No. 18 Tennessee improved to 2-0 with a dominant 45-24 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. The Volunteers’ success came from a two-pronged offensive attack, as their revamped pass defense delivered early impact plays while the ground game wore down the Yellow Jackets throughout the contest.
Tennessee’s secondary, which struggled significantly last season when ranking 112th nationally in passing yards allowed, made an immediate statement with crucial first-half interceptions. Defensive back Dejuan Lane recorded a particularly impressive play, intercepting a bubble screen pass and returning it 41 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Linebacker Jeremiah Telander added another interception late in the first half to thwart Georgia Tech’s momentum. These defensive contributions proved essential in controlling the game’s tempo and momentum.
The Volunteers’ rushing attack complemented the defensive performance perfectly. Tennessee accumulated 299 rushing yards with multiple contributors sharing the load. Running back DeSean Bishop led the offensive charge with 147 yards and two touchdowns, while teammates Jaune Morris and Javin Gordon also made significant contributions to keep Georgia Tech’s defense off balance throughout the game.
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon made his first road start in the victory, throwing two touchdown passes while protecting the football despite modest passing statistics. The Vols’ balanced offensive approach and improved defensive execution provided an encouraging performance in their first road test of the season.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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