He went away for a few weeks, but Josh Malone has returned the past three weeks and showed why he was a five-star recruit. The junior wide receiver finished the game with only three receptions, but they went for 81 yards and one touchdown.
That touchdown was a 57-yard play that gave the Vols some breathing room in the second quarter, as they were only up on the Missouri Tigers 7-6 at the time.
Malone continued his success as being a game-changer in that regard. Remember, this was an elite Missouri Tigers secondary that does get lots of interceptions.
But Malone remained a reliable target. He now has 38 receptions for 731 yards and nine touchdowns on the year, and he has consistently been a huge playmaker.
He was a huge part of helping the Vols rebound early after they found out about the Florida Gators clinching the SEC East by beating the LSU Tigers.
Unfortunately, the Vols did not have enough of Malone during their three-game losing streak in the middle of this season, but they have certainly seen great performances by him the rest of the time.
The guy emerged as a star for Tennessee football this year.