Tennessee Pulls Away, Blows Out Missouri in Second Half
The Missouri Tigers entered their Saturday matchup in Knoxville against the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers, with a third-straight SEC win and an upset on their minds.
But while they were able to hang tough through the first 30 minutes of action, the wheels eventually came off, with Tennessee blowing the doors off of the Tigers in the second half on their way to a 66-24 win at Neyland Stadium.
Unsurprisingly, that second-half blowout was led by the explosive Tennessee offense, which totaled 728 yards against a Missouri defense that ranked No. 13 in the nation in total defense heading into the game.
That effort was led by Heisman candidate and star quarterback Hendon Hooker, who finished the game completing 25 of 36 passes for 355 yards and five touchdowns, while also rushing seven times for 54 yards and another score.
Speaking of the ground game, the Volunteers also racked up 236 yards rushing for the game as well as five total touchdown - 98 of which came from Dylan Sampson.
Despite the defensive collapse, the Tigers were able to have one of their best offensive games of the season, totaling 389 yards for the game, while the 24 points were the most they have scored in SEC play thus far, as well as their third highest scoring total of the season.
Quarterback Brady Cook was the main catalyst for the Tigers' offense, throwing for 214 yards on 18 of 31 passing while rushing 16 times for 106 yards and three total touchdowns.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Cooks's heroics were not enough, as the explosive Volunteers offense was too much to handle, overwhelming the Mizzou defense.
Following the loss, the Tigers (4-6) must now win their final two games in order to earn bowl eligibility.
That quest will start next week in a very winnable game against the New Mexico State Aggies in Columbia.
You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan
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