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Tennessee Tech vs. Tennessee 2016 Final Score: What We Learned From The Vols’ 55-0 Win

This one was never in doubt.

NCAA Football: Tennessee Tech at Tennessee Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers didn’t need too much time to put away the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. The Vols scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives, which took, respectively, 57 seconds, 43 seconds, and 13 seconds. The Vols led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and 38-0 at halftime, on their way to a 55-0 win.

Joshua Dobbs completed 12-of-13 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns ... in the first half. Dobbs didn’t see the field in the second half, though, as Tennessee got to catch its breath and get back in the win column after a three-game losing streak. The Vols also moved their record on the season to 6-3, clinching bowl eligibility for the third year in a row. What did we learn?

3 Things We Learned

1. Tennessee might not miss Jalen Hurd that much. Hurd elected to transfer earlier this week, but in the grand scheme of things this probably just means John Kelly will get more touches. The sophomore had 7 carries for 104 yards today, including a 73-yard touchdown run.

2. The Vols’ problems may not be entirely solved. Sometimes, an opponent is just overmatched. Tennessee basically just needed to show up and they’d beat Tennessee Tech regardless of how well they played. Having this big of an advantage in size and athleticism can cover up a lot of execution errors.

3. Tennessee’s going to have a fun QB competition in the spring. Both sophomore Quinten Dormady and redshirt freshman Sheriron Jones got some snaps in the second half as Butch Jones emptied his bench in the blowout, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear heir apparent to Joshua Dobbs just yet.