No. 9 Tennessee was pushed to the brink in its season-opener against FCS Appalachian State.
The Vols needed overtime to for a dramatic 20-13 come-from-behind victory. And had Appalachian State not missed an extra point in the second quarter, there probably wouldn’t have been extra time.
Going in as three touchdown underdogs, Appalachian State certainly didn’t play like it as it held an impressive 13-3 halftime lead on the road.
After Tennessee came back to send the game into overtime, Vols running back Jalen Hurd pounced on quarterback Joshua Dobbs’ fumble in the end zone to give the ninth-ranked Vols the victory.
It was almost exactly nine years ago to the day that Appalachian State pulled one of the biggest upsets in college football histoy with a 34-32 win over No. 5 Michigan in the Big House. A repeat performance looked likely but a couple of mistakes cost Appalachian State a chance at making more history.
Tennessee entered the season with its highest ranking since 2006 after winning its final six games last year, but the Vols looked far from a Top 10 team.
“On a night where just about everything and anything went wrong, we found a way to win,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said after the game.
What We Learned
Tennessee: While coaches and players vowed they weren’t overlooking Appalachian State, the Vols didn’t come to play and were likely distracted by sky-high preseason expectations and a Top 10 ranking.
While it’s no secret that Tennessee has a great backfield, the biggest question fans wanted answered was Tennessee’s passing attack. Coach Jones left with more questiosn than answers as Dobbs went 16 of 29 for 192 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Appalachian State: The Mountaineers showed they shouldn’t be overlooked this year as they competed with the favorite to win the SEC East.
Next Opponent
Tennessee: The Vols will take on Virginia Tech at the Bristol Motor Speedway next Saturday. The “Battle at Bristol” is expected to draw over 150,000 fans, which would be a record for a college football game.
Appalachian State: After an impressive showing Thursday, Appalachian State will play its home opener next Saturday against Old Dominion. The following week Appalachian State will take on Miami.
