Jeremy Pruitt finally came out with Tennessee football on top. Here are five things we learned from the Volunteers’ victory over the Chattanooga Mocs.
It took an FCS opponent, but Tennessee football finally got a win. At 1-2, the Vols dominated the Chattanooga Mocs in a 45-0 shutout victory, their final game before the start of SEC play next week when they visit the Florida Gators.
Although it may be nothing to celebrate, it was very clear that UT looked much better this week than it did in the last two weeks. Now yes, Chattanooga is a much worse opponent. But at the same time, there were mental errors that dramatically reduced.
And who cares if it was Chattanooga? At this point, the Vols just needed a win to avoid the possibility of 0-12. Getting it in blowout fashion is exactly what they needed to give their backups some experience. Here are five takeaways from Tennessee football’s victory.
Jarrett Guarantano looked good but still got away with throws.
There’s not much to criticize about Jarrett Guarantano going seven-of-eight for 142 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was much better than last week. However, his only incompletion was an underthrow on his first pass, and it should have been intercepted. He was also late on a touchdown pass to Cedric Tillman that he won’t get away with in the SEC.
Still, Guarantano deserves credit for his play overall. His touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings was an improvisation pass, as he had to move in the pocket, and he also moved a couple of other times in the pocket for some key completions. So for now, he deserves praise even if he did make some mistakes overall.
Backup quarterbacks showed their strengths and weaknesses.
Finally, Brian Maurer and J.T. Shrout were able to take some FBS snaps. And they both showed their profile. Maurer is quick and mobile, evidenced by his touchdown run, and he has more command of the offense, but his decision-making is not perfect, and he still didn’t complete a pass on the day.
Shrout, meanwhile, actually is a great decision-maker. He always went to the right guy. But his touch and accuracy on the ball need a ton of work, and that’s why he was three-for-nine and should have had an interception. The one he threw was waved off due to a penalty.
Linebackers continue to look better every week.
Remember how bad Tennessee football was at containing Dan Ellington against the Georgia State Panthers in the first week? The Vols have dramatically improved since then, in particular at inside linebacker. Henry To’oTo’o is developing as a true freshman and getting better every week. Daniel Bituli being back was huge. And Jeremy Banks, a converted running back, had two interceptions.
Turnovers finally arrived for the defense.
Speaking of interceptions, the Vols finally got some takeaways in this game. Banks had two picks, Darrell Taylor recovered a fumble snap, and Nigel Warrior and Kenney Solomon came up with interceptions. So the Vols forced four turnovers and came away with none, which is a big deal. They also made a huge play that worked like a turnover, and that leads us to our final point.
Special teams wins the day again.
We already knew about Brent Cimaglia, and he added an eighth field goal on the day. But Ty Chandler set the tone for special teams with a 58-yard return on the opening kickoff. Then the Vols blocked a punt for a touchdown. Finally, Joe Doyle and Paxton Brooks each got one point, and they both crossed the 55-yard mark. So Tennessee football continues to have a major special teams advantage, and that was a key reason for the Vols’ victory.