In his first career start, freshman quarterback Joshua Dobbs (of Alpharetta High) never managed to lead Tennessee into the end zone.
When he watches film in the quarterbacks’ room this week, he won’t have to look far to find someone to commiserate with.
Tennessee lost to No. 10 Missouri 31-3 at Faurot Field on Saturday night, the first time in more than two years that the Volunteers had failed to score a touchdown.
The last time that happened, on Oct. 29, 2011, the Vols lost to 13th-ranked South Carolina, 14-3. It was the debut start for a young quarterback named Justin Worley.
It was Worley’s injured thumb that forced Dobbs into the game last week at Alabama. When Worley underwent surgery Monday, it gave Dobbs the starting job — perhaps for the rest of the season.
Like Worley, Dobbs had a mixed debut.
Dobbs completed 26 of 42 passes for 240 yards against Missouri’s defense. Most damagingly, he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.
“He had some great learning lessons — some positive, some negative,” Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. “I think he’s going to get nothing but better.”
Dobbs, like all Vols freshmen, is not made available to reporters. But much like at Alabama, he appeared unruffled by the magnitude of his task at Missouri.
Photographers searching for him from the sidelines before the game couldn’t locate him at first because he was corralling field goals for the special-teams unit. It was the equivalent of a star player shagging flies in the outfield during batting practice.
“He was very even keel, very consistent,” Jones said. “I thought he made some great throws, particularly against one of the top defenses in the league.”
He also made some decisions he probably regretted.
Dobbs’ first interception was at the center of the game’s biggest momentum turn.
On first-and-10, Dobbs tried to force a pass to tight end A.J. Branisel, but was picked off by Missouri’s E.J. Gaines. On the next play, Mizzou quarterback Maty Mauk hit L’Damian Washington for a 26-yard touchdown pass.
In a 17-second span, Mizzou had taken a 17-0 lead in a game that had seemed competitive.
Jones said throwing the ball away — especially on a first down — would have been a better move for Dobbs.
The Vols seemed to be rallying to score before halftime, but Dobbs fumbled on a run near the sidelines.
For any number of reasons, Jones said, Dobbs should have gotten out of bounds, stopping the clock, avoiding a hit and maintaining possession of the football.
Teammates said they thought Dobbs was off to a good start.
“They sent the house at him,” said receiver Alton “Pig” Howard, who had 11 catches. “It was his first game. He made some great plays.”
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