Stocks to buy
Running backs
Eric Gray, Tim Jordan and Ty Chandler combined for only 77 yards on 19 carries Saturday. Tennessee football’s running backs could not get anything going, and Gray looked like a true freshman by missing a block that resulted in a sure touchdown pass being batted down and also fumbling the ball in Florida Gator territory after Jarrett Guarantano came back into the game.
But Gray is developing. Chandler is still an elite playmaker. And it’s worth noting that Jordan did have 16 yards on just three carries. The Vols were going up against an elite rush defense last Saturday with an offensive line that still struggles to be consistent. Add in the quarterback issues, and these guys were severely limited. They’ll get better in time.
Punting
Joe Doyle was very much out of character on Saturday, averaging only 40.1 yards per punt on four punts and having none of them pinned inside the 20-yard line while one of them went for a touchback. Paxton Brooks was no better, as his one punt when he came in went for just 36 yards and did not pin Florida deep at all.
The Vols are usually very good in the punt game, so this was clearly an anomaly. As a result, there is plenty of reason to invest in this stock, as the punters will not look this bad for long. They will get better over time, and they’ll likely be elite again once Jeremy Pruitt’s team gets ready to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in two weeks.