Tennessee a big season opening victory over Tennessee Chattanooga 69-3 Tennessee scored 24 in the first 21 in the second 10 in the 3D 14 in the fourth never looked back it was a well balanced football game and B hubs it was exactly what it was expected for Tennessee we got hubs AP I'm meric Kane this is what we needed we talked about like going through that list trying to check some things off in this game a lot of those boxes did get checked but more importantly a lot of momentum they feel feel good about heading into next week NY St well I mean listen the quarterback lived up to the billing okay I don't care who you're playing when you I mean that's those are routes versus erir numbers okay we we've seen them not put up that kind of number in practice in routs versus Air at times perfect example however not to interrupt you but me Joe Milton didn't have a 300 yard game in Tennessee until vanderville he had 300 in the first half first your and proves your point absolutely and and I think the other thing that we've talked about you know for months people have asked you know what's going to be different and this is not this is not a knock on Joe Milton deal it's just with Nico's game the whole Field's wide open and you can you can play it anywhere in the field you saw that across the middle I mean the second touchdown drive that he had I mean bam bam I mean two plays that couldn't have been thrown better I mean Pat Ryan knows quarterback play played a long time in the National Football League you know stood next to a lot of really good quarterbacks been around seen a lot of really good quarterbacks I mean he told me in the commercial break he like that those are two pro throws like you got to understand I don't care who you're playing ball placement um timing you know everything you got is exactly what you need I mean we've seen a lot of guys put up numbers big numbers but receivers are standing there waiting on the ball to get there because they're playing an inferior opponent that they five yards behind the guy yep I mean that was not the case today which is why Tennessee fans walked out of the stadium some at halftime some whenever you left or watching on TV went all right this this guy's the real deal I mean I don't care who you're playing he he did some things today regardless of competition that that really impress you and really make you excited about what's coming forward well I mean just that deep ball to to dantey thoron one for 59 yards I mean that was the perfect throw you know to kind of showcase a little bit of that because how many times have we seen the last few years over threw it you know and I thought he had brazle again I thought Brazil kind of let up a little bit I thought he stumbled I didn't think he'd let up either way the throw was I thought the throw was on the money it was not on NE yeah and and I mean the Deep balls are pretty to me it was the two across the metal it was it was the heater he threw across the middle that was just and then touch to Ethan Davis that was a touch throw right there near the goal line he started I want to say like 11 for 11 10 for 10 something like that um certainly started really really strong um you know stats wise maybe missed a couple later on but I thought he looked good throughout and again something we've been talking about all offseason and again not to not to sit here and try to slam Joe but it just wasn't a part of his skill set it wasn't a part of his you know repertoire Nico can extend plays he I mean I can think of two plays right off the top off my head without going back and watching it where he was flushed out of the pocket he went to the sideline he kept his eyes down field made a play and Joe didn't do that last year so that's how this offense is going to be different extending plays keeping plays alive and then making plays uh down the field I I thought he was tremendous and of course he had a lot of weapons to to kind of work with well I think that's the other thing offensively and certainly we're going to get into the defense here as well but I think that was the other thing offensively that stood out it's just you're sitting there going well I mean if they wanted to work the tight ends in this series then they can I know the competition you're playing feels it well but you feel like you feel like a throw to Ethan Davis is not not a check down because where you want to go the ball's not open like you can design something to specifically go to him because he's a weapon I I think what the running backs can do out of the back field I think Dylan Samson as a pass receiver in this offense can be uh could be a weapon as well I I think they have lots to work with they've got a lot of depth and a lot of Versatility uh in terms of their skill position position guys and I think that's a positive positive moving forward competition obviously is not going to be anywhere close to what it's going to be next week and what you get NC play so you know take all that you know with with the gra of assault but I thought the running game was I thought the running game looked really good today I thought the offensive line always blocked that up uh Dylan Samson looked rested looked ready to roll I thought cam Seldon hit the hit the whole hard and you know Deshawn Bishop got in there and ran like a mad man I mean again it's quality competition I recognize that but I really like what I saw from Tennessee's Run game game I mean they ran for what almost 300 yards today yeah I mean again they put up 718 total yards and only played their starters a half I mean no that speaks to the level of competition but it also speaks to what the backups were able to do I mean like you're we looked at each other in the fourth quarter and we're like well where's pton Lewis I haven't seen him at all because they were having so much success with the other guys has has any has anybody ever taken 18 and made it look good on a true running back like like like desan Bishop did today I mean like seriously I was like that's a terrible number to be switched to from 25 but then he is big football Aug numb all about but you know but he looked good do I think I thought Bishop look again I would have been I mean it's a major red flag if you don't dominate running the football today major major red flag again my biggest takeaway I expected the receivers to get open I I mean I thought they would you know chatt secondary they're going to beat them but as the ball behind them where they got to make a sliding catch you know those are things that regardless of competition jumps out I and I thought I thought they ran the ball fine I thought they would run the ball fine you know they're going to be much more tested but as we've talked about all off season a do we really have any doubts about their ability to run the football given the last three years no I mean Chris Brazzle today 60 yards basically and had two two really close you know Downs yeah I mean like that kid's going to be I mean you give him a couple more you know another week or two I mean like everybody comes out here talking about Dante won brw showing some some explosiveness right coming off the injury but I mean when you got I mean like all you think about when Cedric Tillman went down two years ago everybody's oh man what are they going to do you know and RL Keaton filled in and was really good but like they got like three outside guys where you're like they're big they're physical they're fast I mean it the depth at that position is drastic and I don't even count Caleb web who again showed the ability to make people Miss today again I we got beat the it's Chattanooga to death but I mean like you know he still made people Miss I mean I I love what their outside receivers look like well don't take a day off if you're a wide receiver cuz here's the thing here's the thing no Mike Matthews today didn't play who we all think he's really talented I mean don't take a day off if you're a receiver cuz that there's great competition there there's been great competition there and and again that's the I think that's the thing that you walk out of here with taking whatever competition all that there there's no way you can say well I'm not sure about this team's depth because of who they were playing you walk out of here and go man this is a deep football team if they can stay healthy they are a deep football team um and I think that's Josh Hy said it he doesn't like to offer up a whole lot to the media Eric but he offer has offered up this is the deepest team we've got and it clearly is on on all fronts um at receiver I mean every now backup quarterback okay but everybody but I'm saying this is a deep football team in a in a lot of places and I'll credit Josh hypo because everybody knows I've been critical critical of how many stamps he plays guys meaningless extra stamps to get William satte a quarter and a half of football at Center in game one was a was a wise decision tells you where they feel like they're at at Center behind Cooper ma too get get Gaston Mo work because you just never know yep and to their credit instead of this well we need to see if they can come out and Fin and start the second half the right way shut down go play your guys and go keep playing which I give them full credit for yeah and a lot of people might be frustrated well will Rooks and turn time were out there snap number one I mean defense rotated the entire time in the first half that's entire defense and offense are totally different cuz I mean how many series did it take for Omar Norman lot to come into the game so I mean I look you I mean it was Hobbs and um and Moy that got in second at DT it's three and four series I mean I I mean do we really know what gner packing order looks like I mean it's literally like well he's he's obviously mad at those two guys this we if if you don't warm up the right way who knows what I mean I'm not trying to but they have so many bodies there that who knows what that's going and then Jordan Ross blocks a punt there and Scoops and scores looking like the most athletic dude on the field in doing it too I thought Jord Ross I thought Jordan Ross made a heck of a play down there in the fourth quarter he just flashed right in front of M I'm like who was that again oh yeah that's Jordan Ross and of course he blocked the fontt that looked good I mean overall again Chad NOOA is what it is but I thought defensively one sack five tfls but you just I mean it's just flat out dominated you control the line of scrimmage they couldn't run they couldn't pass um you you and I were talking AP we wish they would had a couple more turnovers but at the end of the day uh defense said exactly what they're supposed to holding an opponent to three points yeah they just looked really solid I I what will it look like a week from now when they're playing Inc State I don't I don't know I expect the offense to look much the same I expect the defense will get a tested a lot more but I also think the way that NC State's going to play like when they play the Chattanooga and the UTS and the Kent states of the world those teams intentionally try to get the ball out of their quarterback's hands not let their quarterback get killed because at the end of the day this is just a Payday for them right they're not trying to get anybody hurt that's going to affect them in their conference which why I'm surprised they played their starter as deep into the game as they did at the quarterback position but go ahead I they went two rounds in the play so like I actually like Tennessee to be way more into it way more um impactful on the defensive front next week being able to get to mall and and so on and so forth yeah I mean I think everybody's going to look at this defensive line and say hey we got to get the ball out of our hands pretty quick not as fast as Chattanooga did but they're going to see that I think I think Tennessee's challenge will be just to continue to build on the underneath stuff cuz they're going to get conceps on on a lot of flly sweeps they're going to try to get it out to him quick you know and and and in the flat and go that way I think that's and I didn't think Tennessee was bad at that today but everybody's going to pick on that until you show you because it's hard to defend got to get Ricky Gibson ready to go for next week I thought jont McCoy looked outstanding like I mean I I get what he was going against but I mean like he didn't allow I mean like he was always when they threw his way he was right there in position I thought Jordan Matthews stumbled out of the gate missed took a bad angle on a tackle and stuff but he got way better as the game but again this is a kid who in my opinion struggled with some confidence stuff this is his the more he can get out there and play I think the more he's going to thrive I think this is something that he's got to see himself doing it he started to see himself doing it more and more as the game went along and just to get Caleb Beasley that kind of run you know I thought Beasley again took a couple bad angles at times didn't play great got picked on but that's okay he's going to learn from it he'll come back and get kin state in two weeks and get another opportunity at some point like he showed up on campus day three of spring practice was practicing day four got hurt day five he's barely practiced I mean so you know good for him I think it is pretty evident as well I mean he brought up Ricky Gibson need to get Ricky Gibson back you know we'll see about Mike Matthews this week some of the guys that didn't play but um at safety it was ttin Brooks it was jacobe Thomas Charles Christian Charles and then it was way late it was John slaugh yeah Ian but we've talked about that I mean I I thought he I mean I think Christian Charles has been well ahead of John Slaughter I think John Slaughter still trying to play some catch up there I did think I thought jacobe Thomas showed up just in some quick instinctive moves to get downhill now they didn't get tested vertically cuz Chattanooga didn't think they could block them up um so so they didn't test that and that's going to change for the safeties but um I mean listen they were supposed to win big okay and we talked about you know how quick do they get guys out everything we had the same conversation about Austin P A year ago and and you and you're sitting around ding around in that game and you had a hard time putting them away Austin P's better but give but give Tennessee credit they showed up and got it done in short in short order and put the thing away and and did it play a billion bodies and played everybody yeah and they played they played a bunch of bodies on defense in the first quarter I bet they played yeah I bet they played 35 guys in the first quarter on defense yeah I they just kept throwing people at them now what does that all I mean how does that all separate itself when you get into next week and a trip to Oklahoma and all that I we'll see I mean you're not going to play that many in the first quarter but everybody got an opportunity to show themselves on defense early in this football game as Tim Banks promised he would do and by goly they did it in this one we'll see how that rotation shakes out moving forward Tennessee wins Big 69-3 the final score over Tennessee Chattanooga 718 total yards of offense that's what seven yards shy of the Josh hole High here at Tennessee yep that is is quite the day right there he has now three of the top five games in terms of of of yardage on offense in in history three of the top five in a four year Span play it a little different than than everybody else than than other previous offensive coordinators play football I tell you man I I'm leaving the stadium I you know I thought I'd be tired but I mean I feel like I've been bathed in coffee I mean I'm ready to go there's something to that more to it for Rob and me but there's something to that for awesome price Bren hubs I'm Eric ten toe a big winner here on day one of the season final score 69 to3