Tennessee vs. Western Carolina Report Card: Grading the Vols
Sep 19, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Alvin Kamara (6) runs the ball against the Western Carolina Catamounts during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 55 to10. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Special Teams Grades
Kicking: B+
Aaron Medley was perfect in this game, going two of two on kicks, including a 31-yarder, making every extra point, and doing great on kickoffs. All of that was enough for him to almost get an A, but two things held him back. He had no degree of difficulty on any of his field goals, and more kickoffs should’ve gone for touchbacks. But it’s still his best game of the year.
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Punting: A+
Once again, Trevor Daniel is showing himself to be the best punter in college football right now. His average was only 42.8 yards per punt on four punts, but he mostly punted with a short field. Three times he was at or past midfield with his punts, and all three times he pinned the ball inside the 20 with no return, one of them going inside the five. The other time, he sent a punt 53 yards inside the 20 that was also not returned. It was another perfect game for Daniel.
Return Game: A
Evan Berry returned one kick for a touchdown with his brother in the house. The Alvin Kamara replaced Cameron Sutton at punt returner and returned a punt for a touchdown. Another return by Kamara that should’ve gone for a touchdown is enough to make this an A+, but the reason it did not is what helps drop it back.
Sutton had a bad return and Kamara had a great return called back for a penalty. That is the only reason that this unit did not get a perfect score, but it was still elite, and if Butch Jones can make sure that focus carries over into SEC play, the Vols could have a big advantage over other teams.
Overall Special Teams Performance: A
Kicking was what it needed to be, punting was perfect, and the return game was great. This was a major reason the Vols constantly had a short field on offense and almost never were in their own territory on defense. This is a big strength for Tennessee, and it will only get better if Medley keeps his mind right as the place kicker.
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