KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee redshirt junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano passed for 198 yards and four touchdowns, as the White defeated the Orange, 28-10, on Saturday evening in the 2019 Chevrolet Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium.
Guarantano, who was named the game’s most valuable player, was 12 of 22 for 141 yards in the first half and finished 19 of 37 for the night. He connected on scoring strikes with redshirt senior wide receiver Jauan Jennings (twice), senior tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson and junior wide receiver Josh Palmer. Jennings finished with five catches for 57 yards, while senior wideout Marquez Callaway caught two balls for 61 yards.
True freshman quarterback Brian Maurer (7 of 10, 105 yards) made his college debut for the Orange team in the second quarter, and he guided his unit to the game’s first points. His five-of-five passing effort on the drive accounted for all 59 yards of offense en route to a 20-yard field goal by sophomore Paxton Brooks that put the Orange on top, 3-0, with 4:00 left in the half.
Guarantano and the White team countered quickly on the next series, capping an eight-play, 78-yard drive with a four-yard pass to Wood-Anderson. Junior Brent Cimaglia kicked the extra point to make it 7-3 with 1:53 remaining in the first half and begin what would be a spree of 28 straight points by the White.
On that possession, Guarantano marched the White down the field on the strength of a 31-yard toss to Jennings, a 12-yard connection with junior running back Ty Chandler and rushes of nine and 13 yards by junior running back Tim Jordan.
After the White defense forced a three-and-out, Guarantano and company took over with 1:24 to go in the half and marched 84 yards in 10 plays for their second touchdown in as many possessions. Utilizing a 52-yard strike to Callaway to cover most of the real estate, Guarantano then put the finishing touches on the drive with a one-yard pass to Palmer as time expired. Cimaglia added the PAT to send the White into the locker room with a 14-3 advantage.
The White defense quickly set the offense up with great field position with 13:22 left in the third quarter. Freshman safety Jaylen McCollough stepped in front of a Maurer pass and returned it 32 yards to the Orange 7. Guarantano promptly fired his third TD toss of the game, finding Jennings from seven yards out. Cimaglia added the PAT to make the score 21-3.
McCollough added a second interception of Maurer late in the fourth quarter, running it back 27 yards before being tackled at the Orange 35 to finish with 59 return yards on the day. The White again capitalized, with Guarantano hooking up with Jennings for a nine-yard touchdown with 2:41 left in the game. Cimaglia booted the point after to make it 28-3.
The Orange ended the scoring run by the White with 1:33 remaining in the contest, as redshirt freshman quarterback J.T. Shrout(10 of 19, 138 yards) found redshirt sophomore tight end James Brown open for a 14-yard scoring strike. Brooks was accurate with the PAT to make the final score 28-10.
-UT Athletics
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