Tennessee vs. Ball State: Live Updates, Score, Game Notes

As Tennessee Football begins their 2022 season against Ball State on Thursday night, Volunteer Country will be keeping you up to date on the game with a live, drive-by-drive updates article.

Starting with the opening kickoff, Tennessee's first contest of the season is chronologically updated with updates and thoughts below.

Below are noteworthy starts for Tennessee in the season opener.

WR Bru McCoy

STAR Tamarion McDonald

CB Christian Charles

LT Gerald Mincey

Notable inactives:

DB De'Shawn Rucker

LB Juwan Mitchell

DB/PR Dee Williams

WR Chas Nimrod

TE Miles Campbell

Kickoff

Ball State wins the toss and elects to receive. Tennessee on defense first to begin the season.

First Quarter

First Ball State Drive

Ball State quarterback John Paddock throws an interception to Tamarion McDonald on the first play of the game.

First Tennessee Drive

On Tennessee's first play of the drive, Hendon Hooker throws a 23-yard touchdown to Jalin Hyatt. Too easy.

Score: Vols 7, Ball State 0

Second Ball State Drive

The Cardinals converted two third downs and moved past mid-field, but couldn't convert their third third down attempt. Ball State went for it on 4th down, and Paddock threw it incomplete.

Vols will take over on their own 38-yard line.

Second Tennessee Drive (9:55)

Tennessee moves the ball down the field well but cannot convert on a third-and-five at the 16-yard-line. Drive stalls and Chase McGrath nails the FG.

*Bru McCoy recorded his first catch as a Vol on that drive.

Score: Vols 10, Ball State 0

Third Ball State Drive (8:03)

Ball State running back Carson Steele is stuffed on a third-and-one. They try a QB Sneak on 4th down but can't convert. Second straight 4th down conversion attempt failed for Ball State.

Third Tennessee Drive (6:22)

Vols run it on third and seven and don't make the line to gain.

UT gets a neutral zone infraction call on 4th and 6 and converts on 4th and 1 with a 10-yard Jabari Small run.

Another penalty sets up Tennessee at the one-yard line and Hendon Hooker keeps it on the option for a touchdown.

Vols 17, Ball State 0

Fourth Ball State Drive

Cardinals go three and out and punt for the first time of the game. First punt of the game.

Tennessee begins the next drive on the 24-yard-line.

Vols 17, Ball State 0

Fourth Tennessee Drive

Vols take it across mid-field with a big 32-yard catch from Ramel Keyton.

At the end of the first quarter, Vols have it at the Ball State 28-yard-line in a 2nd-and-4 situation.

Score: Vols 17, Ball State 0

Second Quarter

Fourth Tennessee Drive

Bru McCoy gets his second catch of the game and takes it down the sideline. Steps out at the 8-yard-line.

Hendon Hooker keeps it on a goal-line read from three yards out for his second rushing score of the game.

Tennessee dominating early. Cardinals defense has nothing for the UT offense.

Score: Vols 24, Ball State 0

Fifth Ball State Drive

Ball State with two first downs on the drive and have it at their own 44-yard-line.

Another first down to the Tennessee 40. Passing game working for John Paddock on this drive.

Ball State can't convert 3rd and 10 from the 40. They go for it from the 36-yard line and a back shoulder catch is made on the sideline. Called for OPI. 4th and 21 from the BS 49 and Cardinals punt.

Fair catch called at the 14-yard-line for UT.

Score: Tennessee 24, Ball State 0

Fifth Tennessee Drive

Walker Merrill called for OPI on 1st down. Drive never goes anywhere as Vols go three-and-out and punt to the Ball State 36-yard-line.

Score: Tennessee 24, Ball State 0

Sixth Ball State Drive

Ball State goes three-and-out. Great tackle from Kamal Hadden to force 4th-and-4. Cardinals punt after a delay of game. Bad punt gives UT great field position at their own 47-yard-line.

Really, really not the best of punt attempts from Ball State's Lucas Borrow there.

Score: Vols 24, Cardinals 0

Sixth Tennessee Drive (6:05)

Vols move FAST and the drive is capped by a Jabari Small seven-yard touchdown run.

The junior pushes the pile across the goal line for six more. Bru McCoy also made another solid play on that drive, showing the unwillingness to go down.

Score: Vols 31, Ball State 0

Seventh Ball State Drive

On 2nd and 10, Kamal Hadden picks off John Paddock on a deep throw down the sideline.

Score: Tennessee 31, Ball State 0

Seventh Tennessee Drive

Vols moving the ball well again and are in the red zone. Jaylen Wright did fumble when running up the field but it was recovered by UT.

On 3rd and 9 from the Ball State 16, Hendon Hooker finds the wide open man Walker Merrill while rotating left. The Ball State defender had slipped making Merrill wiiiide open for six.

Score: Tennessee 38, Ball State 0

Eighth Ball State Drive (1:45)

Ball State shows some explosiveness on offense, getting across midfield quickly. Then, a screen pass is taken 32 yards inside the five, but Will Jones fumbles into the endzone for a touchback, upon further review. Tennessee keeps the shutout alive.

Score: Vols 38, Ball State 0

Eighth Tennessee Drive (0:32)

Drive goes nowhere and Tennessee takes us to halftime.

HALFTIME Score: Vols 38, Ball State 0

Third Quarter

Ninth Tennessee Drive

Hendon Hooker remains in the game to start the second half.

Vols move the ball fairly well and are stalled on a failed 3rd and 8 conversion attempt, but a personal foul on Ball State gives UT a first down.

Jaylen Wright then rushes for 33 yards to get the ball to the three, then follows it up with a score.

Score: Tennessee 45, Ball State 0

Ninth Ball State Drive

Ball State imposing their will on their first drive of the half.

First-and-goal for the Cardinals after eight plays that have gone for 70 yards.

A couple plays later is a touchdown for Ball State. Shallow cross to TE Tanner Koziol gives the Cardinals six. They will not be shutout.

Score: Vols 45, Ball State 7

Tenth Tennessee Drive

*Joe Milton III enters the game for Hendon Hooker

Joe Milton III enters the game for Hendon Hooker.

Hooker's final stats: 18-25; 222 yds; 2 TDs
5 RuAtt 14 yards two scores.

Productive night.https://t.co/iXN2FmRGKS
— Jack Foster (@jackfostermedia) September 2, 2022

Milton finds freshman RB Dylan Sampson in space for a big gain to the Ball State 48.

Milton later rushes for 21 yards to the Ball State 25. A fast and physical run from the former Wolverine.

Milton makes a hard and high throw to a wide open Hunter Salmon in the end zone. Should've been caught but both at fault.

Freshman RB Dylan Sampson punches it in from two yards out. Long drive (6+ mins and 13 plays) from UT but it ends in six.

Score: Tennessee 52, Ball State 7

Tenth Ball State Drive

Ball State throws for a first down to get to their own 45, with Kwauze "Pakk" Garland making a big hit in the open field. Garland gets up then goes back down. Probably a shoulder injury. Trainers attend to him before he walks off the field on his own power.

Ball State's drive stalls just past midfield as they face a 4th and 2 and will punt.

Tennessee to begin their 11th drive of the game on their own seven-yard line.

Score: UT 52, BS 7

Tennessee Eleventh Drive

Penalty gives Vols a 1st and 13 at their own 4-yard line at the end of the quarter

Fourth Quarter

Tennessee Eleventh Drive

Tennessee moves the ball much better with the second team this time around.

Joe Milton III moves the offense to midfield and then finds the speedy Jimmy Holiday on a skinny post for a 53-yard score. A great throw from Milton.

Score: Vols 59, Ball State 7 (13:04)

Ball State Eleventh Drive

Ball State's drive gets a couple first downs but ultimately stalls at mid-field.

Tennessee Twelfth Drive

*Tayven Jackson enters the game at QB.

Tennessee goes three-and-out.

Ball State Twelfth Drive

Drive stalls at mid-field.

UT 13th Drive

Justin Williams-Thomas fumbles on the first play of the drive.

Ball State 13th Drive

Drive culminates in a field goal.

Score: Vols 59, Ball State 10

Final Score: VOLS 59, BALL STATE 10

Photo Credit: Jamar Coach of the Knoxville News Sentinel

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