Six different Oregon players scored touchdowns en route to the Ducks’ 48-13 win over the Tennessee Volunteers in a non-conference matchup Saturday night in Knoxville.
Tennessee moved the ball consistently in the opening quarter before a 70-minute weather delay because of lightning sent both teams to the locker room.
When the game resumed, Volunteer junior Tauren Poole torched the Oregon defense for 111 yards rushing in the first quarter. Poole finished with 23 carries for 162 yards and one score.
With the Vols up 13-6 nearing the end of the second quarter, Oregon sophomore quarterback Darron Thomas connected with junior tight end David Paulson on a 27-yard scoring strike to put the game at 13-13.
`”We had a delay, but they had the same delay. It’s just in how you handle it,” Oregon head coach Chip Kelly said.
Kelly saw his squad rattle off 45 unanswered points over the next two quarters.
Sophomore running back LaMichael James sparked the Oregon outburst with a 72-yard touchdown run to put the Ducks up 20-13. James finished his season debut with 134 yards rushing.
`It comes down to tempo.” James said. “Once the tempo gets going, it’s hard to stop. Once those guys got tired we kept rolling.”
Oregon sophomore cornerback Cliff Harris — who returned two punts for touchdowns a week ago against New Mexico — put the Ducks up 27-13 with his 76-yard interception return for a touchdown. All three of Harris’ official touches this season have gone for scores.
The Oregon offense struck again on a 29-yard touchdown reception by senior wide receiver Lavasier Tuinei, the first scoring grab of his Oregon career.
Then with 11:39 left in the fourth quarter, sophomore return man Kenjon Barner chipped in another score with his 80-yard punt return for a touchdown, before senior running back Remene Alston pounded the Ducks final touchdown on a one-yard scamper to put Oregon ahead 48-13.
“They were a great team, and they just beat (us) tonight,” Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz said. “I feel like their offense set such a tempo. As a defense you have to match that, and if you don’t then you’re going to get ran right by. And that’s what they did to us.”
Thomas finished his first official road start completing 17 of 32 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. The Oregon offense totaled 447 yards compared to 333 yards for Tennessee.
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