Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron covered UT’s game in Columbia against South Carolina on Saturday. He assessed grades for each position based on the group’s performance in the Vols’ 45-42 victory over the Gamecocks.
Quarterbacks: A-
Josh Dobbs’ interception with 10:51 left in fourth quarter seemingly put an end to Tennessee’s chances of leaving Columbia with a victory. After the pick, the sophomore signal caller trotted to the sideline and told head coach Butch Jones ‘give me another chance.’ That chance was all he needed as he led the Vols’ offense on four consecutive scoring drives, including overtime, to propel UT to victory. Dobbs finished the day with 467 yards from scrimmage – 301 passing and 166 rushing – and five touchdowns.
Running Backs: A
Freshman running back Jalen Hurd did it all on Saturday. Not only did he record 58 yards and a touchdown on a team-high seven catches, but he also shouldered the UT ground game aside Dobbs, rushing for 125 yards on 21 carries. Senior Marlin Lane added 15 yards on five carries before suffering an ankle injury that forced him to be carried off the field by his teammates to the locker room.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: B+
Alton “Pig” Howard became the first UT receiver to eclipse the 100-yard mark in a game since Marquez North did it during the Vols’ 2013 upset victory over South Carolina. Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jason Croom hauled in UT’s game-tying touchdown, while junior wideout Von Pearson recorded 55 yards on four catches – 42 of which came on one reception.
Offensive Line: A
Dobbs’ mobility in and out of the pocket has given UT’s offensive line new life. After giving up only two sacks last week against Alabama, the offensive line didn’t give up a single sack against South Carolina. They also managed to get enough push to allow the Vols offense to put up a season-high 645 yards. In fact, UT’s 344 rushing yards was the most since they recorded 406 against Vanderbilt in 1994.
Defensive Line: C+
The defensive line didn’t get consistent pressure on South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompson throughout the night, but when they needed to the most they did, as the redshirt senior wasn’t given any time to find an open receiver in the Gamecocks lone overtime possession. Freshman defensive end Derek Barnett recorded three sacks in the ballgame – one in overtime – moving his season total to seven.
Linebackers: C+
Curt Maggitt recorded two sacks and A.J. Johnson picked up 10 more tackles to add to his career totals, but overall UT’s linebacking core contributed to a defensive effort that saw the Gamecocks amass 625 yards. This unit especially didn’t help in halting South Carolina’s ground attack, which was able to rush for 248 yards and three touchdowns on 39 carries.
Secondary: D
For the second consecutive week, a wide receiver with the last name Cooper lit up the Vols secondary. This week, it was USC’s Pharoh Cooper who racked up 233 yard receiving and two touchdowns on 11 catches. Cooper also torched UT’s defensive backs with his arm firing a 30-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Wilds out of the Wildcat formation. In total, the Vols allowed South Carolina to throw for 347 yards on the night.
Special Teams: D+
Senior Matt Darr had his worst punting performance of the season, averaging only 32.7 yards on his three punts. Freshman kicker Aaron Medley missed on his first two field goal attempts of the night, but made up for it with the eventual game-winning, 32-yard kick in overtime.
Week 9 GPA: The Vols earn a football GPA of 2.75 for their performance in a 45-42 win against South Carolina.
Cumulative GPA: Through nine games, UT holds a cumulative GPA of 2.70.
