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Tennessee football: 10 best 2018 single game performances by returning Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Darrell Taylor #19 of the Tennessee Volunteers gets a strip sack from Terry Wilson #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 24-7. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Darrell Taylor #19 of the Tennessee Volunteers gets a strip sack from Terry Wilson #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 24-7. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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6. Bryce Thompson vs. ETSU

Stat line: 4 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 interception, 1 pass defended

Result: Tennessee wins 59-3

It was only against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. But while Alontae Taylor showed his promise as a future cornerback on Rocky Top, Bryce Thompson showed his potential stardom in 2018 for Tennessee football. And this was the game that started it all.

Coming off a 40-14 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Vols had little excitement for this game. They knew they would win pretty handily, and they did, pulling away 59-3. However, Thompson breaking out was a big plus for them.

In the game, Thompson did it all. He had two tackles for a loss, defended one pass and came away with an interception. That’s a heck of a stat line for a cornerback, and he proved that despite being an athlete, he could be a very physical player. That’s something Taylor later proved as well.

Thompson also returned that interception 21 yards to the ETSU 3-yard-line, setting up a touchdown that put the Vols up 24-0 at the time. Again, there’s a deeper level of significance here than just beating the ETSU Bucs.

This was the start of a freshman campaign that turned Thompson into a freshman All-American. Expectations are through the roof for him this year, and his versatility makes him a deadly threat at cornerback for any defense. He was certainly all over the field against ETSU, and he kept up that consistency for the year as well.

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