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Tennessee football Smokey Points: Top 5 Vols performers vs. Florida Gators

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Running back Madre London #31 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs for yards during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Running back Madre London #31 of the Tennessee Volunteers runs for yards during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Tennessee football struggled overall on the defensive line throughout the night. But the Vols got some life from the unit early on in the game, as Alexis Johnson and Shy Tuttle both made plays. They couldn’t sustain it throughout, but Johnson did enough to get on this list.

The senior defensive tackle helped set the tone early for the Vols with a huge sack. It stalled Florida on their opening drive, which forced them to punt. At the time, the play seemed like a huge deal and one that would get Rocky Top going early.

However, then the issues on offense came, and the defensive front went silent. Johnson was part of that, so as we mentioned in our opening slide, he’s one of those guys who gets blame and credit for his play on Saturday. But he does get credit, as he clearly had an early impact.

If the Vols can begin to sustain that level of success up front, they may have something to look forward to. But Johnson needs to do more in the future than just show up in the first few minutes of the game. Sure, it earned him a helmet sticker for Saturday. That won’t be enough for the rest of the season, though.

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