Vols rally past the Razorbacks, 34-31

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Vols got revenge on their fall in Fayetteville last year with a 34-31 win over the Razorbacks on Rocky Top.

Rocky Top was rocking right away, Jaylen McMurray kicking this one off by sacking Arkansas’ Taylen Green. 

However, the Neyland noise would be silenced quickly, the Green eventually punching in an 11-yard touchdown on their first drive of the game. Foreshadowing just how much of a role the run game would play for the Razorbacks. 

Tennessee wasted no time on the response. Just over two-and-a-half minutes later, DeSean Bishop finished off the Vols first go on offense with a 17-yard touchdown. That tied the game up at seven a piece midway through the first quarter.

However, the offense wouldn’t be able to capitalize. From there, the Razorbacks and Vols traded field goals. A 28-yarder from Scott Starzyk and Max Gilbert’s kick from 37-yard kept the game knotted at ten. 

Remember that run game? Green used it to put Arkansas in the red zone. Few plays later, Razorbacks’ Mike Washington punched in a 1-yd score with 10:35 remaining in the first half. 

With a drive highlighted by a 42-yard reception by Braylon Staley, giving him his first 100-yard receiving game of his career, the Vols tied this one up again, finishing out their trip towards the checkerboards with a Joey Aguilar 8-yard pass to Miles Kitselman. 

That put this one even at 17, which held to the half. 

Tennessee got the ball out of the break, but the Vols had to settle for a 50-yard field goal from Max Gilbert. Splitting the uprights gave Tennessee their first lead of the day.

Second half touchdowns came off a 2-yard punch from Peyton Lewis and 3-yard run, also by Lewis. The sophomore’s trips to the endzone giving the Vols a 34-17 lead with just over 13 minutes remaining.

Tennessee’s defense looked more capable of handling the Arkansas’ attack in the second half, the Vols limiting them to just a single touchdown, brought in off a Taylen Green pass to Rohan Jones.

That made it a 10-point game, 34-24 with 8:17 left to play.

At 2:55, the Razorbacks, scored a touchdown with a Taylen Green pass to Kam Shanks, bringing it to a three-point game. After that, Tennessee got the ball. Aguilar soon got a 28-yard run but had to walk off the field, although he returned shortly after.

Of note, the Vols came away with an astonishing four forced fumbles on the day, done by the likes of Jordan Ross, Edrees Farooq, Joshua Josephs and Daevin Hobbs. The Vols recovered three of those.

NEXT UP: The Vols head to Tuscaloosa next Saturday to face Alabama. Tennessee will look to be the first SEC team to tame the Crimson Tide this year. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

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