Nico Iamaleava made his first home start for Tennessee football and the Vols cruised to a 69-3 victory over Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium in the 2024 season opener on Saturday.
The redshirt freshman quarterback completed his first 10 passes. Iamaleava was 22-of-28 passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns.
This could be the start of Tennessee's run to the College Football Playoff .
Watch Tennessee football vs Chattanooga live on ESPN+
Tennessee vs Chattanooga score updates
Tennessee 69, Chattanooga 3: Jordan 13-yard blocked punt return
Jordan Ross blocked punt and returned for a touchdown with 1:07 left.
Tennessee 62, Chattanooga 3: Keith 1-yard TD run
Khalifa Keith with 1-yard TD run with 4:06 to play. Josh Turbyville with PAT.
Tennessee 55, Chattanooga 3: Bishop 22-yard TD run
DeSean Bishop win a 22-yard touchdown run with 1:13 left in the third quarter. Max Gilbert with PAT.
Tennessee 48, Chattanooga 3: Gilbert 42-yard FG
Max Gilbert hits 42-yard field goal with 7:15 left in third quarter.
Nico Iamaleava breaks school record
Nico Imaleava's day is over. The redshirt freshman quarterback completed his first 10 passes. Iamaleava was 22-of-28 passing for 314 yards and three touchdowns.
Tennessee 45, Chattanooga 3: Kelley 43-yard FG
Jude Kelley with 43-yard field goal with 10:10 left in the third quarter.
Tennessee 45, Chattanooga 0: Sampson 5-yard TD
Dylan Sampson with a 5-yard TD run with 6:43 left in the second quarter. Max Arnold with PAT.
Tennessee 38, Chattanooga 0: Thornton 10-yard TD pass from Iamaleava
Dont'e Thornton with a 10-yard pass from Nico Iamaleava with 10:14 left in the second quarter. Max Arnold with PAT.
Tennessee 31, Chattanooga 0: Sampson 3-yard TD run
Dylan Sampson with 3-yard run with 14:03 left. Max Gilbert with PAT.
Tennessee 24, Chattanooga 0: Gilbert 36-yard field goal
Max Gilbert with 36-yard field goal with 3:32 left if the first quarter.
Tennessee 21, Chattanooga 0: Thornton 36-yard TD pass from Iamaleava
Dont'e Thornton with a 36-yard TD pass from Nico Iamaleava with 7:18 left in the first quarter. Max Gilbert with PAT.
Tennessee 14, Chattanooga 0: Davis 4-yard TD pass from Iamaleava
Tight end Ethan Davis with a 4-yard TD pass from Nico Iamaleava with 8:34 left in the first quarter. PAT by Max Gilbert.
Dylan Sampson runs for a 1-yard TD with 11:09 left in the first quarter. Max Gilbert with extra point.
Tennessee vs Chattanooga time today
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
- Time: 12:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Neyland Stadium (101,915)
What channel is Tennessee vs Chattanooga game on today?
Tennessee vs. Chattanooga will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network. Play-by-play announcer Taylor Zarzour, analyst Matt Stinchcomb will call the game from the booth at Neyland Stadium with Alyssa Lang reporting from the sideline. Streaming options for the game include ESPN+ and FUBO , which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Tennessee vs Chattanooga history
- Series record: Tennessee leads 39-2-2 on field (38-2-2 with one UT win vacated due to NCAA violations)
- Tennessee last win: 2019 (45-0), but game was vacated due to NCAA violations by UT
- Chattanooga last win : 1958 (14-6)
Tennessee vs Chattanooga prediction
Tennessee 59, Chattanooga 7: The buzz around Nico Iamaleava and this potentially explosive offense will only get louder after this onslaught. Chattanooga is no pushover as a top 10 team at the FCS level, but the Vols should roll in front of a home crowd. Check out our game-by-game predictions for UT's 2024 season .
Tennessee vs Chattanooga betting odds
Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday:
- Spread: N/A (because Chattanooga is an FCS team)
- Over/under : N/A (because Chattanooga is an FCS team)
- Moneyline: N/A (because Chattanooga is an FCS team)
Tennessee vs Chattanooga injury updates
Wide receiver Bru McCoy, wide receiver Dont'e Thornton, left guard Andrej Karic and right guard Javontez Spraggins missed spring practice after suffering season-ending injuries in 2023. But they have returned to the lineup for the 2024 season. Running backs Cam Seldon and Peyton Lewis underwent offseason shoulder surgeries, but they also are expected to play in this Week 1 game.
Check here close to kickoff for Tennessee injury updates.
Tennessee vs Chattanooga weather update
The forecast calls 87 degrees and partly sunny at kickoff.
Tennessee football 2024 schedule
- Aug. 31: Chattanooga
- Sept. 7: vs. NC State (in Charlotte)
- Sept. 14: vs. Kent State
- Sept. 21: at Oklahoma
- Oct. 5: at Arkansas
- Oct. 12: Florida
- Oct. 19: Alabama
- Nov. 2: Kentucky
- Nov. 9: Mississippi State
- Nov. 16: at Georgia
- Nov. 23: UTEP
- Nov. 30: at Vanderbilt
Buy Tennessee football tickets this season with Stubhub
Chattanooga football 2024 schedule
- Aug. 31: at Tennessee
- Sept. 7: at Georgia State
- Sept. 14: Mercer
- Sept. 28: Portland State
- Oct. 5: at ETSU
- Oct. 12: at Furman
- Oct. 19: Wofford
- Oct. 26: VMI
- Nov. 2: at Western Carolina
- Nov. 9: at The Citadel
- Nov. 16: Samford
- Nov. 23: at Austin Peay
Tennessee football news
5 BOLD PREDICTIONS FOR VOLS Nico Iamaleava, James Pearce, bowl pick
VOLS PREPARE RECEIVERS FOR CFP Rotation must go deep for playoff run
24 NEW THINGS AT NEYLAND STADIUM 'Home of Vols' sign, Pilot logos, concessions, restrooms
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Launch 3-4 hours prior to game time with four or five of the prewritten H2s, and then add a fresh prewritten H2 every 30 minutes or so.
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Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Chattanooga score today: Live updates, highlights from Week 1
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