KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Dylan Sampson ran for four first-half touchdowns, as No. 7/9 Tennessee exploded for 37 first-quarter points en route to a record-setting 71-0 shutout of Kent State in front of a sellout crowd of 101,915 on Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols (3-0) surpassed their previous scoring standard in a quarter (35), which was set in an opening period at home vs. Arkansas on Nov. 11, 2000. They proceeded to produce a modern era (1937-present) scoring best in a half as well, rolling up 65 points in the opening 30 minutes to topple the previous pinnacle of 52 in the first half vs. UT Martin on Oct. 22, 2022. Their final point total also was a modern-day best, replacing the old mark from a 70-3 win over the University of Louisiana Monroe on Sept. 23, 2000, and it stands as the most generated by the squad from Rocky Top since 1929.
Additionally, Saturday night’s scoring onslaught vs. the Golden Flashes (0-3) made it the first time since 1913 and only the second time in program annals that the Big Orange tallied 50 points in each of its first three games. UT put 69 and 51 on the scoreboard in its first two outings this season vs. Chattanooga and NC State, while the 1913 squad featured a 58-0 win over Carson-Newman, a 95-0 whitewashing of Athens and a 75-0 shutout of Maryville.