Vols Football: Game Ball for Week 8 vs. Ole Miss

The Vols defense looked good at times on Saturday, and they kept the Vols in it even with the offense sputtering. PHOTO: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers suffered a disappointing 34-3 blowout loss against the No. 3 Ole Miss Rebels Saturday night in Oxford, MS, but not everything was a disaster for the young Vols.

While the Vols offense may have had its worst performance of the 2014 season, the defense played well for most of the game, especially early on.

A.J. Johnson was a beast yet again, and fellow linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin was also solid. Sophomore defensive end Corey Vereen had his best game of the season thus far, but none of these players are the recipient of our Game Ball.

This week’s All For Tennessee Game Ball goes to true freshman defensive end Derek Barnett for his most impressive performance of his young career. The freshman totaled 10 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, and 2 sacks. He now leads the team in tackles for loss (9.5) and is tied for the lead in sacks (3).

Barnett and Johnson wreaked havoc in the Ole Miss backfield early and often in the 1st half, and while the defense as a whole allowed more scores in the 2nd half, Barnett was still able to create destruction on defense.

Derek Barnett has been one of the best defensive players not only for the Vols, but in all the SEC so far this season. Given the fact that he’s just a freshman, Vol fans have plenty to be excited about for the coming years.