Tennessee football Smokey points: Top 5 Vols who performed vs. Georgia Tech
![ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 04: John Kelly ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 04: John Kelly](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/c8d6fd812daf13189513f6de220582eb7101523f5697225f0de1f9f12dedd4d9.jpg)
Part of the reason Quinten Dormady was so efficient was the help he got from John Kelly. The feature back who spent the past two years behind Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, Kelly was not about to let his opportunity as the sole starter go to waste.
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New offensive coordinator Larry Scott did not do a good job of getting him enough touches in the first half. But that changed in the second.
And with Georgia Tech stacking the line the stop him from going up the middle, Kelly made beautiful outside cuts to pick up big gains.
As a result, he finished the game 19 carries for 128 yards, an average of over six and a half yards a carry along with four rushing touchdowns. On top of that, he had five receptions for 35 yards, including a crucial third down conversion on the Vols’ final offensive drive in regulation.
In overtime, Kelly was the heart of the offense, scoring both touchdowns. All of this makes you wonder why the coaches wasted so many carries on Jalen Hurd the previous two years, because Kelly showed he is clearly better.
Against a very tough back seven, Kelly had no trouble breaking off some big runs. He was powerful, fast, quick and shifty. And he held onto the football.
There was literally nothing to criticize about him Monday.
So Kelly was one of the top playmakers for the Tennessee football offense, and it’s worthy of debating why he’s not No. 1 on this list. But there’s one player who stood out to much to ignore.