KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (9-22-2007) ? Arkansas State sophomore Brandon Thompkins racked up 194 return yards, and sophomore tailback Reggie Arnold added 130 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 48-27 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers (2-2) Saturday night before 102, 368 fans at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
Thompkins' 194 return yards set a single-game record for Arkansas State(1-2), but Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge offset the effort with a career high 334 yards and four touchdowns in front of the largest crowd to ever witness an Indian football game.
Tennessee did not put the game away until the fourth quarter, answering an early fourth-quarter touchdown by the Indians with 10 points down the stretch to put the game away. Arkansas State pulled to within 38-27 when Arnold found the end zone from a yard out with 14:54 remaining, but Tennessee took control in the remainder of the game and kept the Tribe off the scoreboard to secure the win.
“I'm obviously disappointed in the outcome of the ballgame,” said ASU head coach Steve Roberts. “I thought our players played very hard in a very hot and hostile environment tonight. We came out and were able to make some plays, we just weren't able to make the critical plays.”
The Vols took a 7-0 lead on their first possession courtesy of a 17-yard pass from Ainge to wide receiver Lucas Taylor, but ASU answered on its first possession when sophomore quarterback Corey Leonard found senior wideout Chris Miller in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard scoring strike.
Tennessee went up 14-7 on Ainge's second touchdown pass of the night, a 15-yard completion to tight end Chris Brown that wrapped up the Volunteers' second possession, then made it 17-7 on a 29-yard field goal from Daniel Lincoln with 38 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
Tennessee drove into Indian territory on its next possession as well, but ASU senior Tyrell Johnson, the Sun Belt Conference preseason player of the year, picked off an Ainge pass and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown to pull the Tribe within three at 17-14 with 9:13 remaining in the second quarter.
Tennessee scored two touchdowns in a span of 1:21 late in the first half to build a 31-14 cushion before ASU sophomore kicker Josh Arauco nailed a 44-yard field goal as time expired in the half to make it 31-17 at the break.
The Volunteers' late second quarter scores came on a 25-yard pass from Ainge to tailback LaMarcus Coker, and a 5-yard run by tailback Arian Foster. Foster's scoring run was set up when Tennessee's Brent Vinson intercepted Leonard at the Indian 40 with 1:39 remaining in the half.
Arkansas State got a 37-yard field goal from Arauco on the first possession of the second half to cut the Volunteer lead to 31-20, but the Vols distanced themselves again with a 2-yard run from Coker to stretch the lead to 38-20 with 6:26 to play in the third.
The Indians answered with an 82-yard drive that was capped off by Arnold's 1-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter to cut the Tennessee lead to 38-27, but the Vols got a 24-yard touchdown pass from Ainge to Taylor and a 39-yard yard field goal from Lincoln to go up 48-27 with 8:57 to play, then held ASU scoreless for the rest of the night.
In addition to his 194 return yards, Thompkins added 49 receiving yards, while senior Levi Dejohnette led the Indians with 53 yards on three receptions. Leonard completed 18-of-35 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice and sacked four times.
Arkansas State will return to action Thursday, Sept. 27 when they host the Memphis Tigers in a 6:00 p.m. game at Indian Stadium in Jonesboro. The game was originally scheduled to have been played Sept. 8 but was postponed after a lengthy delay due to lightning in the area.
