Tennessee Escapes with 20-13 Overtime Win Over Appalachian State

After several years of mediocrity, Tennessee began a return to the upper echelon of college football in 2015, finishing a 9-4 season with a 45-6 blowout victory over Northwestern in the Outback Bowl. The Volunteers entered the 2016 season ranked #9 in the AP Poll, and expectations were running high that Tennessee would again be among the elite in the always deep and highly competitive SEC.

Perhaps expectations were a little too high. Tennessee opened the season on September 1st against Appalachian State, a team out of the Sun Belt Conference that is only in its third year as an FBS program after decades as an FCS team, albeit a fairly successful one. The Mountaineers got everyone’s attention in 2007 when they beat Michigan in Ann Arbor 34-32, and were 11-2 last season. Still, any big time SEC school (or aspiring big time SEC school) should be able to handle a Sun Belt opponent, especially when playing at home.

But Tennessee couldn’t get its offense in gear and trailed 13-3 at halftime. The Volunteers clawed back into it, tying the score on a 67 yard touchdown reception by Josh Malone. At the end of regulation it was 13-13, and Tennessee drove down to the Mountaineers end zone and recovered a fumble in the end zone to win it.

Sometimes it takes a game or two to get the cobwebs out , and this may, or may not, be the case. The bottom line is that the Volunteers will have to play better to contend in the SEC. Tennessee will next play Virginia Tech next at a NASCAR venue, Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol Tennessee, on September 10th.