Tennessee football report card: Grading the Vols in their win at Auburn

Offense

Quarterbacks: A

Could you ask for anymore from Jarrett Guarantano? The guy had no running game and inconsistent protection. He was under pressure from Kevin Steele’s blitz packages all day. But he still managed to go 21-of-32 for 328 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. That was against a very good Auburn Tigers defense. Guarantano was the player of the game, and Tennessee football found its quarterback with this outing. There’s not much more for us to say.

Running backs: B

Ty Chandler and Tim Jordan were very good in the passing game, and that counts. They combined to have seven receptions for 85 yards, including a key first down conversion on 2nd and 19 by Jordan and a 42-yard touchdown reception by Chandler. That’s why this grade isn’t lower. However, when it came to actually running the ball they had some problems. The two only had 29 carries for 76 yards, less than two a carry. Madre London added one carry for no yards. And they failed to convert a fourth down conversion early in the second half. These issues were C to D worthy, but their play in the passing game was A+ worthy. That’s why we gave the group a B.

Wide receivers/Tight Ends: A+

Now, Jarrett Guarantano was our player of the game. But what we’ve said all year finally came true. With Tennessee football’s issues, Jeremy Pruitt and Tyson Helton needed to air it out as much as possible and let their elite receivers make plays. They finally did that. What was the result? Marquez Callaway had two receptions for 55 yards, Josh Palmer had three receptions for 84 yards, and Jauan Jennings came home with five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. This was a flawless performance, and you can’t point to one bad play these guys made. Many of Guarantano’s completions were ones he just threw up and trusted his guys to come down with. The tight ends didn’t do much with Dominick Wood-Anderson, but they were much better in pass protection this game. That was what the Vols needed from them, and in getting it, this unit was perfect.

Offensive line: D+

The one issue for Tennessee football remained a critical one. The Vols could not run the ball at all. They averaged fewer than two yards a carry, and the notable moment was in the second half on the first drive, when it was 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 and they failed to convert both times. On top of that, Guarantano was still sacked three times and under pressure all day despite playing so well. The only reason for the pass protection was that the tight ends. The interior line, however, is still a major issue. Sure, it has to do with the injuries at left guard. But it’s a simple fact that this group did not perform.

Overall offensive grade: B+

Scoring 30 points against the Auburn Tigers’ defense could warrant an A. But the bad offensive line play warranted a B+. And remember, the Vols did have 14 points set up off turnovers by the defense. Still, they played well enough to win, and Jarrett Guarantano was the player of the game. So you have to give this a good grade.