Tennessee takes Outback Bowl with blowout of Northwestern

No. 13 Northwestern and No. 23 Tennessee both came into 2016 riding a five-game winning streak. The Volunteers extended theirs to six, thanks to a 45-6 rout of the Wildcats in the Outback Bowl.

Here's what you need to know:

• The dynamic duo of quarterback Joshua Dobbs and running back Jalen Hurd owned this game for Tennessee. The two combined for 344 yards of offense and three touchdowns.
• Hurd became the first Vol to record 100 rushing yards in consecutive bowl games.
• Tennessee dominated in just about every category of the game. The Vols outgained their Big Ten opponents by over 200 yards, won the turnover battle 4-0, and controlled the ball for nearly 10 more minutes.
• With the game out of reach in the final frame, Northwestern benched struggling quarterback Clayton Thorson in favor of senior Zack Oliver, whom was playing his final game in a Wildcats uniform. Thorson and Oliver each threw a pair of picks when all was said and done.
• Northwestern defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster left the game late after being shaken up.
• The 39-point win is the largest in Tennessee history.
• Northwestern may have been given a bit too much respect from the College Football Playoff committee. The Wildcats did not look like a No. 13 team, as they put up very little resistance to their 23rd-ranked counterparts.
• With six straight wins to end the season, the Vols will hope to take momentum into next season, where they'll likely be ranked in the preseason.

Play of the Game

Honorable mentions go out to Dobbs' sideline tiptoe into the end zone and Hurd's vicious stiff arm, but Evan Berry's 100-yard interception return touchdown gets the nod for the Outback Bowl's top play.

Tennessee finishes the season 9-4, and Northwestern ends its season with a 10-3 clip.