Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vols win 28-10 win vs. Vanderbilt

4. Protection on offense was solid. 

Despite a struggling passing game, you can’t say enough about the development of Tennessee football’s offensive line. In this game, their superb talent finally all came together, and they managed to pave the way for everything Rocky Top was able to do en route to a 28-10 win on a stormy afternoon at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.

We already talked about the rushing attack, in particular Eric Gray. These kids dominated on the ground overall with 297 yards and averaging over seven yards a carry. Yes, Gray was the major reason for that, but you still have to credit the offensive line and the team effort that went into that happening for Rocky Top.

If you want proof of the offensive line playing well, look at the pass protection. Sure, the passing game struggled much more significantly. But Jarrett Guarantano was not sacked all night, and he even managed two first down runs. So while he struggled, his jersey was kept clean outside of what the weather did to it.

Simply put, this was a great way to finish the season. Offensive line was the reason the Vols struggled down the stretch of last year. As a result, them being able to perform so well in their final game this year as UT secures a winning record for the season is worthy of lots of praise. So in this post, we had to give it to them. It’s one of the many great stories involved in this turnaround.