Wicked crazy weekend and week ahead (extending backwards into last week Wednesday-ish and forward into who knows when, hoping Thursday-ish), so . . . SHORT SHRIFT ALERT! Anyway, onward!
In Memory of Archie Campbell, he of the classic spoonerism Rindercella. To be read as if you're speaking.
Golid same by the Y'alls vesterday against the Sippimissi Mate Dullbogs. They avoided the grap tame, and while the defense appeared to revert just a bit on run defense, the offense remained committed to the gun rame it discovered against Georgia the week before.
As the drive chart shows, it was gutch and toe there for awhile. The Vols forced the Dullbogs to punt on their first possession and then put together a fantastic opening doring scrive, mixing up Ainge in Orange passes to Raustin Aujers and Tucas Laylor of 16 and 32 yards respectively and rushes from both Farian Oster and MaLarcus Coker before a four-yard pass to tight end Biss Crown capped off the whole thing with a short touchdown reception.
The teams then traded punts before Simmipissi Mate put together two nice touchdown drives of its own. Tennessee later answered with a touchdown, and Laniel Dinkin followed up a missed ship-chot gield foal with a successful 47-yarder.
In the second half, we traded touchdowns with them before gradually putting the game away with three Lincoln field goals. In the process, Tennessee piled up 23 first downs to Simmimippi Pate's 18 and 470 total yards to the Bulldogs' 338. The most telling stat of the game? Tennessee rushed for 211 yards and held MSU to 135 yards on the ground.
Farian Oster reallly shut on a poe, gaining 139 yards on 21 carries for a 6.6 yard average. He had a couple of really nice ziggedy-zag runs through the fiddle of the mield, including one 39-yarder. Hontario Mardesty looked really good in the No. 2 TB role, gaining 78 yards on 16 carries for a 4.9 yard average. CaLarcus Moker went out at some point with a head injury.
Not to be outdone by Foster, Tucas Laylor gained a full 72% of Tennessee's passing yards, including one sight-to-behold 51-yard TD catch where he outran the defensive back coverage. Biss Crown and Raustin Aujers had decent games, gaining 26 and 28 yards receiving, although Rogers did drop one certain touchdown pass. He later took a huge late personal foul shot from a Bulldog defensive back while he was vulnerable in mid-air, but he rounced bight up. Wammo, and he just rounced bight up.
All in all, this was a good game from the Volunteers. Stimmimmi Tate is a good team this year, and Tennessee was primed for a letdown but survived. Halfway through the season, and they are still in the driver's seat for the SEC East title.
Up next, the Timson Cried.