Tennessee's offense needed a spark.
The Vols were on the cusp of their four-straight game without a first half touchdown as the clock ticked inside of five minutes in the second quarter at Neyland Stadium two weeks ago.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Dylan Sampson had carried the offense much of the season, but his fumble inside the Kentucky 25-yard line in the first quarter squandered an early scoring opportunity. His backup, DeSean Bishop went on the next possession, but exited the game with an injury and did not return.
Enter 6-foot-1, 210-pound freshman Peyton Lewis, a highly touted addition to Tennessee's roster but had been hindered by injuries in the spring and fall camp. Now he was powering the Vols towards the end zone just before halftime.
Lewis carried the ball six times, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown on his seventh carry--the Vols' first score in the first two quarters in 42 days to open the way for a 28-18 win over the Wildcats. The following week against Mississippi State, he entered for Sampson again after a fumble deep in plus territory and managed 14 carries for 44 yards and more than 3 yards per rush.
"I just think (Peyton Lewis has) complete understanding of what we're doing, understanding how to play with pad level," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. "The jump from high school to college football and playing college football inside of this league, it's dramatically different. He's a guy that continues to grow every single day.
"He's been really reliable for a young guy that's gone in. You see that on offense, but he's done a great job on special teams, too."
There is no doubt that Sampson is the headliner of Tennessee's backfield.
He has been one of the most prolific running backs in college football through eight games, accounting for 1,129 yards and a program single-season record 20 touchdowns, but Lewis' growth has been a positive development for the Vols.
Lewis arrived on campus as a four-star prospect, but missed all of spring practices because of shoulder surgery after he enrolled last January. With returning sophomore Cam Seldon also out with an injury and limited in the preseason, the running backs room was essentially down to one player behind Sampson in Bishop.
But Lewis has moved his way up the depth chart and is now getting carries in critical moments of close games.
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"He's done a really good job in his preparation, in terms of going out and attacking practice," Tennessee running backs coach De'Rail Sims said. "We've got competition every day in practice and he's done a really good job of maximizing the reps that he's gotten in practice. In the same situation, when he gets in a game, he's maximizing his opportunities and the confidence is growing. The more he gets out there, you can see it as he's playing right now."
Sampson has seen it.
He has had a front row seat to Lewis' transformation from young newcomer to now potentially playing a bigger role in the No. 6 Vols' (8-1, 5-1 SEC) most critical and final stretch of the regular season, which includes a top 15 road tilt at No. 11 Georgia (7-2, 5-2) on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
"I think his attention to detail, he's willing to learn, still trying to figure it all out," Sampson said. "The one, two is there. He shows the effort in practice and in the meeting room, so he'll continue to grow and get better."
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