Overall
Daniel: The Vols need six wins this season and they got No. 3 on Saturday in pretty convincing fashion. Nobody’s throwing them a parade for knocking off the Mocs, though I thought Tennessee’s overall upgraded roster from an athletic standpoint was on display, particularly on defense and special teams. The offensive line is a train wreck. There’s no way around that. Improving that is the biggest challenge for this team going forward to find three more wins. It was a “business-like” approach by UT, according to Butch Jones, and I would agree with that assessment. Grade: B
Houston: It wasn’t a picture-perfect game, but the end result was exactly what Tennessee needed. The offense took advantage of forced turnovers by the defense and protected the football for the most part while the defense continues to look better and better each week. Special teams are no longer a concern and will only improve over the second half of the season as young players become more comfortable in their roles. The injuries are a concern, and the Vols must figure something out offensively if they want to look respectable against Ole Miss and/or Alabama, but they took care of business in this one. Grade: B
Reed: As Jones put it, Saturday’s win was thanks to a “business like” approach. Tennessee did what it had to do to win comfortably. The offense was underwhelming for much of the day, so that remains a concern, but through six games it’s safe to say the Vols have a solid defense – a top-40 defense in fact. It would have been nice to see more big plays from the offense and/or more consistent running lanes – that group has to play much better to have a shot in either of their next two games. Grade: B
