Tennessee football Smokey Points: Top 5 Vols performers at Gamecocks

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Honestly, Jarrett Guarantano did not even have that great of a game throwing downfield. For the first time all year, his deep ball was horrible, and it gave the Keller Chryst supporters a strong case. After all, he underthrew too many guys.

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However, Guarantano still found ways to make plays for Tennessee football. With Marcus Tatum filling in for Trey Smith on the left side, he was once again under pressure all night. Will Muschamp made sure to attack him, and that was brutal enough given his injury from the previous week.

Add in the fact that Muschamp sold out to stop the passing game, and Guarantano had to completely change up his game for Saturday night. He did just that and almost beat the South Carolina Gamecocks in the process.

The guy did complete 27-of-39 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He was taking what South Carolina gave him all night, and it worked like a charm. Oh, and he also showed some mobility, running to convert one third and long.

Again, yes, he made some serious mistakes throwing the ball on the day. At least twice, Guarantano underthrew a deep pass. He also took a couple of sacks when he didn’t have to. However, they were often coverage sacks, as the Vols were allowing them after a three-man rush. So what can he do?

Next. 5 takeaways from Vols loss at South Carolina. dark

Tennessee football would not be in good shape for the future under Guarantano if he stayed like the quarterback we saw Saturday night. But we have enough evidence to know he’s better than that. And despite struggling, he still found ways to be the most effective player for the Vols on either side of the ball. That’s a huge plus, and it’s why he wins player of the game.

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Tennessee football Smokey Points: Top 5 Vols performers at South Carolina

By Caleb Calhoun | Oct 28, 2018