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QUARTERBACK
Quinten Dormady struggled with accuracy and was hurt by drops early in his first career start, but the junior was poised and accurate when it mattered most with a pair of second-half touchdown passes. Look for Jarrett Guarantano to get his first playing time Saturday against Indiana State.
RUNNING BACKS
John Kelly was as good as advertised, scoring four touchdowns and never fumbling while running for 130 yards and picking up 35 yards on five receptions. Freshman Ty Chandler was the first running back in the game behind him, running once for 7 yards.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Marquez Callaway’s two-touchdown performance was the group’s lone bright spot. Losing Jauan Jennings hurts a unit that will have a lot to prove in SEC play. Getting senior Josh Smith back soon from an AC sprain will help.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line struggled with injuries and continuity during preseason camp but didn’t allow a sack Monday, even with the youthful duo of Trey Smith and Marcus Tatum comprising the line’s right side. Dormady helped their cause with some nice footwork in the pocket.
DEFENSIVE LINE
The defensive linemen may still be working out cramps Saturday when Indiana State visits Neyland Stadium. The Vols kept their rotation minimal up front, and Georgia Tech’s 86 running plays took their toll.
LINEBACKERS
Darrin Kirkland Jr.’s season-ending injury forced Daniel Bituli into action, and the sophomore exceeded expectations with 23 tackles. The Vols typically will play only two linebackers at a time the rest of the season, and Bituli made his case to be one of the regulars.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
This unit allowed a few big plays, but cornerback Rashaan Gaulden’s forced fumble that was recovered by safety Micah Abernathy late in the fourth quarter allowed Tennessee the chance to tie the game.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Trevor Daniel tied his career-long with a 70-yard punt in the first half, and Evan Berry made two nice kick returns. The Vols did not attempt any field goals or punt returns, however. Paul Bain’s field-goal block as regulation expired may have been the play of the game.
COACHING
A full offseason to prepare did not help Tennessee’s coaches formulate a successful plan for slowing Georgia Tech’s flexbone offense. Fans will want to see improvement from second-year defensive coordinator Bob Shoop’s unit going forward. Head coach Butch Jones used questionable clock management at the end of the first half.