for fifth-most all-time among Volunteers.
- Sampson upped his career rushing touchdown total to 32, matching quarterback Joshua Dobbs (2013-16) for third place on the school's all-time leaderboard. The only players above them are McEver (37 from 1928-31) and James Stewart (35 from 1991-94).
- Sampson has now totaled multiple rushing touchdowns in a game 10 times in his career, including in seven of eight contests in 2024. He is the second player in school history with at least seven games in a single season with multiple rushing touchdowns, joining Reggie Cobb, who had eight in 1987.
- The 19 rushing touchdowns for Sampson place him in a six-way tie for No. 10 on the SEC's single-season leaderboard. He has now matched Kentucky's Benny Snell Jr. (2017), Mississippi State's Vick Ballard (2010), LSU's LaBrandon Toefield (2001), Alabama's Shaun Alexander (1999) and Georgia's Garrison Hearst (1992).
- His 19 rushing touchdowns in a season are the most of any player in the SEC since Alabama's Najee Harris had 26 in 2020.
- Senior TE Miles Kitselman had his finest outing as a collegian, reeling in a career-best six catches for a game- and career-high 97 yards, including a six-yard grab with 33 seconds to go in the third quarter for his third receiving touchdown of the season.
- Kitselman's 97 receiving yards are the most by a Vol tight end in a single game since Mychal Rivera had 129 vs. Missouri on Nov. 10, 2012.
- Tennessee tight ends have scored at least one receiving touchdown in six of the last 10 games dating back to last season's Vanderbilt contest. They have combined for eight touchdowns during that 10-game stretch and five this season.
- Freshman RB Peyton Lewis found the checkerboards for the first time in his career, opening the scoring for UT with a 1-yard touchdown rush with 4:45 remaining in the second quarter.
- Tennessee has held its opponent under 20 points in nine straight games, dating back to the 35-0 shutout win over Iowa in the 2024 Citrus Bowl. It marks the first time UT has accomplished the feat in its first eight games of a season since doing so in all 11 games of the 1966 season.
- The Volunteers' eight-game streak of not allowing a first-quarter touchdown, dating back to that Citrus Bowl win, came to an end Saturday night. Tennessee entered the game, per SEC Network, as one of three FBS teams–alongside Clemson and Ohio–to not concede one in 2024.
- Over the last nine games, also going back to the Citrus Bowl, Tennessee has allowed just 26 points in the first half (four field goals, two touchdowns and two extra points).
- Saturday marked the first time in that nine-game span the Volunteers gave up multiple first-half scores.
- Redshirt junior DB Andre Turrentine created the first takeaway of the game, nabbing his first interception of the season and second of his career with 1:33 remaining in the first quarter. He is the fourth Tennessee player to log an interception this season.
- Junior DL Joshua Josephs provided momentum for the Vols with a strip-sack early in the third quarter, recovered by sophomore LB Jeremiah Telander at the UK 28-yard line. The Vols scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to go ahead, 14-10.Â
- Redshirt senior DB Will Brooks notched a key takeaway with an interception and 67-yard return in the third quarter at the 1:11 mark. It marked the third time this season that Brooks has forced a crucial turnover, as Brooks' previous interceptions came against No. 24 NC State and No. 7 Alabama, the latter sealing the game.
- Redshirt freshman PK Max Gilbert went 4-of-4 on extra points, moving to a perfect 35-of-35 on the year.
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
- QB Nico Iamaleava
- 28 completions
- 38 pass attempts
- TE Miles Kitselman
- 6 receptions
- 97 yards
- 31-yard long reception
- 1 receiving touchdown (ties career high)
- RB Peyton Lewis
- 1 rushing touchdown
- WR Chas Nimrod
- 45 receiving yards
- RB Dylan Sampson
- 27 rushing attempts (ties career high)
- 142 rushing yards
- DB Kaleb BeasleyÂ
- 2 tackles
- DB Will Brooks
- 1 interception (ties career high)
- 1 QB hurry
- LB Arion Carter
- 10 tackles
- 1 QB hurry (ties career high)
- DB Rickey Gibson III
- 6 tackles (ties career high)
- DL Daevin Hobbs
- 4 tackles
- DL Joshua Josephs
- 1 sack (ties career high)
- LB Jalen Smith
- 9 tackles
- LB Jeremiah Telander
- 1 fumble recovery (ties career high)
- DL Omari Thomas
- 1 sack (ties career high)
- DB Andre Turrentine
- 1 interception (ties career high)
- 1 interception (ties career high)
Players Mentioned
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