Will Brooks made his first career interception.

Tennessee football safety intercepted NC State quarterback Grayson McCall and returned it 85 yards for a touchdown on Saturday. Brooks’ interception return gave Tennessee a 17-3 lead late in the second quarter after the Wolfpack entered the UT red zone at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Brooks’ pick-six was the 10th-longest in program history and the longest since Daniel Bituli made a 97-yarder at Alabama in 2017.

The pass was intended for NC State tight end Justin Joly. Tennessee edge rusher Joshua Josephs pressured McCall, forcing the high throw. Brooks flew toward Joly and intercepted the pass. He ran past McCall to the sideline and easily ran away for the touchdown.

It was UT’s first pick-six since James Pearce Jr. against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl. Pearce returned the interception 52 yards for a touchdown.

Mike Wilson covers athletics at the University of Tennessee. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilsonIf you enjoy Mike’s reporting, consider a digital subscription which gives you access to everything.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: Will Brooks has an interception TD return against NC State