Everyone expected a bloodbath between the hedges on Saturday. And while it wasn’t pretty, the Tennessee Volunteers avoided a second consecutive embarrassing performance in Athens. The Vols are still miles away from where they want to be, but there was some clear progress this week.
While there are some things to feel good about coming out of this game, it’s important to remember that Georgia wasn’t very sharp today and Tennessee never really threatened the Bulldogs.
The Tennessee-Georgia series is now tied in all-time wins and losses.
Tennessee Vols Game Grades Georgia Edition
Offense: C-
Tennessee’s offense was horrible in the first half. But once offensive coordinator Tyson Helton expanded the field and opened the playbook, the Vols offense showed some signs of life. Remember, this was a team that had held Tennessee scoreless for six straight quarters before the Vols broke through in the third quarter.
Offensive Stat of the Game: 66 Yards Rushing
Quarterback: C+
Jarrett Guarantano continue his steady play leading the Volunteers offense. He had two passing touchdowns on a day when Tennessee couldn’t establish an effective run game. Guarantano looked noticeably constrained in his mobility and escapability. He had no carries on the day. Fans must wonder if his knee injury is a little more significant than they think. Guarantano was 13-for-21 (62%) is effective, considering the 55 yards rushing all day.
Running Backs: C+
The running backs had limited success against a big and aggressive Georgia defense. They were able to find some room on the edge, but never made a big play in the running game. Tennessee desperately needed something from the ground game to help a struggling offense. Ty Chandler did have a touchdown in the passing game, and Tim Jordan had a nice third down conversion in the second half. But Jeremy Banks fumbled with 3:24 remaining in the game put a damper on the Vols second-half offensive performance. That’s Banks second key fumble this season.
Receivers: B-
Tennessee’s best offensive group remains the receivers. Their size has proven invaluable in the short, possession-oriented passing game. Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway continued to carry that. The deep passing game wasn’t as effective, even with Josh Palmer‘s first career touchdown reception. That was really the only downfield threat that Georgia allowed all day.
Offensive Line: D
Tennessee lost this game in the trenches in the first half. Their inability to get one, two, or three yards on third down and continue drives frustrated the Tennessee timeline, exhausted the Vols defense, and propped up a Georgia team that wasn’t as sharp as they usually are. Georgia owned the time of possession 37:27 to 22:33.
Still, there was progress with almost every position group today, including the offensive line. There’s much work to be done. It should be noted that the line’s pass blocking improved dramatically in the second half, even if Georgia wasn’t applying too much pressure.
Defense: C+
The stat sheet will be more generous to Tennessee’s defense than the game field. Tennessee fans saw the discrepancy in time of possession, and that certainly put the defense in tough spot. But there were way too many missed tackles from the Tennessee defense for coaches and fans to be happy.
The ball didn’t bounce their way at any point, sure. But Tennessee has to make their own breaks. Regardless of what the offense did or didn’t do today, the defense should be better in the fundamentals.
Defensive Stat of the Game: Georgia’s 220 Rushing Yards From Numerous Missed Tackles
Defensive Line: C
Tennessee’s defensive front traded some decent rush defensive for an effective pass rush. The defensive line was the biggest contributor to the plague of missed tackles. Shy Tuttle and Alexis Johnson had good days against the Georgia offensive line, but had several key tackles missed that led to first downs. Deandre Johnson struggled as well.
Linebackers: B
The Vols linebackers had the best day of any Tennessee unit on the field. Darrin Kirkland, Jr. had his best game of the 2018 campaign and was effective from sideline-to-sideline. Daniel Bituli and Will Ignot also had strong days. Quart’e Sapp, who made headlines last week, saw a lot of action today with solid results. If only Tennessee could get something–anything–from Jonathan Kongbo. Kongbo got sealed by an undersized tight end and then missed a third down tackle on the first series of the day. He was invisible, again, for the rest of the day.
Defensive Backs: C
Tennessee’s young defensive backs continue to show progress as well. Nigel Warrior missed a sure interception, and Jake Fromm wasn’t sharp in the downfield passing game today. Additionally, Theo Jackson and Baylen Buchanan were mediocre in run defense. Alontea Taylor had another solid day in all phases of the game.
Special Teams: C
Tennessee’s special teams weren’t tested much today. Joe Doyle had a few average punts and a few good punts. Tennessee couldn’t line up correctly in the first half on punts. There wasn’t any impact on the game from kickoffs or kickoff returns.
Coaching: C
Tyson Helton’s offensive strategy in the first half was very conservative. There’s certainly value in trying to establish a running game. Once the offense loosened up a little, to take advantage of the strengths of this offense, the Vols offense looked much better.
But more importantly, progress is clear. This team looks different than week one and executed much better than last week. It won’t be enough to beat Auburn or Alabama, but if head coach Jeremy Pruitt can continue to get this team to improve week-by-week, Tennessee could get a much needed SEC win in the second half of the season.
Looking Ahead
Tennessee gets a much needed bye week next Saturday. The brutal SEC stretch continues in two weeks with a trip to Auburn, followed by Alabama and South Carolina.
Tennessee fans understand where this team is, and it’s not in a good place. They’ll be looking to see continued improvement in the defense. And there’s plenty of reason to believe they’ll get that. But they’ll also expect a significant improvement in the Vols offense, and there’s nothing to indicate that that’s going to happen. Especially against Auburn and Alabama, two of the best defenses in the nation.
Everyone–fans, media, and people inside the program–will be looking at the locker room and the culture. Tennessee will likely be 2-6 at the end of this stretch. Can they keep their heads and their hearts in this season? Or will the expectations of bloodbaths continue?
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