Josh Heupel had been trying to tell everyone for weeks. Dont'e Thornton, Jr. has been one of Tennessee's options to replace Bru McCoy on the perimeter. Two weeks ago, the 6'5" wide receiver had the longest catch of the game for the Vols, a 47-yarder in Tennessee's 33-27 win over Kentucky.
Thornton basically repeated that distance on Saturday in Columbia, MO, except this time, he notched his first touchdown as a Tennessee Volunteer in the process. Thornton streaked down the field and made a nifty sliding catch in the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown.
Credit also goes to Joe Milton, who threw a high-arching ball to the end zone and allowed Thornton to use his great speed to get a step on the cornerback and run underneath it. It looked as though he had possibly let the ball touch the ground, but there was no video evidence on review that showed the ball moved, so the call of touchdown stood.
However, of greater importance is Thornton, who suffered what the CBS broadcast later described as a lower body injury. He had to be helped off the field and to the medical tent, unable to put weight on his leg.
Thornton transferred to Tennessee from Oregon in January 2023. In six games, Thornton has 13 catches for 224 yards and a touchdown.
Missouri leads Tennessee 13-7 at halftime.
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