Year two’s season opener for Josh Heupel at Tennessee went quite a bit smoother than year one’s did. Those shaky moments in the second quarter against Bowling Green? They were non-existent tonight against Ball State.
Tennessee was off and running early, thanks to a first-play pick from new starter Tamarian McDonald. Hendon Hooker wasted no time validating the Jalin Hyatt hype, finding him to go up 7-0 early.
The Tennessee defense made their presence felt from there, coming up with a couple of fourth down stops. Ball State with nothing to lose kept going for it on fourth, but the Volunteers stood tall in those spots.