Tennessee football: 10 best 2018 single game performances by returning Vols
8. Jauan Jennings at Auburn
Stat line: 5 receptions, 71 yards, 1 touchdown
Result: Tennessee wins 30-24
Before Alontae Taylor scored the game-clinching defensive touchdown, Jauan Jennings reminded us all of what he is capable of doing. He was the one to give Tennessee football its lead over the Auburn Tigers on the road that it would not relinquish.
For context with this storyline, Jennings established a reputation as a major game-changer in 2016. He caught the touchdown to give the Vols the lead for good against the Florida Gators that year, and the next week, he caught the game-winning Hail Mary to beat the Georgia Bulldogs on the road.
Expected to become the No. 1 receiver in 2017 with Josh Malone, Jennings never reached his expectations after he suffered a season-ending injury. Then he was dismissed at the end of the year, reinstated but out for spring due to injury, and struggled the Vols’ first five games due to lack of feel for the game.
But this was his return party. Coming off a bye week, Jennings became the elite playmaker for the Vols. He finished the game with five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown, and the touchdown was the key play of the game.
Down 17-13 in the third, Jennings caught a 25-yard touchdown pass on 3rd and 10 to give the Vols the lead. He got that same drive going earlier with an 11-yard reception to convert a 3rd and 10. So, again, he was the big-play guy in this game, and it puts him on the list.