In his first game as Tennessee’s go-to receiver, Da’Rick Rogers stepped up in a big way for the Volunteers.
Without fellow sophomore receiver Justin Hunter for first time due to a season-ending injury he suffered against Florida, Rogers hauled in seven receptions for a career-high 180 yards and two touchdowns in UT’s 41-10 victory over Buffalo Saturday in Neyland Stadium.
“Really, the coaches had been telling me all week that a lot of plays would be coming my way, and when they would come, what would I do,” Rogers said. “With Justin going down, I felt like I had to come back strong for the team.”
Through four games, Rogers ranks second in the SEC in both receptions (27) and yards (442), trailing Arkansas Jarius Wright in both categories. Rogers’ six touchdown grabs rank first in the conference and tied for third nationally.
“He’s a hard guy to cover,” UT quarterback Tyler Bray said. “He’s a big, physical receiver. And you can’t just worry about him.”
While no other Vol had more than three catches or accumulated 40 receiving yards, Dooley said it was not needed.
Freshman DeAnthony Arnett did haul in his first two touchdowns of his UT career, even if one of which was controversial.
“I think he dropped one,” Dooley said. “They couldn’t see it on the replay, so I’m going to give him credit for that second one. He’s doing O.K. He wasn’t very active in the slot, but we didn’t need him to be. Da’Rick had a big day. If Da’Rick can’t catch for 180, somebody is going to have to make up for it. We’ve got to get these yards, but 342 passing is a big number, and I like their attempts.”
Young returns
Knoxville native Devrin Young made his UT debut on Saturday. The freshman fielded his first punt after the Vols forced the Bulls to go three-and-out to open the game and returned punt 43 yards before being tripped at the Buffalo 48-yard line. Young also had 51 yards on two kickoff returns, fumbling one, and added six rushing yards on offense.
“He had two good returns,” Vols’ coach Derek Dooley said. “I hope he can continue to do that. It got a little energy going in the return game. Hopefully, that will energize the guys blocking. But, he put the ball on the ground, too. So you all know why I had him carrying the ball all week. It didn’t help. Or maybe it did. Maybe he would’ve fumbled five. It was a ‘do it and get your feet wet’ game and we’ll see how he progresses.”
Night game looms
The Vols’ now enter a brutal four-game October stretch similar to last year, which includes two of the top three teams in the country — LSU and Alabama.
But up next for UT is a home showdown with Georgia. The game will kick-off at 7 p.m. and be televised on ESPN2.
