SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 22, 2012
Tennessee 47, Akron 26: Tyler Bray threw for 401 yards and four touchdowns as Tennessee held off a valiant upset effort from visiting Akron.
The junior quarterback struggled early - throwing a pass that was intercepted by Avis Commack and returned for a TD on his team's first drive - but made few mistakes the rest of
the way, leading the Volunteers (3-1) to their fifth win in five tries
against teams from the Mid-American Conference.
Dalton Williams led the Akron offense, completing 27 of 49 passes for 229 yards to add to his season totals that rank amongst the best in the nation. Williams' game was ruined by three interceptions, with his third leading to a back-breaking Tennessee touchdown in the fourth quarter.
With the Vols leading 33-26, Williams was picked by Eric Gordon, giving Tennessee the ball at the Akron 19-yard line. One play later, Bray hit Justin Hunter for a touchdown and an insurmountable 40-26 lead.
Rajion Neal set a career high with 151 rushing yards on 22 carries for Tennessee and Hunter finished with eight catches for 115 yards.
Marquelo Suel pulled in 12 catches for 92 yards in a losing effort for Akron, a career best in both categories.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Terry Bowden fell to 0-3 all-time against Tennessee, after an 0-2 record as head coach at Auburn… The win marks Tennessee’s first nine-game non-conference win streak since a 10-game run from 2000-02… The two teams combined for a total of 977 yards for the game.