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Virginia Tech fumbles game away to Tennessee in front of record crowd

Posted at 7:31 AM, Sep 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-11 07:31:06-04

BRISTOL, Tenn. — For Tennessee coach Butch Jones, this one was special.

“We talk to the players all the time about leaving a legacy,” he said.

And the 17th-ranked Volunteers certainly made some memories while taking strides toward being the team they want to be Saturday night, overcoming a rocky start in the Battle of Bristol as they routed mistake-prone Virginia Tech 45-24 in front of the largest crowd in football history.

Wide receiver Cam Phillips #5 of the Virginia Tech Hokies is stripped by defensive lineman Kendal Vickers #39 of the Tennessee Volunteers in the second half at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 10, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Virginia Tech 45-24. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)

Wide receiver Cam Phillips #5 of the Virginia Tech Hokies is stripped by defensive lineman Kendal Vickers #39 of the Tennessee Volunteers in the second half at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 10, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Virginia Tech 45-24. (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)

As 156,990 fans watched at Bristol Motor Speedway in a game 20 years in the making, Tennessee (2-0) was outgained 204-28 in the first quarter and trailed 14-0. A predominantly orange-clad crowd was quiet, their team resembling a car that wrecked on the first turn in the first lap.

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