Defense
Defensive line: D-
Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley kept having to dial up blitzes because despite five tackles from Matthew Butler and a sack from Aubrey Solomon, Tennessee football’s defensive line largely had a bad day. They could not get pressure on an immobile quarterback in Kyle Trask, and they were so bad that at one point, when Dan Mullen was calling screen passes to beat the blitzes, Pruitt stuck to them because he knew he couldn’t trust this unit. It’s got some dramatic improving to do.
Linebackers: B-
Outside linebackers like Darrell Taylor did not come through and wreak havoc in this game the way they are supposed to. However, Daniel Bituli and Henry To’oTo’o were two of the top players in the game, and that’s enough for us to give this unit credit. They came away with eight tackles each, and Bituli added two sacks along with a forced fumble, which To’oTo’o recovered. So this unit came to play and deserves respect for it.
Secondary: C+
Theo Jackson and Alontae Taylor each had an interception. Nigel Warrior forced a fumble that Warren Burrell almost recovered. So there were plays made in the game. But Warrior took a bad angle on a pass play in the first drive. Kyle Trask still completed 20-of-28 passes for 293 yards. So the unit did not perform great. But it was solid in some areas, and the limitations of the defensive line affected how it could play.
Overall defensive grade: C-
You give up 441 yards and 34 points, you had a bad day. However, Tennessee football showed up to play on defense after the opening drive, and they did a lot to keep the Vols in the game up through the second quarter. Eventually, though, they just wilted with no offensive support, and that’s why this game was a blowout loss.