TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
QUARTERBACKS
Jarrett Guarantano was playing well in his fourth start until he was forced to leave because of an injury. The stats were not glamorous for Will McBride, a third-string freshman, but he showed promise and did what was needed to win his college debut.
RUNNING BACKS
John Kelly got the ball in the red zone in the third quarter, and he responded with a pair of touchdowns. Ty Chandler struggled to find running lanes after a breakout game at Kentucky the week before.
RECEIVERS
That there seems to be little improvement here is cause for concern. Marquez Callaway, the group’s lone big-play threat, left the game in the third quarter because of an injury.
OFFENSIVE LINE
All things considered, it could have gone a lot worse for the offensive line. A group that once had 14 scholarship players was down to six Saturday and struggled to block on running plays. Give this unit a gold star for effort, though.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Defensive end Darrell Taylor forced a fumble, and the defensive line helped bottle up the Southern Miss rushing attack throughout the game. Kyle Phillips, Shy Tuttle and Taylor had tackles for loss.
LINEBACKERS
The Southern Miss offense struggled to pass with starter Keon Howard in the game. When Kwadra Griggs entered late, things improved quite a bit. The Vols had a hard time covering receiver Korey Robertson.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
The Southern Miss offense struggled to pass with starter Keon Howard in the game. When Kwadra Griggs entered late, things improved quite a bit. The Vols had a hard time covering receiver Korey Robertson.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Trevor Daniel boomed the football long when he needed to while also displaying incredible finesse on three punts dropped inside the 20-yard line. Evan Berry had a nice kick return, and Aaron Medley made his only field-goal attempt (from 38 yards) and all three PATs.
COACHING
Head coach Butch Jones and his staff have taken a public beating this season. Give them credit for having the Vols ready to play in the midst of challenging circumstances.