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Tennessee football report card: Grading the Vols in their win over ETSU

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Keller Chryst #19 of the Tennessee Volunteers waits for a snap during a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 08: Keller Chryst #19 of the Tennessee Volunteers waits for a snap during a game against the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers at Neyland Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennesee won the game 59-3. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images
Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images /

Offense

Quarterbacks: B

Keller Chryst and Jarrett Guarantano didn’t really do anything wrong in this game. Guarantano completed 8-of-13 passes for 154 yards, while Chryst went 3-of-3 for 70 yards and a touchdown. Together, those are solid numbers. But they didn’t really do anything spectacular. The Vols didn’t really need the passing game on Saturday. Against like a team like ETSU, though, you expect a couple of more big plays. That didn’t happen, so we’re giving this unit a B.

Running Backs: B

Tennessee football got solid production from its running backs without Ty Chandler. But only Madre London averaged over five yards a carry. To be fair, he averaged just under six. Tim Jordan had another solid game with 65 yards rushing, and Jeremy Banks added two touchdowns and 62 yards. Still, the averages should have been better against a team like ETSU. The Vols should’ve averaged over seven yards a carry at least. The four touchdowns and solid play was enough to earn a B, we’re just not going to give anything better than that.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: B

Again, just like the quarterbacks and running backs, this unit didn’t do anything spectacular. But they didn’t do anything wrong either, so we have to at least give them a B. Marquez Callaway was the leader here once again with 78 receiving yards, and Jordan Murphy had the splash play with a 50-yard touchdown reception. Josh Palmer added to the splash here with a 20-yard touchdown run, so that counts toward keeping this grade overall solid.

Offensive Line: D

This remains a big issue for the Vols. Tennessee football had to replace Brandon Kennedy at center with Ryan Johnson, and things largely did not go well. It’s part of the reason that the Vols struggled in the running game. The unit was not much better than in Week 1, and with such a terrible opponent on the other side, that’s not a good thing.

Overall offensive grade: C

The offensive line significantly held this unit back overall. Remember that these guys only had one legitimate touchdown in the first half. The defense and special teams each scored one while the defense set up another touchdown. That’s not really impressive for this unit, so we’re giving it a C for the day.

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