Tennessee vs. Oklahoma Report Card: Grading the Vols

Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) scores the winning touchdown in double overtime against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Oklahoma won in double overtime 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee vs. Oklahoma game was a heartbreaker for the Volunteers. Here’s how they fared in each phase of the football game Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

This game was sure to be a thriller between two teams desperate for a big victory, and that is exactly what we got here.

The Tennessee Vols lost yet another heartbreaker in a big game by blowing a 17-0 lead against the Oklahoma Sooners, 17-3 midway through the fourth quarter, to lose 31-24 in double overtime.

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While Tennessee struggled significantly in many parts of the football game, they even began to struggle in the areas that they generally played well in down the stretch.

Part of that could have been due to fatigue and lack of help, but a huge part appeared to also be the result of a lack of mental toughness by the football team as a whole.

We have already documented that issue, as this Tennessee team and program as a whole seems simply incapable of coming through in big moments anymore.

And it appears to have turned into a culture more than an issue of bad luck of bad coaching.

But there were key reasons the Vols lost this game, and there were spots on the field where there was some good football played on the part of Tennessee.

In a 31-24 double overtime loss to a ranked team that could compete for the Big 12 Championship and make a run at the College Football Playoff, there are clearly parts of this group that performed very well.

And, again, there are parts that performed very poorly, so we have to hold every accountable.

Here is the report card for the Tennessee Vols in their loss to the Oklahoma Sooners and the grades for every position on offense, defense, and special teams.

And we will look at coaching.

Next: Offensive Grades