Tennessee football Smokey Points: Top five Vols from 34-3 Florida loss

He wasn’t good. Let’s be clear on that. But Brian Maurer provided a spark when Jeremy Pruitt inserted him in the second half on the first drive. And Maurer did just enough to get Tennessee football into field goal range for Brent Cimaglia to get the Vols their only points of the day. That has to count for something.

Maurer was inept after crossing midfield on that first drive, to be fair. That’s why he’s No. 5 on this list. But he still managed those points, and that was more than Jarrett Guarantano was able to do all day for UT. So he gets to be on this list despite completing just four of 11 passes for 44 yards and no touchdowns with an interception.

It was Maurer’s legs and mobility combined with his moxy that led him to leading that score on that opening drive. He was able to hit Jauan Jennings, Brandon Johnson and Josh Palmer for a total of 46 passing yards. But again, it was only one drive, as he had one completion for minus-two yards, which was to himself, the rest of the way.

We’re not sure if Maurer did enough to generate a quarterback controversy on Rocky Top just yet. But he certainly showed some value on the first drive of the second half in this game. It was enough to earn him a shoutout.