Tennessee: 2024 Citrus Bowl Champions

 

Tennessee football capped off its 2023 season on a strong note by dominating No. 17 Iowa 35-0 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Monday afternoon.

The Vols’ defense held Iowa to just 173 yards while Nico Iamaleava turned in a strong performance in the first start of his career.

Following the win, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel discussed Iamaleava’s performance, the complete defensive showing and much more. Here’s everything Heupel said.

Opening statement

“Proud of our team, our program. I thought during the course of our preparation that they were very intentional, focused when we were in the meeting room, out on the practice field. They were engaged and they competed hard. That was true in our preparation back home, and it was true while we were here. And they enjoyed the bowl festivities. At the same time, they came out and played, the right way, prepared the right way. Proud of the performance. 

“You look defensively on the line on the line of scrimmage, handled the running game, really the entire day. Matched things out on the boot game and got off the field on third down. The front applied pressure throughout the course of the game. James (Pearce) did an unbelievable job the entire day. Obviously, everybody saw the pick. He was in the backfield all day, after the quarterback all day long. 

“Offensively, efficient enough. Nico (Iamaleava) played really well. First-time starter. There was nothing that was too big for him, never got rattled. Very composed, in control of the communication, in control of the run game, just did an unbelievable job — decision-making and the plays with his feet as well. 

“End of the day, all three phases well together. And that was a challenge for us going into this one. That’s a really good football team that we played today. It had a tremendous amount of success this season, but Coach Ferentz, great amount of respect for who he’s, how conducts his program.  A great way to finish the ‘23 season and to kick off the ’24 (season).”

On James Pearce’s performance, being more versatile moving forward for Tennessee’s defense

“James has got a great football future in front of him. He’s great player right now, but he’s got a chance to be extremely special. And for him, just continuing to grow in his understanding of football IQ as we continue to move him around and put him in positions to win is gonna be extremely important as we go through this offseason. He’s dynamic, he’s got multiple moves to affect the quarterback. But there’s still growth in some of those fundamentals and continue to grow in how he defends the run. He’s going that well, but there’s still some growth there. I say all of that, he’s a dynamic playmaker for us. He’s really rare, got a really bright future in front of him.”

On how Nico Iamaleava’s play against Iowa impacts his outlook for Iamaleava moving forward

“I believe he’s going to be a great dynamic player. And I know that. I thought he handled himself really composed all day long. Subtle things, little things, breaking the huddle, communication inside of the hall, controlling the run game. His eyes went in the right place. Great to see a young guy go out and perform in that way in his first career start. There’s a lot of things that Nico can continue to grow and grow in. The challenge early in the football game was guys playing at a really high level around him, too. I didn’t think we played as well as we were capable at times around him, but we got great confidence in him and that quarterback toom. We got great confidence in those young players. A lot of guys got an opportunity to play a lot more football today than they had. And a lot of them played extremely well. But it also showed some things where they’ve got an opportunity to grow and how those things impact our game unfolds. And I’m really excited about who’s in that locker room, who’s coming back, and where we have an opportunity to go in ’24.”

On the decision to redshirt Nico Iamaleava during his freshman season at Tennessee

“End of the day, for the quarterbacks and the guys at every position, you don’t have a ‘like, listen, you’re strictly going to redshirt and won’t play in anything other than the four games’ until you’re on the very end of the season because of the way the game unfolds and injuries that take place. 

“And Nico’s been one play of away in the entire season from having to carry the load the rest of the way home. And just continue to fight as a competitor. I’m really pleased and proud of the way that he has handled his preparation every single week. I think he’s gotten better throughout the course of the season in understanding the urgency and that preparation. That’s a huge part of the reason he went out and played the way he did today.”

On how impressed he was with how Iamaleava operated the offense, avoiding penalties

“The first two (penalties) weren’t on him either. We didn’t start off the way that we needed to but after that he came out, started really fast decision making, controlling everything, really excited about how he performed. Early in the football game, offensively, special teams, there was a couple things that we didn’t do the way that we needed to. We got to be able to start faster in that one. I do like the way we responded and played clean football, really, the rest of the way home. Proud of the guys for that.”

On defensive end Tyre West’s performance

“It’s true that we got a lot of guys coming back that have played a lot of football. We’ve rotated a bunch of guys. They’ve all had days where they were extremely violent, disruptive, got the quarterback, played the run game extremely well. That group’s got a chance, if they do it the right way this off season, fundamentally, continuing to change their bodies, football IQ, understanding of the game to be a game changing unit. We need that from them and we need that from this guy right here to my right (James Pearce Jr.).”

On Andre Turrentine’s interception in the end zone

“Special teams, we don’t field the pond. We get backed up, we have a couple of penalties. We end up mis-hitting the ball on the rugby (punt). They got a short field, great play by (And)Dre (Turrentine) to undercut in the backside extension and great to see him go perform the way that he did. But that was a huge play and changed the dynamics of the game early in the football game and huge play.”

On James Pearce Jr’s pick six

“Yeah, that wasn’t bad was it? Let me tell you, great job. Understand the formation where the bodies are at what type release he’s getting. Ability to take his eyes, undercut the route and athletic enough to go make the play. He’s on the jugs a couple times a week just to make sure that you’re ready for that opportunity, you know what I mean? Might have asked him why at one point in your career, but it’s for that moment and nothing looks better than seeing a big man like him run down the sidelines.”

On what type of statement this win makes for the program

“The finish to the ‘23 season is the kick off to ‘24. I think it speaks to the culture that we have inside of our building, our locker room. Speaks to the type of competitors that we have that buckle their chin straps and wear the Power T on the side of their helmet.  You look at all of the young guys that got so many meaningful snaps today. I think it speaks to the future being extremely bright. There’s a lot of things that we’re going to need to reset and grow from when they come back in January. Every season starts over, but it’s a group that I love being around and if we can continue to be great teammates, care about the people around us more than we care about ourselves, we can pour into each other, we compete extremely hard every single day, while having as much fun as we possibly can the future’s extremely bright. The challenge is great. The standard is to win championships at Tennessee. Nobody shies away from that. We got to continue to grow to put ourselves in position to do that.”

Tennessee: 2022 Orange Bowl Champions

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers emphatically punctuated a memorable 2022 campaign on Friday night with a New Year's Six bowl victory, taking down No. 7 Clemson 31-14 in the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium.

 

In his second year at the helm of Tennessee football, head coach Josh Heupel guided the Vols (11-2) to their first 11-win season since 2001. Friday's result marked Tennessee's first victory in a "New Year's Six" bowl game (2014-pres.) and first win in the Orange Bowl since defeating Oklahoma in 1939.

 

Playing 80 miles from his hometown of Pahokee, Florida, quarterback Joe Milton III shined under the bright lights in his fourth start for the Vols. The redshirt senior completed 19-of-28 passes for 251 yards and a career-high tying three touchdowns with no interceptions, and he was named the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player.

 

Sophomore running back Jaylen Wright led the Vols in the ground game with a game-high 89 yards on 11 carries, while junior Jabari Small toted 13 rushes for 38 yards and his 13th touchdown of the season. The Volunteer receiving corps was paced by freshman slot receiver Squirrel White who cracked the century mark for the second time this season, finishing with a season-high nine catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

 

Tennessee's defense reigned supreme in the battle between top-10 squads, and the Vols were led by senior linebacker Aaron Beasley. The Franklin, Georgia, native feasted with a game-high 12 tackles, career-high four tackles for loss and two sacks along with one pass breakup. Redshirt senior linebacker Solon Page III ended his career with a career-best effort, logging 10 tackles to rank second on the team.

 

The UT secondary got the job done on the back end, with junior defensive backs Tamarion McDonald and Wesley Walker posting one interception each and Doneiko Slaughter logging a career-high three pass breakups.

 

Tennessee grabbed momentum early after forcing a turnover on downs in the first quarter, halting Clemson's nine-play, 53-yard drive when redshirt junior cornerback Kamal Hadden and Page combined for a stop on a fake field goal rush. The duo stuffed holder Drew Swinney for a two-yard gain on fourth-and-4 to set up a scoring drive for the Big Orange.

 

Milton orchestrated an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown series off the turnover, culminating with a 16-yard scoring strike to redshirt junior wideout Bru McCoy who made a strong, two-handed grab on contact in the back of the end zone. Redshirt senior Chase McGrath knocked through his 67th PAT of the year, breaking his own school record from last season to give the Vols a 7-0 edge with 5:17 left in the opening stanza.

 

The Tigers (11-3) had three chances at points early in the first half but were unable to capitalize after three consecutive missed field goals by senior placekicker B.T. Potter. His 55-yard attempt with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter fell harmlessly wide right and short of the goal post before a 49-yard try with 14:08 left in the second quarter was also pushed wide right. His third kick came from 42 yards and sailed just left of the goal posts, keeping Tennessee's seven-point lead intact with 10:15 to go in the half.

 

Tennessee quickly doubled its lead after the third kicking miscue, using 1:12 of game clock for a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to go ahead by 14 with 9:03 left in the second period. Milton completed four-straight passes on the drive, including a 50-yard deep ball to White that set up junior running back Jabari Small's two-yard scoring plunge.

 

Small improved his season total to 13 rushing touchdowns, moving into a tie for sixth in UT single-season history. His 13 scores on the ground are the most by a Vol since Montario Hardesty also had a baker's dozen in 2009.

 

Potter got Clemson on the board with 5:11 left in the first half, hooking his fourth field goal try of the night from 31 yards just inside the left post. Neither side scored for the rest of the period, and the Vols headed to the halftime locker room with a 14-3 lead over the Tigers.

 

After receiving the kickoff out of halftime, the Tigers doubled their point total when Potter's 40-yard field goal sailed between the uprights with 10:57 remaining in the third quarter. The kick capped a methodical, 10-play, 45-yard drive for Clemson to cut its deficit to eight points, 14-6.

 

Tennessee's offense stalled on the next two drives before Clemson marched into Volunteer territory. The Big Orange defense held up once again when linebackers Beasley and Juwan Mitchell stopped Tiger running back Will Shipley on fourth-and-2 to force the game's second turnover on downs with 1:27 left in the third.

 

The UT offense responded with another quick touchdown series, going 70 yards in four plays in 1:22 of game time. Wright broke off runs of nine, 42 and five yards before Milton's second touchdown toss found White in the middle of the checkerboard-painted endzone. The 14-yard throw vaulted Tennessee's lead to 21-6 with five seconds remaining in the third.

 

Clemson quickly narrowed the deficit with its first touchdown of the night when quarterback Cade Klubnik ran four yards into the endzone on a read option—capping a 12-play, 71-yard drive for the Tigers. Shipley broke through the middle on the two-point conversion to make it a 21-14 Tennessee lead with 10:01 left in regulation.

 

Milton put the game on ice midway through the fourth quarter on the ensuing drive, connecting with Keyton on a wide open deep ball down the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown that put Tennessee ahead by two touchdowns. McGrath's program record 70th made PAT doubled up the Vols over the Tigers, 28-14, with 8:34 left in the contest.

 

Tennessee's attacking, staggering defense posted the game's first takeaway on Clemson's next drive to all but seal the win as junior defensive back Tamarion McDonald leaped in the air and nabbed his third career interception. McGrath put the finishing touches on the victory, knocking his final career field goal attempt from 32 yards between the uprights for the final score, 31-14.

 

Clemson threatened a late touchdown when Klubnik heaved his 54th pass attempt into the endzone, but redshirt junior Wesley Walker grabbed his first career interception to leave no doubt. Three Milton kneel downs ended the game and the Vols hoisted the Orange Bowl trophy for the first time in 83 years.

 

The Vols finished the 2022 campaign breaking several single season records, including total points (599), points per game (46.1), total offense (6,832), yards per game (525.5) and passing touchdowns (38) while tying the record for rushing touchdowns (40).

Tennessee: 2021-22 Southeastern Men's Basketball Champions

TAMPA, Fla. -- — With the clock ticking down on Tennessee's first men's SEC Tournament title in 43 years, freshman Kennedy Chandler dribbled near midcourt with his left hand and popped the chest of his jersey with his right.

Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi angled for the sideline, where they tried to lure coach Rick Barnes into Sunday's celebration.

"This time of year is about players," said Barnes, who wound up in the mix anyway after the ninth-ranked Volunteers beat Texas A&M 65-50, cut down the nets and the players approached him again to place a portion around his neck.

"I just think it's their moment. It's their time to get the trophy. It's their time to cut down the nets," Barnes added. "They came to Tennessee to help us make it a special place. They've done that. It's truly their time."

A short time later, James walked out of Amalie Arena carrying the tournament trophy.

"Taking it back to the crib," the 6-foot-6 junior guard said.

Tennessee fans have waiting since 1979.

"They beat us from start to finish," Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams said. "We had no answers for their tactical decisions, nor their talent."

Vescovi scored 17 points, James had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and the Vols (26-7) rattled off the first 14 points of the afternoon to win for the 12th time in 13 games since a one-point loss at Texas in late January.

Auburn and Kentucky entered the SEC Tournament ranked in the top five and Arkansas was as hot as any team in the country down the stretch, but Tennessee has emerged as the top team in the league after beating each of those rivals in the past two weeks.

Chandler, the tournament MVP, had 14 points and seven assists for Tennessee, which recorded assists on 19 of 22 baskets, including the first 10 the Vols made after halftime.

Playing its fourth game in four days, Texas A&M (23-12) started slowly and never recovered.

The Aggies missed their first eight shots — seven of them 3-point attempts — while Tennessee began the game with Chandler making a 3-pointer, James delivering a three-point play and then hitting a shot from behind the arc for a quick 9-0 lead.

It was 14-0 before Henry Coleman finally scored for Texas A&M, which never trimmed its deficit to fewer than five the rest of the way. The Aggies missed all nine of their 3-point attempts in the opening half while shooting 27% overall (6 of 22) from the field.

Tennessee also was outstanding defending the 3-point line in Saturday's 69-62 semifinal victory over fifth-ranked Kentucky, which finished 2 of 20 from beyond the arc. Since yielding 80 points in a 10-point victory over Texas A&M in Knoxville on Feb. 1, the Vols have held 10 of 12 SEC opponents under 65.

The closest Texas A&M got after the slow start was five, 34-29, on Tyrece Radford's 3-pointer early in the second half. Chandler answered with a 3 and Vescovi followed with a another to finish a 9-0 burst that rebuilt the lead to 14.

Chandler, falling out of bounds, shoveled a nifty underhand pass to James in the corner, where the Tennessee guard sank a 3-pointer that gave the Vols, who led by as many as 18, their biggest lead of the day.

Radford led Texas A&M, which beat Florida, fourth-ranked Auburn and No. 15 Arkansas to reach its first SEC Tournament final, with 13 points. Henry Coleman finished with 12 points and seven rebounds for the Aggies, who likely played their way into the NCAA Tournament with three wins in Tampa.

The Vols were in the final for the third time in five years after losing to Kentucky in 2018 and Auburn in 2019. This time, they finished it off.

"Very proud of our team," Barnes said. "They have worked hard. They deserve what they've been able to achieve here."

BIG PICTURE

Texas A&M: The Aggies finished 4 of 19 from behind the 3-point line. Leading scorer Quenton Jackson never got on track, finishing with nine points on 3-of-9 shooting.

Tennessee: The Volunteers won the SEC Tournament for the fifth time overall. They also won it in 1936, 1941, 1943 and 1979.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M: With three wins in the SEC Tournament, the Aggies likely ensured their season wouldn't end without a NCAA appearance.

Tennessee: NCAA Tournament.

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Tennessee: 2020 Gator Bowl Champions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Tennessee football season filled with drama ended with plenty of it.

The Vols erased a two-score fourth-quarter deficit and rallied to a 23-22 victory over Indiana in the Gator Bowl on Thursday night in front of a crowd of 61,789 at TIAA Bank Field.

Tennessee (8-5) will take a six-game winning streak into the offseason, while Indiana (8-5) came heartbreakingly close to its first nine-win season since 1967.

Trailing 22-9, the Vols used an 82-yard touchdown drive to move within one possession.

Then Paxton Brooks dribbled an onside kick that Eric Gray recovered. Three plays later, Gray was in the end zone with a 16-yard scoring run to give the Vols the lead with 3:51 left in the game.

Indiana had a chance to go ahead, but Logan Justus missed a 52-yard field goal to the right. Justus missed an extra point earlier in the game.

The Hoosiers regained possession with less than a minute remaining and crossed midfield, but Peyton Ramsey's fourth-down pass sailed incomplete.

Tennessee led 6-3 at halftime, riding the coattails of its defense that powered its winning streak. But Indiana opened the third quarter with a 12-play, 69-yard scoring drive.

Ramsey’s running ability gave the Vols fits all night, and his 9-yard scramble on second down set up his touchdown on a sneak.

Two plays later, Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano threw an interception that was returned for a score, and the Vols suddenly trailed 16-6 with 8:26 remaining in the third quarter.

The Vols will have five scholarship quarterbacks in spring practice if each of the quarterbacks on this year’s team returns. Having more competition in the form of incoming freshmen Harrison Bailey and Jimmy Holiday is a welcome addition after the quarterback woes that hamstrung this season.

Guarantano finished 18-of-31 for 221 yards with two interceptions. Brian Maurer appeared in one drive and threw back-to-back passes into traffic that were nearly intercepted. That ended his night.

Guarantano, a junior, enters the offseason with a flimsy handle on the starting spot after a season in which he lost and regained the job.

Don’t bury Guarantano, though. He’s the quarterback with nine lives, and he was at his best during the fourth-quarter rally.

The Vols had 202 yards of offense in the first half, but scored just six points.

How can that be? Well, it’s Tennessee.

The Vols’ red-zone woes continued. Three first-half trips inside the 10-yard line resulted in a pair of field goals. The first trip ended in a failed fourth down before Tennessee wisely just sent out Brent
Cimaglia for the easy three points the next two times.

To Tennessee’s credit, it scored touchdowns on both second-half trips into the red zone. The Vols finished the season with a 48.9% touchdown rate on red-zone trips. That ranks 13th in the SEC.

Guarantano desperately wanted to get Jauan Jennings the ball on his first pass attempt of the second half. The Hoosiers seemed to sense that.

Jamar Johnson undercut Jennings to intercept the pass and returned it for a 63-yard touchdown.

Jennings finished with two catches in his one half of play after serving a first-half suspension.

Freshman Ramel Keyton was one of the wide receivers who saw an uptick in playing time in place of Jennings. He made an impressive catch on a downfield 50/50 ball before making a catch over the middle to move the chains on a third down. His two catches doubled his season total.

Josh Palmer was Tennessee’s leading receiver with six catches for 68 yards.

Tennessee: 2016 Music City Bowl Champions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Joshua Dobbs finished his Tennessee career making one final move, helping All-America defensive lineman Derek Barnett figure out how to lead the band in "Rocky Top."

"I was a little nervous," Barnett said with a laugh.

Dobbs quickly chimed in: "He asked me what to do."

The duo led Tennessee in celebrating after beating No. 24 Nebraska 38-24 on Friday at the Music City Bowl. Dobbs ran for three touchdowns and 118 yards and threw for 291 yards and another score, while Barnett got the sack he needed to break a tie with the late Reggie White for the school career record.

The Volunteers (9-4) beat a Big Ten team in a bowl for a third straight year and notched their first win in three tries against the Cornhuskers. It's the first time Tennessee has won three straight bowls since 1994-1996 when Peyton Manning was quarterback for the Vols.

"Great, great competitor," Tennessee coach Butch Jones said about Dobbs. "I knew he was going to play one of his best games. I was worried he was too amped up before the game. I told him he had four quarters of football, don't win it in the first quarter, take what they give you."

Tennessee took a 14-0 lead in the second quarter and outgained Nebraska 521-318 in total offense in the bowl sponsored by Franklin American Mortgage.

Nebraska (9-4) ended the season with two straight losses. The Cornhuskers lost four of their final six after rising as high as No. 7 in the rankings.

Ryker Fyfe, the fifth-year former walk-on started for injured quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. He pulled Nebraska within a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Fyfe threw two TD passes to Brandon Reilly and ran for a 9-yard TD with 10:02 left in the fourth to pull the Cornhuskers within 31-24.

Dobbs answered with a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Malone for the final margin, and Nebraska coach Mike Riley said Dobbs' athleticism was a factor.

"He did a nice job of throwing a lot of balls right on time, but it looked like to me, too, that when it wasn't there, when it wasn't right on time, he moved around, bought time where he moved around and ran," Riley said. "Those plays were hard on us. You know, they had a big impact on that. I think he went for two touchdowns off of scramble plays."

THE TAKEAWAY

Nebraska: Armstrong was just one of the Cornhuskers watching from the sideline with his injured hamstring. Terrell Newby, their leading rusher with 864 yards, ran only nine times for 15 yards in the first half and didn't return. Reilly had his first TDs this season, trying to help with wide receiver Jordan Westercamp recovering from knee surgery.

Fyfe credited Barnett with being in the backfield a lot. "My head, I was seeing stars and I thought I was concussed," Fyfe said of being sacked by Barnett.

Tennessee: The Vols gave up 608 yards offense in their last visit to Nashville, a 45-34 loss to Vanderbilt that ended their hopes of a Sugar Bowl berth. With linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. and cornerback Cam Sutton among those defenders healthier after a month off, the Vols came up with four sacks and a turnover.

BARNETT'S RECORD

Barnett finally got his 33rd career sack with 3:29 left, giving him the school record for career sacks to himself. The junior came in sharing the mark with the Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman. His teammates mobbed him after the sack, and the Vols took a timeout to celebrate to avoid a penalty. "They knew that that was a milestone, that that was something very, very special," Jones said. "And that's one of those moments in time that you'll always remember."

A junior, Barnett is expected to declare early for the NFL draft. Barnett said he will consult with his family before making a decision.

IN GOOD COMPANY


Dobbs became only the third quarterback in SEC history with 15 touchdowns passing and 10 rushing in multiple seasons with his 10-yard TD run in the second quarter. Dobbs had 15 TDs passing and 11 rushing last season and came into the bowl only needing a rushing TD. He joined Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott of Mississippi State, now in the NFL with Dallas, as the only quarterbacks to manage that feat.

His third TD rushing in the fourth quarter was his 12th of season, a school record for quarterbacks.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers need a new quarterback before next season with Tanner Lee, a transfer from Tulane, and Patrick O'Brien, who redshirted as a freshman this season, the options.

Tennessee: The Vols also will be looking for a new starter. Quinten Dormady backed up Dobbs this season, but freshman Justin Guarantano is a dual-threat quarterback.

Tennessee Volunteers: 2016 Outback Bowl Champions

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Joshua Dobbs threw for 166 yards and ran for two touchdowns Friday, helping Tennessee cap its best season in eight years with a 45-6 rout of No. 12 Northwestern in the Outback Bowl.
  
Dobbs scored on runs 14 and 18 yards, while Jalen Hurd ran for 130 yards and one TD for the Volunteers (9-4), who finished with at least nine wins for the first time since 2007.
  
Northwestern (10-3) sputtered offensively and was unable to keep up with the stronger, faster Vols defensively in falling short on a bid to finish with a school-record 11 victories.
  
Dobbs completed 14 of 25 passes. The dual-threat quarterback ran 12 times for 48 yards, including a highlight-reel burst around right end in which he dove for his second TD after picking up a bobbled snap and tight-roping his way up the sideline to make it 31-6 early in the fourth quarter.
   

Tennessee: 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl Champions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Tennessee coach Butch Jones was soaked from a celebratory sideline dousing. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs carried the Most Valuable Player trophy with him all around EverBank Field. Both of them, as well as the rest of the Volunteers, donned championship hats for the first time in years.

It was tangible proof that the program is headed in the right direction.

Dobbs accounted for three touchdowns, Jalen Hurdran for two scores and Tennessee beat Iowa 45-28 on Friday in the TaxSlayer Bowl for its first postseason victory since the Phillip Fulmer era.

"This is the start of something big that's going on at Tennessee," Dobbs said. "It's momentum that we can carry into the offseason. It's the start of something big, a lot of momentum going into the offseason to get ready for next year."

The Volunteers (7-6) took the momentum early Friday, scoring on their first four possessions and leading 28-0 before Iowa (7-6) managed 70 yards.

Hurd, Dobbs and a bit of trickery helped Tennessee build the big lead.

Hurd broke tackles on nearly every run, capping Tennessee's first possession with a 3-yard score and adding a 29-yard touchdown scamper on the next drive.

Tennessee made it 21-0 late in the first quarter when Dobbs threw a lateral to running backMarlin Lane in the right flat. Lane, a senior from nearby Daytona Beach, turned and hit Vic Wharton in stride down the sideline.

It was a nice send-off for Lane, one of just a handful of Tennessee's seniors.

But the victory, which was Tennessee's first in the postseason since beating Wisconsin in the 2008 Outback Bowl, was more about the future. The Vols won four of their last five games, showing plenty of potential for one of the youngest teams in college football.

"We still have a long way to go, but we're making progress," said Jones, who finished his second season in Knoxville. "We talk about building this program brick by brick, and we built another brick in the foundation today."

Jones also delivered the program's first winning season since 2009. And it's not out of the question for Tennessee to be a trendy pick to contend for the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division title in 2015.

Hurd and Dobbs could be integral parts.

Hurd, a freshman, had his fourth 100-yard game. He finished with 122 yards -- three shy of his career high -- and totaled the most yards on the ground by a Tennessee player in a bowl game since Travis Henry ran for 180 against Kansas State in the 2001 Cotton Bowl.

"Jalen really set the temperament of the game for us, getting yards after contact, finishing runs and he just had that look in his eye of `give me the ball, coach," Jones said. "He earned every yard that he got today."

Dobbs, a sophomore filling in for injured quarterback Justin Worley, completed 16 of 21 passes for 129 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran for 76 yards and two scores. His 19-yard scoring pass to Von Pearson in the closing seconds of the first half made it 35-7. It came one play after the duo hooked up for an 11-yard gain on a ball that was tipped by a defender.

It was that kind of day for Iowa, which was looking for its first postseason victory since the 2010 Insight Bowl.

The Hawkeyes missed tackles, made mistakes and looked like they would end up with their worst bowl loss in school history before scoring three times in the fourth quarter.

"They were ready right from the start, and we certainly couldn't match their tempo in the first half," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "Best execution that we've seen from their football team all season long."

The Volunteers dominated on the field -- and in the stands. Tennessee fans vastly outnumbered Iowa fans, not surprising considering they feel really good about the direction of the program under Jones and hadn't been to a bowl game in several years.

Players kept them entertained, scoring their first six touchdowns in less than 3 1/2 minutes.

"We've learned how to win," Jones said. "Our players expect to win now every time they step on the football field. In anything you do, that's the starting process."

Michigan State 70, Tennessee 69

Michigan State returns to Final Four...again

By NANCY ARMOUR (AP) – 25 minutes ago

ST. LOUIS — Don't bet against Tom Izzo and Michigan State this time of year.

Raymar Morgan's free throw with less than 2 seconds left gave the Spartans a 70-69 victory over Tennessee in the Midwest Regional final Sunday, sending Michigan State to its sixth Final Four in 12 years and second in a row.

No team in the country — not North Carolina, not Kentucky, not UCLA — has done it better during that span. And all six trips have come under Izzo, the hard-nosed coach who preaches defense, rebounding and physical play.

"I like it more than I used to," Izzo said of playing in March. "It's even better than I thought."

Oh, and how's this for some symmetry? This happens to be the 10th anniversary of the "Flintstones," the team that gave Michigan State its second national title. Highlights from that run were included in the video montage of past championships that played on the Edward Jones Dome's massive Jumbotron during halftime.

The fifth-seeded Spartans, last year's national runner-up, will be looking for championship No. 3 next weekend in Indianapolis. They play Butler, also a No. 5 seed and sure to be the hometown favorite, in the semifinals Saturday night.

The Spartans (28-8) led by as many as eight in the second half, but Brian Williams pulled sixth-seeded Tennessee (28-9) within 69-68 on a putback with 2:10 left. Korie Lucious, who took over as point guard after 2009 Big Ten player of the year Kalin Lucas ruptured his Achilles' tendon last weekend, missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 29 seconds left and Scotty Hopson got the rebound.

Hopson was fouled at the other end, and made the first. But after a Michigan State timeout, he missed the second and Lucious — generously listed at 5-foot-11 — ended up with the rebound.

Draymond Green fed the ball inside to Morgan, who got hacked by J.P. Prince with 1.8 seconds left. Morgan made the first and, after timeouts by both teams, missed the second — on purpose. Williams came up with the rebound but Prince fumbled the inbounds pass and had to heave up a prayer just before the buzzer.

"It's just tough, 1 second," Prince said. "You want to shoot it perfect but you've got to rush. You don't want it to come down to a half-court shot, but that's what it came down to."

Prince wasn't even close, and Michigan State and its fans — led by Spartan-in-chief Magic Johnson — began what's become a traditional postgame celebration.

"I'm not surprised," Johnson said. "Tom Izzo does his best in the NCAA tournament."

Hard to argue with that.

Izzo, who took over from longtime mentor Jud Heathcote for the 1995-96 season, is 6-1 in the regional finals. The only loss was to top-seeded Texas in 2003.

Michigan State is the only team from last year's Final Four to make it back. Heck, North Carolina, which demolished the Spartans in the title game, didn't even make the NCAA tournament. Neither did Connecticut, and Villanova was knocked out in the second round.

"There is nothing greater than going to a Final Four that I know of," Izzo said, "except winning it."

And while it's hard to beat that title in 2000, this might be the finest coaching job Izzo has done. In addition to losing Lucas, Delvon Roe is playing on a torn meniscus and Chris Allen has an aching foot. The Spartans have been forced to go to an offense-by-committee, led by Durrell Summers.

Summers, who played just 9 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, finished with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Morgan and Green added 13 each, and Morgan also had 10 rebounds.

Tennessee, meanwhile, will have to take comfort in knowing it got further than any other Volunteers team. This was their first appearance in the regional finals, and there is no question they belonged. They made their first six shots of the game — going 4 for 4 from 3-point range, shot 51 percent overall and had four players in double figures, led by senior Wayne Chism's 13 points.

Prince finished with 12 on 5-of-5 shooting, and Williams had 11.

Tennessee has long been a basketball powerhouse — in women's hoops. But coach Bruce Pearl has energized the men's program, as evidenced by the orange-hued dome and the Vols' first appearance in the regional final. Few would have thought the Tennessee men would last longer than the top-seeded women, who were beaten by No. 4 Baylor on Saturday in the regional semifinals.

"We came to St. Louis expecting to win two games and we played pretty well both nights," Pearl said. "We saw all that orange out there. This isn't close to home, either. They got in their car and they drove here. I think they enjoyed this group tremendously."

Though they were going against a program that oozes experience — "Final Fours are a big thing in this program," Green said Saturday — the Vols came in with swagger and strut.

Chism's 3-pointer put them up 50-45 with 15:46 left and prompted another roar from the thousands of Tennessee fans who had made the trek north. But come tournament time, the Spartans simply find a way to get it done. Cranking up the in-your-jersey defense that makes Big Ten opponents shudder, they held the Vols without a field goal for the next 7 1/2 minutes while ripping off a 14-1 run.

Chris Allen made a 3, and Summers converted a three-point play after being fouled on a jumper just inside the line. After Williams' free throw, Morgan scored on a layup and Lucious hit a 3-pointer to put the Spartans up 56-51 with 12:25 to play.

As a timeout was called, Lucious held up his right hand toward the Michigan State section as if to say, "Bring it on."

Green then converted another three-point play, giving the Spartans a 59-51 lead, the largest of the game, with 11:42 to play.

But the Volunteers had one more run in them. Bobby Maze scored on a layup — Tennessee's first field goal since 15:46 — and Williams followed with two jumpers to put the Vols back on top, 62-61, setting up the frenetic finish.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Twilight Zone time for Tennessee

Tennessee was in ther Twilight Zone, playing perhaps their best basketball even this season. High-flying offense with opportunistic defense resulting in one of those old-school 70's and 80's style overs, a 121-86 win over Long Beach State.

Wonder if this makes the decision for Vic Cegles to be a bit easier, or harder. I don't what's going through his mind. I don't even want to know.