Jan 1, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jalen Hurd (1) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half in the 2016 Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium. Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 45-6. Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
TAMPA, Fla. — Tennessee turned to sophomore running back Jalen Hurd to seal a 45-6 victory over Northwestern Friday afternoon in the Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
The No. 23-ranked Volunteers (9-4) used a stout defense and their powerful rushing attack, which was second-best in the Southeastern Conference, to close out the season with a sixth straight victory in front of a crowd of 53,202 fans, most of them wearing Volunteer colors.
No. 13 Northwestern had its winning streak snapped at five game to finish 10-3, which ties the school record for most wins in a season.
Hurd, voted the Outback Bowl MVP, had a big second half on his way to 130 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown.
Tennessee’s defense had four interceptions, including a 100-yard return by defensive back Evan Berry with eight seconds remaining, four sacks and seven tackles for a loss in holding Northwestern freshman quarterback Clayton Thorson to just 57 yards passing. It was the largest margin of victory in the 30-year history of the game, bettering Michigan’s 42-7 victory over North Caroliona State in 1994 when the game was called the Hall of Fame Bowl.
The Volunteers, who struggled earlier this season to close out some crucial games, dominated with a 28-0 second half to finish off the Wildcats.
Tennessee’s first drive in the third quarter ended on a failed fake goal, but sacks on consecutive plays by sophomore defensive lineman Kendal Vickers and junior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin put the ball right back to the offense. The Volunteers went 67 yards on 14 plays, seven of the last eight of those handoffs to Hurd, including a fourth-and-1 conversion at the Northwestern 5. Two plays later, Hurd crashed in up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 24-6.
Two plays later, senior defensive back Brian Randolph picked off Thorson.
Hurd went over 100 yards on a 24-yard run early in the fourth quarter, setting up junior quarterback Joshua Dobbs’ 18-yard touchdown run, bumping the Volunteers’ lead to 31-6. Dobbs fumbled the shotgun snap on the play, picked it up at the 27, and then raced right around the edge before tip-toeing down the sideline for his second touchdown on the ground.
Dobbs got the Volunteers on the board first, dashing 14 yards up the middle with 14 seconds left in the opening quarter to make it 7-0. Following a three-and-out by Northwestern, Dobbs drove Tennessee back into the red zone where the Volunteers settled for a 35-yard field by sophomore kicker Aaron Medley for a 10-0 lead.
The Wildcats’ offense, which struggled with poor field position in the first quarter, finally made a move by driving 75 yards for a touchdown. Thorson converted a third down with a pass completion, and then another with a 21-yard run to set up a 5-yard touchdown run by Justin Jackson with 5:40 remaining in the first half.
The Vols, however, came right back. Dobbs completed three passes for 40 yards to get the ball to the Northwestern 17. Sophomore running back Alvin Kamara, making his first career start, sprinted 12 yards for the score and a 17-6 lead heading into halftime.
NOTES: RB Jalen Hurd became the first player in Tennessee history to rush for 100 yards in two bowl games. Last year, he rushed for 122 yards in a Taxslayer Bowl victory over Iowa. It was Hurd’s sixth 100-yard rushing game this season. … Friday marked the 30th anniversary of the Outback Bowl game. The bowl was originally known as the Hall of Fame Bowl for its first nine years, kicking off with Boston College’s 27-24 win over Georgia in 1986. … The Outback Bowl matches up the SEC with the Big Ten, with the SEC holding a 13-9 advantage. … The matchup between Tennessee and Northwestern was just the second all-time. The Volunteers defeated the Wildcats 48-28 in the Florida Citrus Bowl in 1996. … Three of the last six Outback Bowls have been decided in overtime. … For Tennessee coach Butch Jones, the game was a bit of a homecoming. Jones, a lifelong Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, worked for the NFL team in the 1980s, starting out doing the team’s laundry during training camp at the University of Tampa and was a team intern from 1987-90.
