Tennessee football: Five takeaways from Vol 23-22 Gator Bowl win vs. Indiana

4. Place-kicking was the difference.

He had four misses all year. Two were due to horrible snaps, and a third was a very long field goal in the wind. But for the most part, Brent Cimaglia has been a superstar on Rocky Top this year, and his consistency finally paid off for the Vols.

We’ve  been praising the junior kicker all year and stated that it was only a matter of time before his leg and reliability finally proved to be an advantage for Rocky Top. Well, it proved to be an advantage in this one. Cimaglia was three-for-three on field goals, hitting one of 43 yards. That was crucial, as his tendency to be solid beyond 40 yards this year has always been huge.

What was more crucial, however, was the inconsistency of Indiana’s kicker. Logan Justus also made three field goals. While missing a 52-yarder, he did hit a 49-yarder, showing his leg. But we don’t blame him for the missed 52-yarder, as college kickers can only be so consistent on field goals that far out.

However, Justus had struggled with consistency elsewhere, and he also missed an extra point. That is what ended up being the difference, as the Vols won this one by a point. Cimaglia didn’t miss any extra points. If he misses just one, UT ties. Meanwhile, if he doesn’t hit that 43-yarder, the Vols lose.

This type of reliability has been a huge thing for Tennessee football all year. It delivered them a legendary comeback victory in the Gator Bowl. Kudos to Cimaglia for being able to make a difference with that consistency.