Offensive Line
Nathanael: C+
Tennessee’s offensive line started out struggling mightily against an FCS school. Jeremy Pruitt said after the game he thought that was more due to things ETSU was doing rather than any struggles the Vols had on the line, but it was still discouraging to see the Vols with negative-one rushing yards on eight carries after the first quarter. The line did get better as the day progressed, and it looked like they figured some things out. But the lack of consistent pass protection and solid push in the run game is still a concern.
Ben: C
The offensive line was average on Saturday against East Tennessee State, and that shouldn’t be the case against an FCS opponent. Yes, Tennessee rushed for 190 yards and only one sack was allowed, but I felt a lot of yards were left on the field. In the first quarter, the group got off to a slow start, allowing ETSU to push the interior around. This may be in large part because Tennessee is shuffling new pieces around at center and guard. But against an FCS opponent, it shouldn’t make a difference. The group also allowed seven tackles for a loss, far too many.
