Tennessee football Smokey points: Top five Vols in 23-22 Gator Bowl win

Most of the major seniors had a relatively quiet night for Tennessee football. Darrell Taylor, however, was a different story. He made sure he went out with a bang in the Gator Bowl, and he did it in crucial moments as well, which is why we put him on this list. It’s a great way for a fifth-year senior to end his career.

Taylor finished the game with one and a half sacks and another assist on a tackle for a loss, giving him two total tackles for a loss. He had six tackles overall and another quarterback hurry. All night, he appeared to be the anchor of the pass rush, as he was always in Peyton Ramsey’s face, even if Ramsey was too mobile for him to consistently bring down.

What really stood out, however, was the key play Taylor made late. Down 23-22, the Indiana Hoosiers got a 39-yard gain to the UT 36. They were in position for a game-winning field goal. But Taylor and Alontae Taylor were sent on a blitz, and Darrell Taylor was the one who got the sack. That was a crucial play that resulted in the drive ending in a missed field goal.

Plays like that were a staple of Taylor’s career on Rocky Top. Remember, he is the one who made the game-saving tackle on the two-point conversion to beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets back in 2017. Ending his career doing something like that is a great story.