Tennessee football report card: Grading the Vols in 24-20 Missouri win

Offense

Quarterbacks: A

What else can we say? Jarrett Guarantano had 415 yards passing and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He completed 23-of-40 passes in the process, while Brian Maurer came in for one incompletion. The only reason this isn’t an A+ is because Guarantano did miss some throws early and took a while to get into rhythm. But for the most part, the unit was great.

Running backs: B-

They had 21 carries for 102 yards together along with three catches for 34 yards, and Tim Jordan and Ty Chandler averaged over five yards a carry combined. That could warrant a B+ or even an A- on regular days. But Jordan’s fourth quarter fumble could have cost Tennessee football. The only reason it didn’t drop the grade to the C is the fumble was due to a helmet on the ball.

Wide receivers/Tight ends: A+

Yeah, there’s no denying this unit was perfect. Three 100-yard receivers? How could we not have this grade be an A+? Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway each had a touchdown and over 100 yards receiving for the third game this year. Josh Palmer added 124 yards. And Dominick Wood-Anderson had three receptions for 24 yards. So this group came through in a huge way.

Offensive line: A-

Jarrett Guarantano was only sacked once, and the Vols only allowed two tackles for a loss. That’s a major testament to this unit, even if they only averaged three and a half yards a carry as a team. Quavaris Crouch’s touchdown run was also a testament to the blocking. Overall, these guys did what was necessary against a very good defense.

Overall offensive grade: A-

Sure, they only scored 24 points. But mistakes on special teams kept it from being 30, and if not for a fumble, they could have pushed 40. So Tennessee football overall still earned an A- on offense with 526 total yards.