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

Defense

Defensive line: A- 

Aubrey Solomon wasn’t able to go in this game. And this may be a controversial grade, as nobody racked up many stats. But the push by Tennessee football’s defensive line is why the run game for the Missouri Tigers averaged under three yards a carry, and Darel Middleton had two tackles while LaTrell Bumphus and Kurrott Garland each had a tackle for a loss.

Linebackers: A

Darrell Taylor and Kivon Bennett weren’t able to rack up any sacks, but they brought pressure all night. On the inside, though, Henry To’o To’o and Daniel Bituli were amazing. To’o To’o had five tackles and one and a half tackles for a loss, assisting on a sack. And Bituli had 12 tackles and a sack. Both of them had a fourth quarter tackle for a loss on third down. That’s why they get an A.

Secondary: C+

This unit was actually very good when it came to tackling. Alontae Taylor helped on a sack, and Bryce Thompson, Nigel Warrior and Jaylen McCullough combined for 16 tackles. But they allowed two touchdown passes and let Mizzou complete 17-of-29 attempts. So they still struggled on some fronts, and that’s why we bump them down to a C+.

Overall defensive grade: B+

Holding a team to 20 points is usually impressive. But the Missouri Tigers have struggled so much recently that it didn’t look as good for the Vols. They still get a B+, though, since they held this team to under 300 yards of total offense and had three fourth quarter stands again.