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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Hendon Hooker 222 yards and two touchdowns and two more runs to lead Tennessee to a 59-10 season-opening win over Ball State Thursday night.
Hooker, in his second year as a starter for Team Volunteers after moving from Virginia Tech, had 211 yards passed at halftime with a 38-0 lead. Eight different recipients caught the pass in the first 30 minutes. He was replaced by Joe Milton midway through the third quarter.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said: “(Hooker) is really effective. “He’s commanding; controlling. He’s completely commanding the football game.”
Jaylen Wright led the game on Tennessee ground with 86 yards and a touchdown.
“Tennessee is good at what they do from an offensive point of view,” said Ball State coach Mike Neu. “It’s difficult to slow down a foul like that with a midfielder playing at such a high level.”
“We have more people understanding the “why” behind (what is being done),” said Heupel, comparing his second season to last year. “We were a deeper team than a year ago.
“We know more about this team than a year ago. The roles will change throughout the season.”
The Cardinals are running back bruised Carson Steele is limited to 27 yards on 11 carry.
“(We were) disruptive up front,” Heupel said of the defensive success against Steele. “We controlled the touchlines. We didn’t let him stand upright in their running game.”
Started his first career as a quarterback for Ball State, junior redshirt John Paddock throw for 269 yards and a TD. His first pass, in the first play of the game, was blocked by Tamarion McDonald. Tennessee scored her first TD in the next split second.
“Credit to John Paddock for fighting back, especially after the gut punch to start the match,” Neu said. “Really proud of him for fighting back.”
The Vol defense had three passes – two interceptions and one fumbling.
NUMBER GAMES
Hooker extended his streak by throwing a touchdown pass to 13, drawing Tony Robinson (1984-85) for an all-time second in Vols history behind Heath Shuler 18 (1992-94) ) … Hooker’s two TD passes have yielded. he’s 33 in his two-year career in Tennessee, 10th on the all-time list… Vols . Recipient Cedric Tillman ended his seven-match streak with a goal. Tillman is Tennessee’s all-time leader… Tennessee has scored 45 points or more in his last four games, while also setting a school record in the final four games of the 1993 season.
CARRIED AWAY
Ball state: The best thing that came out of Thursday night’s game at the refurbished Neyland Stadium was the $1.5 million check that will help the sport. The Cardinals, selected to finish last in the Mid-American Conference West Division can aim to improve after a derailed loss.
Tennessee: With the embarrassing 2019 season-opener defeat to Georgia State still fresh in the minds of the Volunteers fans, they were able to breathe a sigh of relief when Tennessee, under the guidance of sophomore head coach Josh Heupel, showed that they were focused and well prepared. The Vols have made such positive strides that they will be able to make the trip to the 17th Pittsburgh field next week.
NEXT
Ball state: The Cardinals will enter the MAC season next Saturday when they host rival Western Michigan.
Tennessee: The Vols will come to Pitt on September 10 for revenge in their minds. Last year, Tennessee dropped 27 points in the second quarter and decisively lost 41-34 to the Panthers.
