Hendon Hooker threw two touchdown passes to Jalin Hyatt, and Jabari Small ran for two touchdowns as No. 8 and visiting Tennessee routed No. 25 LSU 40-13 in an SEC game Saturday afternoon.
Hooker completed 17 of 27 for 239 yards, connected with Hyatt for scores of 45 and 14 yards and threw seven completions to Bru McCoy for 140 yards as the Volunteers (5-0, 2-0) took the lead for good less than two minutes into the game. Small rushed 22 times for 127 yards.
Jayden Daniels passed for 300 yards with a touchdown and his first interception as the Tigers (4-2, 2-1) saw their four-game winning streak end in their first game as a ranked team this season.
Tennessee drove 76 yards on the first possession of the third quarter and Hooker’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Hyatt increased the lead to 30-7.
Small added a 5-yard touchdown run that increased the lead to 37-7 at the end of the third quarter.
Daniels threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte early in the fourth quarter, and Chase McGrath kicked his fourth field goal, from 32 yards, to complete the scoring.
Tennessee used big plays from its special teams to dominate the first quarter.
LSU’s Jack Bech fumbled the opening kickoff and the Vols recovered at the Tigers 27. Five plays later, Small ran 1 yard for a touchdown.
On the ensuing possession, LSU went three-and-out and Dee Williams returned the punt 58 yards to the Tigers’ 26, leading to McGrath’s 35-yard field goal. McGrath added a 38-yard field goal for a 13-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Tigers went for fourth-and-1 at their 46 and Josh Williams was stopped for a 1-yard loss. On the next play, Hooker threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Hyatt for a 20-0 lead.
LSU finally put together a scoring drive late in the second quarter, marching 96 yards to Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run that trimmed the lead to 20-7.
McGrath’s 32-yard field goal increased the lead to 23-7 at halftime.
–Field Level Media