Missouri Tigers vs Tennessee Volunteers Match Player Stats On Oct 03, 2020

Eric Gray rushed for 105 yards and scored twice as No. 21 Tennessee won its eighth consecutive game by beating Missouri 35-12 on Saturday in an SEC game in Knoxville, Tenn.

Jarrett Guarantano passed for 190 yards and rushed for two short touchdowns for the Vols (2-0, 2-0 SEC). Gray carried 16 times while tag-team partner Ty Chandler carried 19 times for 90 yards and a touchdown behind a Tennessee offensive line that controlled the game from the start.

Missouri (0-2, 0-2) did find some offensive spark behind second-string quarterback Connor Bazelak, who entered after the Tigers gained 13 yards on their first two drives under quarterback Shawn Robinson. Bazelak, offering a better passing threat, went the rest of the way, completing 13 of 21 passes for 218 yards, with one interception.

Tennessee extended its lead to 28-6 after its first drive of the second half, helped by a 17-yard pass to Josh Palmer on third-and-10. Guarantano capped the 92-yard drive with a 2-yard rush with 6:27 to go in the third quarter. His second rushing score came on a fourth-and-goal sneak from the 1 with 7:44 left, providing the final margin.

Missouri's only touchdown came with 2:06 left in third quarter after it converted two fourth-down opportunities during a 10-play, 75-yard drive. The Tigers got into the end zone on a 1-yard pitch to Larry Rountree on fourth-and-goal. The two-point conversion failed.

Tennessee gained 422 yards -- 232 on the ground -- and converted a total of three fourth-and-1 situations on the team's first two scoring drives. The Vols took a 14-0 lead on the third play of the second quarter when Gray rushed 20 yards for a score.

Missouri then went with Bazelak, who helped the Tigers claw back with a pair of field goals. A 50-yarder from Harrison Mevis made the score 14-6 with 4:17 to go in the second quarter.

Tennessee responded with a 75-yard drive, capped by Gray's second score -- a 13-yard pass from Guarantano with 44 seconds to go before halftime for a 21-6 lead.

Tennessee lineman Cade Mays, a former starter at Georgia who transferred after last season, started at right guard after the SEC deemed him eligible last week.

--Field Level Media