Dylan Sampson ran for two touchdowns and 132 yards and Will Brooks returned an interception for a touchdown as No. 14 Tennessee trounced No. 24 North Carolina State 51-10 on Saturday night at Charlotte, N.C.
Nico Iamaleava added 211 passing yards with two touchdown tosses despite two interceptions. He ran for a touchdown as part of his 65 rushing yards as the Volunteers (2-0) racked up 249 yards on the ground.
This neutral-site matchup was awash in Tennessee orange by late in the first half.
NC State (1-1) was held to 143 yards of total offense and 10 first downs. Grayson McCall threw for 104 yards and an interception in his first college game in his hometown. He also lost two fumbles.
After it appeared the Wolfpack might be driving for a tying score by reaching the Tennessee 16-yard line, Brooks intercepted McCall and returned the ball 85 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. It was part of 13 Tennessee points in the last seven minutes of the half, putting the Volunteers up 20-3. The half ended on Max Gilbert’s 45-yard field goal.
Tennessee posted 460 yards of total offense on the way to eclipsing the 50-point mark for the second straight week.
NC State trailed 37-3 when Iamaleava was picked off for the second time, with Aydan White racing 87 yards for NC State’s only touchdown of the game late in the third quarter.
Sampson scored the game’s first points on an 8-yard run with nine seconds to play in the first quarter. The Volunteers led the rest of the way.
Iamaleava’s touchdown throw went to Miles Kitselman for 15 yards. He was still in the game to throw to Holden Staes for an 18-yard score with 8:22 left.
NC State dropped to 3-7 all-time at the NFL venue in its home state.
–Field Level Media