All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols 30-7 win vs. UAB

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 25: The Tennessee Volunteers marching band performs prior to the game between the Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium on October 25, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 25: The Tennessee Volunteers marching band performs prior to the game between the Volunteers and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium on October 25, 2014 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images /

5. Key offensive weapons stepped up.

They only had 302 yards of total offense. But Jeremy Pruitt’s game plan was to force the UAB Blazers into making mistakes and then Tennessee football cashing in. Derrick Ansley’s job was to force the mistakes. He did. Jim Chaney’s job was to cash in. Despite the quarterback controversies, he did.

Jauan Jennings may not have had a touchdown catch. But he caught five passes for 70 yards. And he still managed to score a touchdown, running one in from two yards out on the wildcat. Meanwhile, Ty Chandler also stepped up with 16 carries for 85 yards along with two receptions for 14 yards. And he managed to get a touchdown run in the game.

Then there’s Eric Gray. A freshman all-purpose back, he was recruited specifically to be a skill player, similar to Chandler. That finally showed, as he had a 13-yard touchdown catch. Now, he still only had eight yards on eight carries, and Tim Jordan also struggled with six carries for 19 yards. Also, Marquez Callaway only had one catch for 10 yards.

So some of the skill guys didn’t have a big night. And tight ends actually had a solid night, with Dominick Wood-Anderson catching three passed for 34 yards. But when the time came, Chaney went to the skill players.

Those skill players are clearly exactly what the Vols needed. UAB’s style is designed to make games ugly, so just a few plays by the skill players to step up is all that has to happen when the defense does its job. Since UT’s defense did its job, that’s what happened.

Home/Vols Football