Tennessee football 2018 recap: Top 10 plays of Vols season

10.  Bryce Thompson interception vs. Auburn

On the surface, this was just a standard interception. But the momentum-change this represented for Tennessee football is why this was so significant. This Bryce Thompson interception gave the Vols the confidence they needed in their huge game against the Auburn Tigers.

Coming off a bye, Jeremy Pruitt’s team was fighting with Auburn through the first half. But after Auburn blocked a field goal and moved past midfield up 10-3 in the second quarter, you had to figure that they would take control of the game against a 2-3 Vols team that had lost all three games by 26 points. It didn’t happen.

On second down, Jarrett Stidham tried to force a pass near the sidelines after the Vols’ defensive line brought pressure. In the process, Bryce Thompson, a freshman cornerback, came away with his second interception on the year.

Jarrett Guarantano took that interception and turned it into a touchdown drive to tie it up, capped off by a deep pass over the middle to Ty Chandler. But it was this play that got the ball rolling, and as a result, this is the play that made the list.

Thompson’s pick gave the Vols the necessary confidence and changed the game just enough for them to beat Auburn. So it squeaks its way onto the list. The most exciting things about this is for Rocky Top is that they have at least two more years of Thompson playing cornerback. And this was indicative of his abilities to make plays there.