Tennessee football: Vols stock report following Week Three of 2019
Stocks to sell
Interior offensive line
Pass blocking and run blocking on the outside remains solid. But against the Chattanooga Mocs, it began to hide what remains a major issues, which is the interior offensive line. Ty Chandler averaged under five yards a carry Saturday, despite making a major splash with his elite return. That should stand out as an issue. Eric Gray only had four yards a carry as well.
Related Story. Grading the Vols in win vs. Chattanooga. light
Tennessee football altogether had over five yards a carry, to be fair, but you would think it would be much better against an FCS program. As a result, this continual issue for Jeremy Pruitt’s team has gone nowhere, and that’s why we say don’t be fooled. The line is much better than last year, but the interior remains a critical weakness.
Defensive line
Hidden in the shutout win on Saturday was the way the Vols struggled on the defensive line at times. Remember, when Jeremy Pruitt pulled his starters early, the defense then almost folded and let Chattanooga drive to the goal line down only 21-0. They just happened to benefit from a fumbled snap that Darrell Taylor ended up recovering.
Next. Top five Vols performers vs. Chattanooga. dark
But that doesn’t mean this unit performed well. The Mocs, particularly against the backups, were able to get some sort of control of the line in the second half. And they showed an ability to move the ball before turning it over, picking up 151 yards on the ground. We knew the defensive line would have growing pains. Well, continue to pay attention to that. They haven’t gotten better.