Tennessee football Smokey points: Top five Vols performers vs. Chattanooga

This is a formal apology to Jeremy Banks and even Jeremy Pruitt for our lack of faith in him at linebacker. Maybe it’s not actually. The jury is still out, after all, as to whether or not he is cut out to play the position. But Tennessee football got a lot from the converted power running back on Saturday, and he is the player of the game as a result.

Sorry, but you can’t ignore a guy who came a way with two interceptions in a game. Usually, such a guy is always a guy who will be the player of the game, and we’re not going to make an exception against Banks in that regard.

To be fair, neither of Banks’s interceptions were critical to the game. The first game when the Vols were up 35-0 and set up a field goal. They were already up 45-0 when the second one came. But two interceptions for a game is two interceptions for a game.

In addition to those interceptions, Banks did have three tackles. So he showed he is developing and turning into a solid inside linebacker. Henry To’oTo’o is still a better pure player there overall, obviously along with Daniel Bituli. But Banks showed a bit of what he could do.

The play of Banks is indicative of what Tennessee football got from a lot of players against the Chattanooga Mocs. Numerous Vols have shown dramatic improvement through three weeks, and it may be what they need to turn a corner. We’ll find out how real it is soon enough.