UT receivers stood out on third downs in upset

AUBURN, Ala. — Tennessee sophomore offensive lineman Trey Smith summarized it best when he commented on the play of the Volunteers’ wide receivers Saturday.

“They played a hell of a game, man,” Smith said after a 30-24 upset victory at Auburn.

Specifically, the Vols’ receivers were unstoppable on third downs against a previously heralded Auburn defense.

Three Vols made their only catches of the game on third downs as Tennessee (3-3, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) overcame an ineffective running game with a steady stream of big plays in the passing game.

“They did a great job high-pointing,” quarterback Jarrett Guarantano said. “Those 50-50 balls, we talk about it all the time. Those are what’s going to bring us SEC wins.”

Jauan Jennings led the party with five catches — all on third downs — for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Both of Marquez Callaway’s receptions came on third-and-long conversions, and tight end Eli Wolf’s lone grab also converted a key third-and-long late in the game.

The emphasis on “high-pointing” Guarantano spoke of showed up after one of the game’s biggest plays. The term refers to elevating above defenders to catch the football, but Jennings failed to do that on his third-quarter touchdown that put Tennessee ahead 20-17.

“From my perspective, I saw him try to high-point it, and it went back to his body,” Callaway said. “So after he scored, we were walking off the field, I told him, ‘I bet Coach is going to say something.’ He already knew.”

It was a forgivable grievance in an unforgettable game for Jennings, who finally appears fully healthy after playing in just one game last season and going through a tumultuous offseason. If Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt noticed, he chose to overlook the technical miscue after the game as he assessed the overall body of work his receivers turned in against the Tigers (4-3, 1-3), who were ranked 21st but dropped out of the Associated Press poll Sunday.

“I thought we had some good play calls called that hit the right coverages,” Pruitt said.

“Jarrett done a good job getting the ball to them, and they high-pointed the ball. It’s good to see the things that they took from the meeting room and practice field and execute it in the games. Hopefully that’s something they can build confidence on.”

Nine of Tennessee’s 10 third-down conversions came via pass, which was something of a surprise, considering Auburn had allowed only four touchdown passes in its first six games. That’s what stood out to Pruitt about his receivers.

“Let me tell you, they done it against some really good players,” Pruitt said. “Those guys in the secondary for Auburn can cover them pretty well.”

Tennessee’s receivers simply outperformed “those guys,” especially when it mattered most.

“They made a lot of big plays when we needed them,” Smith said. “They did a heck of a job. You can’t ask for a better group than them.”

Kongbo’s injury

Pruitt said Sunday night on “The Nation” radio show that senior defensive end Jonathan Kongbo tore an ACL on Saturday. Kongbo left the game in the second half, did not re-enter and was seen on crutches afterward. Kongbo made 11 tackles in Tennessee’s first six games this year, and on Saturday he had his second interception as a college player.

Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb.